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Murphy administration announces $54 million investment in child care

NJBIZ - 9/11/2019

First Lady Tammy Murphy and New Jersey Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson announced on Thursday families throughout the state who receive support from New Jersey’s child care subsidy program will see $54 million ($30 million federal; $24 million state) in increased funding as part of the Murphy administration’s continued effort to help working families in New Jersey.
Subsidies will increase by as much as 10 percent, depending on the age of the child, and will be implemented in two phases, with the first installment occurring this September and the second in January.Added funding is available to support and incentivize quality improvement among child care providers.
“A mother should never have to choose between paying her rent and keeping her baby in quality child care” said Murphy. “Investing in child care is a critical component to reducing maternal and infant mortality as well as a commitment to New Jersey families, gender equality, and the general wellbeing of our children.”
This announcement builds on the 2018 Murphy Administration investment of $30 million to increase rates for child care the first substantial increase in child care center rates in nearly a decade.
Altogether, support for infant care will have increased by nearly 40 percent under the Murphy Administration from about $724 a month to $994 by Jan. 1. For parents who select an infant care provider with a three-star quality rating from the Grow NJ Kids quality improvement program, that rate will have jumped even further, reaching $1,093.Under the Murphy Administration, toddler care rates will have risen from $717 to $830 per month and pre-school rates will have risen from $585 to $690 per month by January, with higher rates for quality rated programs.
“Quality, affordable child care is what working families want and need to succeed in New Jersey,” said Johnson. “The Murphy Administration is making child care a priority because we know that it is hard to be successful at work or in school if you don’t have confidence that your children are getting the care they need.We owe it to our families who are striving every day to get on the best possible financial footing to give them the peace of mind that comes from quality child care.
"Plus," Johnson said, "investing in child care simply makes good economic sense to help continue to build and support our state’s workforce, attract new businesses and grow our economy."

CREDIT: Anthony Vecchione