NEWARK — November 5, 2024 — In a recent episode of State of Affairs with Steve Adubato, Burke Foundation Executive Director Atiya Weiss and Rutgers Center for Women and Work Executive Director Debra Lancaster joined forces to discuss one of New Jersey’s most pressing challenges: the state’s struggling child care system — and how the newly launched First 1,000 Days Policy Coalition aims to fix it.
During the segment, Weiss and Lancaster laid out the Coalition’s vision for modernizing child care policy to meet the needs of today’s families. They described how years of underinvestment, outdated regulations, and workforce shortages have created a system that is unaffordable, inaccessible, and unsustainable for far too many parents.
“The First 1,000 Days are foundational to a child’s development — and that means families need support from day one,” Weiss explained. “Our coalition is building the policy solutions that will make child care more affordable, more equitable, and more effective for New Jersey families.”
The interview also highlighted the Coalition’s collaborative approach, which brings together advocates, business leaders, early childhood educators, and policymakers to craft evidence-based recommendations. By focusing on workforce investments, subsidy expansion, and streamlined regulations, the group hopes to reshape the state’s early childhood landscape in the coming years.
The episode comes amid growing political will to address the child care crisis. With the gubernatorial election on the horizon and child care now a top priority for both major candidates, momentum is building for lasting reform.