Help New Jersey Working Parents Find Care For Their Children.
Let's End The Child Care Crisis.
Sign the Petition and Tell Governor Murphy to Release Federal Funds NOW.

In April, New Jersey received nearly $700 million in federal funds for child care through the American Rescue Plan. Despite the continued staffing and financial crisis rocking the industry, those funds have yet to be released. Working parents, as a result, struggle to find care that accommodates work schedules, if they can find it at all, and pay for it. It is time Governor Murphy release these funds NOW.

If you are a parent who has experienced these problems or are someone who believes that child care is a public good and needs financial support, we need you to show your support for the immediate release of the federal child care dollars.

SIGN THIS PETITION TODAY!  We will share the petition and signatures with Governor Murphy and every member of the Legislature.

Dear Governor Murphy,

We are parents and supporters of a strong, quality system of child care in New Jersey that meets the early care and educational needs of the children of working parents.

Right now, the child care system in New Jersey is in crisis. Parents who are trying to return to work are bearing the pain of the pandemic on child care. Programs are struggling with increased costs and finding adequate staffing to meet the demand.  As a result, programs throughout New Jersey have empty classrooms while parents cannot find appropriate care for their children that match their work schedules.  Mothers, particularly, are bearing the brunt of this broken system resulting in women having to reduce their working hours or leave their jobs. 

It doesn’t have to be this way.  

In April, New Jersey received nearly $700 million in federal funds earmarked for child care through the American Rescue Plan to be used immediately to support the child care community affected by the pandemic. But those funds have yet to be released. Other states, including our neighbors, have planned for and begun distributing funds to help struggling child care providers in their states, but in New Jersey, the struggle continues. 

We need to support our essential but struggling child care system NOW.

We strongly urge you to immediately release the federal funds designated for child care so that parents have access to a safe place to care for their young children while they work. Providers throughout New Jersey need access to much-needed dollars to address increased costs, including the real costs of competitive salaries to hire new staff.

The economy will not recover without child care—we need to do everything possible to solve this crisis.