Right from the Start: Improving Infant and Toddler Care and Early Education in New Jersey 

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) is an education and advocacy organization that educates the public and policymakers and equips caregivers with the information they need to be a child’s strongest ally. It focuses on child welfare and juvenile justice, early learning, healthcare for children, and support for low-income families.

Building on two previous Right from the Start projects, this project supports a series of studies to identify critical issues and challenges related to developing, providing, and financing high-quality infant and toddler child care in New Jersey. The studies focus on: 1) the availability and capacity of center-based infant-toddler child care and challenges related to providing and funding high-quality infant-toddler child care; 2) the cost of providing high-quality child care in a family child care setting; and 3) issues and trends affecting family child care in New Jersey. In addition, ACNJ is exploring the viability of the Early Health Start Child Care Partnership initiative in New Jersey and the feasibility of securing a state investment in Early Head Start.

The information gathered from these efforts is being used to develop a sound, data-driven case for increased public and private investments in high-quality infant and toddler child care in New Jersey.  Findings are being widely disseminated to policymakers, parents, and other stakeholders.

Learn more about: Advocates for Children of New Jersey

Download  Where Are The Babies? Center-Based Infant-Toddler Child Care in Short Supply