Morristown Org's Childcare Program May Get $1M In Federal Funding

Correction: The project received approval from the House Appropriations Committee fiscal year 2022 funding bills. Next, it will be among many projects considered by the full committee.

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Before the pandemic, New Jersey already faced a crisis in childcare access and affordability, according to United Way of Northern New Jersey. But the organization's program seeking to bridge the gap could receive a boost.

United Way of Northern New Jersey — based in Morristown — could receive $1.1 million in federal funding for its United in Care project. The program seeks to rebuild New Jersey's early-education and childcare sectors, which have lost 71 percent of family childcare providers.

The project received approval from the House Appropriations Committee fiscal year 2022 funding bills. Next, it will be among many projects around the nation considered by the full committee before potentially moving on a full House vote on the floor and then the Senate.

The Senate has not yet indicated whether they will include Comunity Funding Projects in their legislation, according to Rep. Mikie Sherrill. The congresswoman requested funding for 10 projects in her district, including United In Care.

According to United Way of Northern New Jersey, 46 percent of New Jerseyans live in a childcare "desert" — a neighborhood with too few licensed childcare options. The state has lost 56 percent of its registered family-care providers since 2010, while 54 percent that are still around risk being permanently lost due to the pandemic.

The average annual bill of $20,000 for two children can cost more than housing, according to United Way of Northern New Jersey.

Through United In Care, the organization developed a three-year pilot program in which highly-rated childcare centers in New Jersey will pair with local neighborhoods family providers to expand capacity and leverage expertise and resources. United Way will connect various partners, including small and minority-owned businesses, state-supported referral agencies, leading childcare experts and data-analytic wizards to chart the project's progress.

See more in the video below:

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