Dear Friend, The state budget is coming! We had great success last year getting additional funding to increase the child care subsidy reimbursement rate, but this is just the beginning. We need to raise our voices even louder this year to let legislators and the governor know that more funding is still needed for child care! So, how does the budget process work? February 25th - Governor Murphy will announce the proposed budget in his State of the State address. March - The Senate and Assembly Budget Committees will hold hearings for public testimony. Everyone is invited to tell their stories! (We will send over the exact dates when they are made public.) Late June – The legislature will vote on the budget. End of June – Once the budget is passed by the legislature, the governor will sign it into law. What can you do now to advocate? ► Send an email or tweet to your legislator to tell them that child care is essential to children and families and additional funding is needed. It is never too early to start advocating! ► We need child care providers and parents to testify. Are you interested in testifying or submitting written testimony? Click here to let us know if you are interested. It is never too early to start preparing and we will help! Stay tuned for our next email after the governor’s budget announcement to find out what funding was included. We will also keep you informed once the Budget Committee’s announce the public hearing dates! | 
