November 4, 2025 — In an op-ed published by NJ Spotlight News, Winifred Smith-Jenkins, Director of Early Childhood Policy and Advocacy at Advocates for Children of New Jersey, and Meghan Tavormina, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for the New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children, call for affordable, high-quality child care to be treated as essential infrastructure for a strong New Jersey.
Writing on behalf of Start Strong NJ, Smith-Jenkins and Tavormina describe how the state’s child care system underpins nearly every aspect of family and economic stability. They note that parents—particularly mothers—are leaving the workforce due to rising costs and limited availability, while providers continue to operate on razor-thin margins that make it difficult to retain qualified staff.
The authors outline several policy priorities, including raising wages for child care educators, expanding mixed-delivery preschool models, and incentivizing employers to invest in care solutions. They urge the state’s next governor to put child care at the center of New Jersey’s economic strategy, arguing that affordable, accessible care is vital to keeping families working and children learning.
Read More: NJ Spotlight News: Affordable Child Care for All Is Essential Infrastructure for a Strong New Jersey