‘Teetering on the brink of closure': NJ child care providers in crisis mode

Home Away from Home Child Care in Essex County brings in less than $12 an hour to care for an infant.

"Because of that, we don't earn enough, and therefore we don't hire assistants," said Bendue James, head of the center in Newark.

James's facility had to close for the day just so she could travel to Trenton and brief lawmakers on the current child care crisis that's impacting shelters across the Garden State.

A special session focusing on the child care industry was hosted at the New Jersey Statehouse by the Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee and the Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee.

Providers, parents, and other stakeholders were invited to speak. Most said additional funding is needed in order to stay afloat financially.

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As centers deal with rising costs, internally they're trying to maintain staff and keep their services affordable for locals who need them.

"With my current wages, I am drowning in expenses," said Jordan Shields, a pre-K teacher at the Metuchen YMCA. "If that's how I feel as a 25-year-old who lives at home with her parents, I think you can imagine the challenges that my colleagues with families face."

According to Julie Gallanty, of the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance, providers need an ongoing commitment of state dollars, so that families can avoid long waitlists and higher costs.

"Far too many of our programs are teetering on the brink of closure," Gallanty told lawmakers.

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At the same time, providers across New Jersey are seeing a change in enrollment numbers as the state expands the reach of universal pre-K. Full day, free programs are available in hundreds of districts.

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