Learning & Development
Policy Brief/Analysis
Exploring the Cost of High-Quality Infant and Toddler Care in New Jersey
Date
March 5, 2021
Introduction
New Jersey’s youngest children and their families depend on an under-funded system of care with widely varying quality. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated problems by reducing families’ ability to pay while also increasing costs. This report uses the Office of Child Care’s Provider Cost of Quality Calculator (PCQC)[i] to estimate the costs of enhanced supports for infant and toddler care that address these problems. These estimates show that existing subsidy rates need to increase substantially to meet the needs of young children and their families. Increasing rates may be more feasible than ever with strong current and proposed federal support efforts.
[i] Office of Child Care. (n.d.) Provider cost of quality calculator. Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved on February 4, 2021 from https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/pcqc
The Authors
Karin Garver is an Early Childhood Education Policy Specialist at NIEER. Her research interests are in national and state early education policy trends, inclusive opportunities for preschool children with disabilities, data systems, systems integration, and public program finance.