Start Strong NJ Rallies at State House for Affordable Child Care
Parents, educators, legislators call for sustained state investment to lower families’ costs, support early childhood workforce
TRENTON, N.J. (October 22, 2026) — New Jersey cannot be affordable unless child care is affordable. That message drove a rally today at the State House, where parents, early childhood educators, child care providers, and legislators from both parties called for affordable child care for every New Jersey family that needs it.
Organized by the Start Strong NJ campaign, the rally highlighted the financial pressures facing parents and the challenges providers face delivering quality care while paying educators sustainable wages. Infant and toddler care in a licensed child care center averages about $20,000 annually for one child, exceeding rent or mortgage payments for many families. Speakers called for sustained public investment to lower costs and support early childhood educators – the workforce behind the workforce.
“Parents should not have to choose between paying for child care and paying their other bills,” said Sharon Levine, Start Strong NJ campaign director. “New Jersey needs a lasting commitment to affordable child care so families can find care they trust, educators can earn a living, and providers can keep serving their communities.”
Parents need affordable child care to work, and providers need enough funding to keep their doors open and pay educators fair wages. Rally speakers called for sustained state investment to address both challenges and keep New Jersey’s economy moving. The lack of affordable child care costs New Jersey $5 billion a year in lost wages, business productivity, and state revenue needed to provide vital services.
“Child care will remain a priority issue in my work as a legislator. As a strong advocate for children and families, and as a former child care provider, I understand that access to quality, reliable child care is not simply a family issue, it is essential to the strength of our communities and the health of our economy,” said Assemblywoman Shanique Speight (D-29). “New Jersey must continue working toward a child care system that is both accessible and affordable for working families, while ensuring providers have the resources, stability, and support they need to sustain their businesses and continue serving working families.”
“Child care is a practical concern for families across our state, and addressing it requires us to work together,” said Assemblywoman Aura K. Dunn (R-25). “We need to listen to parents and providers and pursue solutions that expand access, support quality, and help families remain in the workforce.”
“Parents cannot afford to pay more, and early childhood educators cannot afford to earn less. Providers are caught in the middle, trying to keep their doors open without pricing families out,” said Meghan Tavormina, director of public policy and advocacy at the New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children and co-chair of Start Strong NJ. “Sustained state investment is essential to making quality child care affordable and ensuring educators can build a career doing this vital work.”
“Families across New Jersey make difficult choices every day about how to pay for child care and keep working. When families are forced to piece together child care arrangements, the consequences extend beyond their financial security. Children need stable, nurturing environments where they can learn, develop, and thrive, and parents need reliable care that allows them to remain in the workforce,” said Winifred Smith-Jenkins, director of early learning policy and advocacy at Advocates for Children of New Jersey and co-chair of Start Strong NJ. “Child care must be a priority in New Jersey’s affordability agenda, backed by sustained funding that families and providers can count on. Our children's well-being, our families' financial stability, and our state's economy depend on it.”
“New Jersey doesn’t work without child care. It enables parents to earn a paycheck, businesses to retain employees, and children to get a strong start,” said Jon Shure, co-author of Start Strong NJ’s Blueprint for Affordable Childcare: New Jersey Doesn’t Work Without It. “Child care is essential economic infrastructure, like transportation and public safety, because it enables parents to work and businesses to be productive."
Providers described the difficulty of balancing families’ budgets with the cost of quality care.
“Family child care offers children a nurturing home environment and an essential option for parents,” said Nancy Jimenez, CEO of Children’s Garden and a family child care provider in Ledgewood. “But small providers cannot absorb rising costs indefinitely, and families cannot keep paying more. Solutions must recognize our role in keeping parents working.”
“Families cannot afford higher tuition, teachers deserve better pay, and child care owners can no longer absorb the shortfall on their own,” said Amanda Cardone, founder and owner of Tiny Little Pieces Learning Center in Bellmawr and Florence. “We cannot keep asking parents to pay more, teachers to accept less, and owners to go without a paycheck. New Jersey needs sustained investment that keeps care affordable for families, pays educators fairly, and keeps providers’ doors open.”
Following the rally, advocates participated in a joint hearing on affordable child care held by the Assembly Aging and Human Services, Commerce and Economic Development, and Education committees at the State House. Start Strong NJ urged state leaders to turn the day’s discussion into sustained investment that makes child care affordable.
About Start Strong NJ
Start Strong NJ is a statewide campaign working to make affordable, high-quality childcare available to every New Jersey family that needs it. The campaign brings together parents, childcare providers, advocates, researchers, employers, and other partners who recognize childcare as essential infrastructure for strong families, thriving businesses, and a prosperous state. Rally speakers and those testifying at the hearing emphasized that child care is essential economic infrastructure – like transportation and public safety – because it enables people to work and businesses to thrive.