New Jersey
Policy Strategies & Innovations Link copied!
Innovation Name | Innovation Type | Innovation Subtype | Features at a Glance | Strategy Summary |
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New Jersey Preschool Expansion Program | Expansion | Targeted Pre-K Policy (3-Year-Olds) Targeted Pre-K Policy (4-Year-Olds) | 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 PreschoolSources: New Jersey Department of Education (2022). New Jersey Strategic Plan for Preschool Expansion Phase I: The Foundation. $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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Child Care Facilities Improvement Program | Expansion | Physical Space and Facilities | One-time funding |
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. Sources: |
New Jersey Enterprise Analysis System for Early Learning | Infrastructure Systems | Data Systems | Early Childhood Integrated Data System |
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 LearningSources: 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 |
Pre-K Pay Parity | Workforce | Pay Scales and Parity | K-3 pay parity for community-based and public-school pre-K teachers |
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 parityis 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-KSource: 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. |
Demographics Link copied!
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 age 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
3.4% Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2022
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
Political Landscape Link copied!
Year | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
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Governor | D | D | D | D | D |
House | D | D | D | D | D |
Senate | D | D | D | D | D |
Early Childhood Education Programs Link copied!
Public pre-K program name
New Jersey Preschool Expansion Program (formerly Abbott Preschool Program) Source: NIEER 2023
Public pre-K program name
New Jersey Non-Abbott Early Childhood Program Aid (ECPA) Source: NIEER 2023
Public pre-K program name
New Jersey Former Early Launch to Learning Initiative (ELLI) Source: NIEER 2023
Universal or targeted pre-K policy
Targeted Pre-K Policy (3- and 4-Year-Olds) Source: NIEER 2023
Universal or targeted pre-K policy
Targeted Pre-K Policy (3- and 4-Year-Olds) Source: NIEER 2023
Universal or targeted pre-K policy
Targeted Pre-K Policy (4-Year-Olds) Source: NIEER 2023
Percent of 3-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Public Early Childhood Education Programs Source: NIEER 2023
Programs
- 3-year-old children enrolled in state-funded public pre-K (20%)
- 3-year-old children enrolled in Head Start (5%)
- Other/none (75%)
Percent of 4-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Public Early Childhood Education Programs Source: NIEER 2023
Programs
- 4-year-old children enrolled in state-funded public pre-K (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
- Child care workers
- Preschool teachers
- Preschool or child care center directors
Funding Sources Link copied!
Funding acronyms: CCDBG: Child Care and Development Block Grant; CARES Act: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act; CRRSE Act: Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations; ARPA: American Rescue Plan Act; CCDF: Child Care and Development Fund; MIECHV: Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program; IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; TANF: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
The COVID Funding Cliff
All federal COVID relief allocations, including funding authorized by the CARES, CRRSE, and ARPA bills, must be fully spent by September 2024. An analysis from the Century Foundation shows this loss of funds could cause more than 3 million children to lose access to child care nationwide – including more than 104,000 children in New Jersey.