New Jersey
Overview Link copied!
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| Strategy Name | Strategy Type(s) | Year | Funding Amount | Funding Source | Features at a Glance | |
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Child Care Facilities Improvement Program
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.
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2022 | $54.5 million |
State Dedicated Funding Stream
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One-time ARPA funded program was approved for Phase 2 to expand a facilities improvement grant for family child care providers.
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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.
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New Jersey Enterprise Analysis System for Early Learning
Since 2018, in partnership with multiple other state agencies, the New Jersey Early Learning Commission has hosted the New Jersey Enterprise Analysis System for Early Learning (NJ-EASEL), the state's early childhood integrated data system. Functioning as both a warehouse and a series of data-sharing agreements, the system shares demographic, program, workforce, and individual level data on early childhood programs and the children and families they serve. NJ-EASEL integrates data internally across multiple departments (e.g., Department of Education, Department of Children and Families, Department of Human Services, and Department of Health). The system does not yet have a public arm, but it supports the statewide longitudinal data system, NJEEDS.
NJ-EASEL was built after Governor Chris Christie’s Executive Order No. 77 in 2011 established the Early Learning Commission. The system was launched in 2018 and has been funded by federal grants including Race to the Top–Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grant and Preschool Development Grant Birth Through 5 (PDG B-5).
Learn More: Birth to 3 Years: NJ Enterprise Analysis System for Early Learning
Sources:New Jersey Education to Earnings Data System . (2021). 2021 Year in Review.
LiBetti, A. & Fu, R. (2022). A State Scan of Early Learning Assessments and Data Systems. New America
Early Childhood Policy Matters. (2022). Advancing Early Childhood Integrated Data in New Jersey - Early Childhood Policy Matters
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2018 |
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Early Childhood Integrated Data System
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Since 2018, in partnership with multiple other state agencies, the New Jersey Early Learning Commission has hosted the New Jersey Enterprise Analysis System for Early Learning (NJ-EASEL), the state's early childhood integrated data system. Functioning as both a warehouse and a series of data-sharing agreements, the system shares demographic, program, workforce, and individual level data on early childhood programs and the children and families they serve. NJ-EASEL integrates data internally across multiple departments (e.g., Department of Education, Department of Children and Families, Department of Human Services, and Department of Health). The system does not yet have a public arm, but it supports the statewide longitudinal data system, NJEEDS.
NJ-EASEL was built after Governor Chris Christie’s Executive Order No. 77 in 2011 established the Early Learning Commission. The system was launched in 2018 and has been funded by federal grants including Race to the Top–Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grant and Preschool Development Grant Birth Through 5 (PDG B-5).
Learn More: Birth to 3 Years: NJ Enterprise Analysis System for Early Learning
Sources:New Jersey Education to Earnings Data System . (2021). 2021 Year in Review.
LiBetti, A. & Fu, R. (2022). A State Scan of Early Learning Assessments and Data Systems. New America
Early Childhood Policy Matters. (2022). Advancing Early Childhood Integrated Data in New Jersey - Early Childhood Policy Matters
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New Jersey Preschool Expansion Program
In 2022, New Jersey launched Phase I of the New Jersey Strategic Plan for Preschool Expansion to provide full-day, high-quality preschool to all three- and four-year-old children in the state. The two-part plan will guide the state in transitioning to universal preschool. In 2022, New Jersey served 20% of 3-year-olds and 29% of 4-year-olds through its state preschool programs.
The forthcoming Phase II of the Strategic Plan, which will focus on implementation, will be released in fall 2023.
New Jersey’s commitment to transitioning to universal preschool accords with the state’s history of investing in early learning. The state's first publicly funded preschool program, the Abbott Preschool Program, was created as a result of a 1998 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling on school funding that mandated the creation of state-funded, high-quality preschool programs open to all 3- and 4-year-old children living in 31 of the state's highest poverty school districts.
Today, New Jersey’s pre-K programs serve children in public-school, Head Start, and community-based programs; more than half of all participating children are served in Head Start or community-based settings. Starting and ongoing pay parity is required for community-based educators who have education and experience levels comparable to those serving in the public schools.
For six years in a row, New Jersey has increased funding for preschool, including a $40 million increase for the 2022-2023 school year.
The state has already begun supporting the infrastructure for universal pre-K. In 2023, the state was awarded a $2.3 million federal Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B–5) renewal grant to increase workforce capacity, and Governor Murphy announced $120 million in grants for preschool facilities.
Learn More: New Jersey Universal Preschool
Sources:
New Jersey Department of Education (2022). New Jersey Strategic Plan for Preschool Expansion Phase I: The Foundation. EditSign
$120M Available for NJ Preschool Facility Expansions. (2023). New Jersey Business Magazine.
National Institute for Early Education Research. (2023). New Jersey.
National Institute for Early Education Research. (2023). Fact Sheet – New Jersey Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study through Grade 10 (APPLES-10).
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$892 million in FY22 | 2022 |
State-Funded Pre-K
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In 2022, New Jersey launched Phase I of the New Jersey Strategic Plan for Preschool Expansion to provide full-day, high-quality preschool to all three- and four-year-old children in the state. The two-part plan will guide the state in transitioning to universal preschool. In 2022, New Jersey served 20% of 3-year-olds and 29% of 4-year-olds through its state preschool programs.
The forthcoming Phase II of the Strategic Plan, which will focus on implementation, will be released in fall 2023.
New Jersey’s commitment to transitioning to universal preschool accords with the state’s history of investing in early learning. The state's first publicly funded preschool program, the Abbott Preschool Program, was created as a result of a 1998 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling on school funding that mandated the creation of state-funded, high-quality preschool programs open to all 3- and 4-year-old children living in 31 of the state's highest poverty school districts.
Today, New Jersey’s pre-K programs serve children in public-school, Head Start, and community-based programs; more than half of all participating children are served in Head Start or community-based settings. Starting and ongoing pay parity is required for community-based educators who have education and experience levels comparable to those serving in the public schools.
For six years in a row, New Jersey has increased funding for preschool, including a $40 million increase for the 2022-2023 school year.
The state has already begun supporting the infrastructure for universal pre-K. In 2023, the state was awarded a $2.3 million federal Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B–5) renewal grant to increase workforce capacity, and Governor Murphy announced $120 million in grants for preschool facilities.
Learn More: New Jersey Universal Preschool
Sources:
New Jersey Department of Education (2022). New Jersey Strategic Plan for Preschool Expansion Phase I: The Foundation. EditSign
$120M Available for NJ Preschool Facility Expansions. (2023). New Jersey Business Magazine.
National Institute for Early Education Research. (2023). New Jersey.
National Institute for Early Education Research. (2023). Fact Sheet – New Jersey Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study through Grade 10 (APPLES-10).
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Pre-K Pay Parity
New Jersey's first publicly funded pre-K program, the Abbott Preschool Program, was created as a result of a 1998 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling on school funding. Today, New Jersey's pre-K programs serve children in public-school, Head Start, and community-based programs; more than half of all participating children are served in Head Start or community-based settings. Starting and ongoing pay parity is required for community-based educators who have education and experience levels comparable to those serving in the public schools. Paid planning and professional development time parity is also required.
Learn More: Strategies in Pursuit of Pre-K Teacher Compensation Parity: New Jersey Pre-K
Source:
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California, Berkeley & The National Institute for Early Education Research. (2017). Strategies in Pursuit of Pre-K Teacher Compensation Parity: Lessons from Seven States and Cities | New Jersey Pre-K.
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1998 |
K-3 pay parity for community-based and public-school pre-K teachers
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New Jersey's first publicly funded pre-K program, the Abbott Preschool Program, was created as a result of a 1998 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling on school funding. Today, New Jersey's pre-K programs serve children in public-school, Head Start, and community-based programs; more than half of all participating children are served in Head Start or community-based settings. Starting and ongoing pay parity is required for community-based educators who have education and experience levels comparable to those serving in the public schools. Paid planning and professional development time parity is also required.
Learn More: Strategies in Pursuit of Pre-K Teacher Compensation Parity: New Jersey Pre-K
Source:
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California, Berkeley & The National Institute for Early Education Research. (2017). Strategies in Pursuit of Pre-K Teacher Compensation Parity: Lessons from Seven States and Cities | New Jersey Pre-K.
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Demographics Link copied!
Demographics Data Scorecard
State population
9,261,699 Source U.S. Census, 2022
Rural %
6.2% Source U.S. Census, 2020
Urban %
93.8% Source U.S. Census, 2020
Number of children 0–4
519,195 Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Poverty levels - children 0—8 below 200% poverty
30% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Median family income among households with children
$111,900.00 Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Unemployment rate
4.6% Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, June 2024
Unemployment rate of parents
6% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Children under age 6 with all available parents in the labor force
69% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Children living in households with a high housing cost burden
35% Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Child Population by Race and Ethnicity Source KIDS COUNT, 2021
Race and Ethnicity
- American Indian and Alaska Native (0.49%)
- Asian (4%)
- Black or African American (3%)
- Hispanic or Latino (7%)
- Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (0.49%)
- Two or more races (4%)
- White, not Hispanic or Latino (83%)
| Year | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
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| Governor | D | D | D | D | D |
| State House | D | D | D | D | D |
| State Senate | D | D | D | D | D |
Early Childhood Education Programs Link copied!
Early Childhood Education Programs Source: NIEER 2023
| Program Name | Program Length* | Universal or Targeted Pre-K Policy | State Spending Per Child |
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| New Jersey Preschool Expansion Program (formerly Abbott Preschool Program) Source: NIEER 2023 | Targeted Pre-K Policy (3- and 4-Year-Olds) Source: NIEER 2023 | ||
| New Jersey Non-Abbott Early Childhood Program Aid (ECPA) Source: NIEER 2023 | Targeted Pre-K Policy (3- and 4-Year-Olds) Source: NIEER 2023 | ||
| New Jersey Former Early Launch to Learning Initiative (ELLI) Source: NIEER 2023 | Targeted Pre-K Policy (4-Year-Olds) Source: NIEER 2023 |
2023 Percent of 3-Year-Olds Enrolled in Early Childhood Education Programs Source: NIEER 2023
Programs
- Percent of 3-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Public Early Childhood Education Programs (20%)
- 3-Year-old Children Enrolled in Head Start (5%)
- Other/None (75%)
2023 Percent of 4-Year-Olds Enrolled in Early Childhood Education Programs Source: NIEER 2023
Programs
- Percent of 4-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Public Early Childhood Education Programs (29%)
- 4-Year-old Children Enrolled in Head Start (5%)
- Other/None (66%)
Workforce Link copied!
2017–2019 Median Hourly Wages Source CSCCE 2018, 2020
Role
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Child Care Workers
$12.04 (2017, adjusted)
$12.59 (2019) -
Preschool Teachers
$16.29 (2017, adjusted)
$17.36 (2019) -
Preschool or Child Care Center Directors
$27.48 (2017, adjusted)
$28.7 (2019)
Funding Sources Link copied!
Federal and State Early Childhood Education Funding (in Millions) Source First Five Years Fund, 2024
Funding Source
- Head Start and Early Head Start Funding ($199.5)
- CCDBG & Mandatory Funds ($248)
- CCDBG State Match ($58.4)
- State-Funded Pre-K ($951.8)
- MIECHV ($14.7)
- IDEA Part C ($13.7)
- IDEA Part B, Sec 619 ($12.5)
- TANF Early Learning and Care ($748.1)
- Preschool Development Grant Birth ($2.3)