Great News for Families and Child Care Programs!
DHS Extends COVID-19 Child Care Assistance Programs Through the End of the School Year

On February 17th, the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) announced state plans to use additional federal dollars to extend several important COVID-19-related child care assistance programs through the end of June. This is good news for child care programs and families who have been hit hard by the pandemic. 

The program extensions include:

• State Child Care Subsidy During School Day for children 5-to-13 years old, and not just for before- and afterschool care. Under this initiative, currently enrolled and newly enrolled school-age children are eligible for state subsidy funding for child care services throughout the school day at licensed child care centers or registered family child care providers.
• Child Care Tuition Assistance for Children in Families Earning up to $150,000 and in Remote Learning. Tuition assistance was made available to families with incomes up to $150,000. These families were not eligible for the state Child Care Subsidy Program but needed assistance for either full- or part-time child care because the child’s school was on some form of a remote schedule. Human Services Payments will continue to pay child care providers for approved families of children between the ages of 5 and 13 years during remote learning.

Supporting Child Care Centers

►Child care providers will continue to receive a supplemental payment of $300 for every subsidy-eligible child, regardless of the child’s age.

►Child care providers will continue to receive subsidy payments based on the number of enrolled children who receive state assistance in their program, rather than attendance.

►Effective January 3rd, a DHS investment of $12.6 million will help providers pay for increased salary costs due to the minimum wage increase on January 1st to $12 per hour.

For more information on the state’s child care program please visit childcarenj.gov.