Sweeping NJ Bill Package Would Make Child Care More Affordable

NEW JERSEY — The Garden State’s newest Senate majority leader has launched her first big policy initiative, a package of bills aimed at making child care more accessible and affordable throughout New Jersey.

On Tuesday, Sen. Teresa Ruiz (District 29) released details about several proposed state laws (see the list below). The bills are also sponsored by Sen. Joe Vitale, chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez, chair of the Senate Economic Growth Committee, and Sen. Sandra Bolden Cunningham.

“These investments will not only benefit our parents and our child care providers but also our entire state,” Ruiz said.

• Read More: Ruiz Chosen As NJ Senate Majority Leader; 1st Latina To Hold Seat
• Read More: Kamala Harris Visits New Jersey To Push For Child Care, Vaccines

According to Ruiz, access to affordable, high-quality child care “improves outcomes and pays dividends,” with every dollar invested offering a $4 to $9 return in individual and community benefits.

“As we face worker shortages across industries, reducing the cost of child care will allow more parents to return to the workforce at a time when we need it most,” the senator said. “This multipronged approach works to tackle this issue from every angle to ensure the maximum impact on our economy and our children.”

According to Ruiz, here’s what the bills would do if they become law.

• S.2475 – Ruiz/Cunningham: The bill would establish the Department of Early Childhood to provide focused and integrated development of 0 to 5 care and education.
• S.2476 – Ruiz/Vitale: The bill would provide funding for the expansion of infant and toddler seats by 1,000, reimbursed at $22,000 per seat. The grant program would prioritize providers in communities identified as child care deserts, areas with high percentage low-income families, as well as those that align their child care center with high quality preschool.
• S.2477 – Ruiz/Cruz-Perez: The bill would require new preschool programs or seat expansions to use private providers for at least 50 percent of their preschool slots.
• S.2478 – Ruiz/Vitale: The bill would extend the enrollment-based payment model currently set to expire on June 30, 2022. The bill would extend the program for three years, with a report on the impact at the end of this year and the end of the three years.
• S.2479 – Ruiz: The bill would provide tax incentives to employers who provide child care in their facilities, reimburse parents for their child care expenses or contract with private providers so their employees can enroll their children in those child care programs.
• S.1099 – Vitale/Ruiz: The bill allows a gross income tax credit for a child care staff members who have been employed by a child care provider or worked as a registered family day care provider for a minimum of 1,260 hours for a six-month period during the taxable year.
• S.2480 – Ruiz/Vitale: The bill would extend child care subsidies to families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty line. Currently, families earning up to 250% FPL are eligible.
• S.2465 – Vitale/Ruiz: The bill would require the Department of Human Services to establish a quality-based reimbursement system for registered family day care providers participating in Grow NJ Kids.
• SJR.79 – Ruiz/Cunningham/Vitale/Cruz-Perez: The resolution would designate the first full week of April as the “Week of the Young Child” in New Jersey to recognize the importance of high-quality early childhood education that is affordable and accessible.

Hopefully, the bills will help counteract the “motherhood penalty” that many working parents face, and which disproportionately hurts Latina women, according to Jesselly De La Cruz, executive director of the Latino Action Network.

“If NJ wants to make a commitment to bridging gender pay gaps, we need systemic responses like Sen. Ruiz’s bill that support Latina women in participating in the workforce,” De La Cruz urged.

• Read More: Latina Workers In NJ Face One Of America's Ugliest Pay Gaps
• Read More: Work Or Kids? NJ Parents Find Tough Choices Amid COVID Pandemic

A groundswell of other advocacy groups praised the bills and said they will be a good move for New Jersey. They included:

Cecilia Zalkind, ACNJ President/CEO – “Child care is essential for families and for our economy and is the educational opportunity for our youngest children. These bills will help families struggling to find affordable childcare and strengthen child care programs, both center-based and family childcare. They will also expand opportunities for quality early education for infants and toddlers, which we know is the most difficult for parents to find and for programs to provide.”

Alexis Bailey, NJBIA Director of Government Affairs – “This comprehensive bill package will provide critical assistance to working families, child care providers and employers who continue to face workforce shortages across our state by creating tax incentives for the business community and grant opportunities for the creation of new childcare slots. It also increases assistance for low-income families, mandates a mixed delivery system for pre-K and maintains enrollment-based subsidy payments for providers through 2025. As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, it is critical that our state has robust childcare options to meet the needs of the workforce, especially mothers who have left the workforce at alarming rates.”

Carlos Medina, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President/CEO – “Our Chamber is very supportive of initiatives that allow women to have a more equitable and supportive workplace. This initiative helps women have employment opportunities that can get them to a fulfilling career. In addition, more families can access high-quality, affordable child care, so their kids are taken care of, and parents can return to work.”

Richard Smith, NJ NAACP President – “The New Jersey NAACP is proud to support this initiative, including legislation that seeks to provide for a fully functioning, equitable, and accessible child care system that supports the needs of young children, working families, and childcare providers. We’re happy to partner with Senate Majority Leader Ruiz to amplify the need for a robust child care system that sets out to ensure children and their families have access to quality education and economic mobility.”

Meghan Tavormina, New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children President – “This is a tremendous first step toward building a transformative system of child care that will improve the lives of young children, their families and early childhood professionals. While we know there is continued work to do at both the state and federal level to address the true depth and scope of issues, we are excited for such an important first step.”

John Harmon, African American Chamber of Commerce President – “The AACCNJ supports legislation that helps businesses, large and small, and makes our state more economically competitive. Most families cannot afford in-home child care, especially Black families. This legislation will curb absenteeism, which ultimately will increase workforce productivity.”

Send news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.