Child Care Facilities Improvement Program

Expansion

Physical Space and Facilities

In 2022, New Jersey created the $54.5 million New Jersey Child Care Facilities Improvement Program to provide grants to New Jersey child care providers for facilities enhancements. The program is part of the Child Care Revitalization Fund, passed by the New Jersey State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy in July 2021. Phase 1 of the program provides almost $15 million in grants of up to $200,000 to licensed child care centers in New Jersey toward the costs of facility improvements.

The funds can be used to cover labor and materials costs for interior and exterior facility improvements, plus “soft” costs such as architect fees, permit fees, construction management, freight and shipping delivery, and environmental assessment.

Learn More about New Jersey’s facilities improvement program.

Sources:
New Jersey Economic Development Authority. (n.d.). New Jersey child care facilities improvement program.
New Jersey Department of Human Services. (2022). New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy Launches NJ Child Care Facilities Improvement Grant.
Child Care Aware of New Jersey. (n.d.). NJEDA child care facilities grant program.
New Jersey Economic Development Authority. (n.d.). Child care facilities improvement pilot program.

Connections to Key Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) Findings:

High-quality, affordable early education and care supports children’s healthy development and allows families to work, engage in their own educational pursuits, and/or participate in other aspects of community life. To support children and families in these instrumental ways, research suggests there is a need to expand the availability of early education opportunities across the mixed-delivery system.

Findings from the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) show:

Families rely on a range of formal (e.g., Head Start, center-based care, public pre-K) and more informal (e.g., home-based, relative care) early education settings; when choosing a setting for their child, families balance many logistical constraints and personal preferences.
But for many families – and especially low- and middle-income families – early education choices remain tightly constrained due to issues of affordability and supply.

Learn More About ELS@H Findings