As NJ’s Childcare Crisis Persists, State Representatives Demand Action

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — State representatives are calling for affordable childcare options amid New Jersey’s childcare crisis.

On Wednesday, Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, who represents parts of Morris County, hosted a Child Care Town Hall at the Morristown Neighborhood House alongside the Advocates for Children of New Jersey.

Dunn, a member of the Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee, heard “firsthand” from families affected by the lack of funding of the NJ’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).

“This program is a lifeline for working parents who need safe, reliable care so they can stay on the job, train for better opportunities, and support their families. It is also vital for the providers who care for our children every day and for the small businesses that depend on a stable workforce,” Dunn said. “I see firsthand the difficult choices families are making when it comes to affording care. At the same time, I see a state budget that finds over a billion dollars for pet projects—while critical programs like childcare are left fighting for scraps. That is backwards.”

The NJ Child Care Assistance Program is meant to provide subsidies for low-income families, at a cost of $872 million in state and federal funds. However, the program’s funding has been cut, and the CCAP stopped accepting applications as of Aug. 1.

The CCAP covers children 13 and younger (19 and younger for mentally/physically disabled children) whose families do not meet certain work and income requirements. More than 70,000 NJ children rely on this funding.

NJ’s Division of Family Development said that additional CCAP funding “is not anticipated for the foreseeable future.” Eligible families who are currently enrolled will continue to receive assistance.

A report from the New Jersey Business & Industry Association finds that some NJ families pay as much in childcare as they do rent.

In Morris County, for example, parents will pay nearly $100,000 in childcare costs for one child before they enter kindergarten. The lack of options is causing families across the county and state to call for action.

See Related: Long Valley Parents Plead For District-Run After-School Childcare Program

“I have worked across the aisle to fight for families, whether it is pushing to make child care subsidies more stable, supporting the expansion of the child tax credit, or demanding answers when programs fall short,” Dunn said. “I promise to keep New Jersey families’ voices at the center of my work in Trenton.

Those struggling to afford childcare should look into the state’s Head Start program, or see if their local school district offers free childcare for three- and four-year-olds.