In a joint op-ed published by BINJE, Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Moms First, and Michele Siekerka, President and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), call on New Jersey’s next governor and legislature to treat child care as a core economic investment critical to the state’s competitiveness.
The authors note that while affordability has dominated the 2025 gubernatorial race, one of its largest drivers — the high cost of child care — has received far less attention. In New Jersey, the cost of care for two children now exceeds $26,000 per year, outpacing most mortgages or in-state tuition at Rutgers University. Parents often spend a quarter of their income on care, turning what was once a personal challenge into an economic emergency.
Each year, the state loses an estimated $3.6 billion in earnings, productivity, and revenue because parents, primarily mothers, cannot find or afford child care. Employers across sectors — from small businesses to health care systems and manufacturers — face higher absenteeism and turnover as a result.
The op-ed outlines three key policy priorities for the next administration:
- Stabilize the child care workforce through competitive compensation, training and apprenticeship programs, and inclusion in student loan forgiveness initiatives.
- Modernize preschool expansion through a mixed-delivery model that integrates both school-based and community providers to strengthen affordability and access.
- Incentivize business participation with state tax credits for employer-supported child care, mirroring recent federal incentives that encourage on-site programs and partnerships.
Saujani and Siekerka highlight the growing coalition behind Start Strong NJ, a bipartisan public-private initiative launched in September. They argue that child care is not just a family issue but a business issue — one that shapes workforce participation, economic growth, and New Jersey’s long-term prosperity.
Read More: BINJE: The Next Governor and Legislature Must Treat Child Care as a Core Economic Investment