Start Strong NJ's
Jenga Advisory Council
Policy is stronger when the voices of those who live its consequences every day are heard.
To make sure that happens, Start Strong NJ created the Jenga Advisory Council, a diverse group of New Jersey child care providers who help guide the statewide campaign for affordable child care.
The Council’s 13 members represent North, Central, and South Jersey center-based and family child care facilities; nonprofit and for-profit settings; as well as parents, and early childhood educators.
Why Jenga?
Like the Jenga tower familiar to gameplayers and puzzle solvers, New Jersey child care is made up of interconnected pieces: funding, enrollment, workforce stability, regulations, family affordability. In the game of Jenga, the tower appears stable until a single piece is moved. Suddenly, the balance shifts. Sometimes the tower wobbles; other times, it collapses, forcing everyone to rethink how it was built.
The word “Jenga” comes from "kujenga" — Swahili for “to build or construct.” It’s an apt metaphor for child care in New Jersey, where changes to any piece can affect the whole system.
The Jenga Advisory Council reflects Start Strong NJ’s recognition that child care providers aren’t peripheral pieces of the system. They’re the foundation. When providers are strong, the system is stronger. Affordable child care is key to parents staying on the job and businesses being productive. Early childhood educators are the workforce behind the workforce.
What the Council Does
In addition to meeting monthly to share educator perspectives that inform Start Strong NJ’s priorities and strategy, Council members:
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Participate in child care site visits
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Testify at legislative hearings and meet with policymakers
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Speak at community forums
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Engage with media to inform thought leaders and the public
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Champion Start Strong NJ’s Blueprint for Affordable Child Care in their communities and networks
A Stronger System Starts with Child Care Educators.
Leadership is built in community. The goal isn’t simply to respond when the child care system wobbles. It’s to help make sure every piece that makes up child care is stable, valued, supported, and strong.