The New Jersey Business & Industry Association joined several stakeholder groups Monday during the Senate Education Committee in support of preschool mixed-delivery systems that utilize both public school districts and community-based providers.
In written testimony submitted to the committee, NJBIA Vice President of Government Affairs Althea D. Ford said New Jersey’s business community has “a vested interest in ensuring a robust and diverse early childhood education and childcare system.”
“Childcare providers offer a vital service to working families, ensuring access to quality and reliable care so that working parents can literally show up for work every day and continue to contribute to the state’s economic growth,” Ford said.
Mixed-delivery systems employ public and private programs, providers, and settings to enable publicly funded preschool slots to be offered in diverse settings that meet health, safety, and performance standards.
In recent years, NJBIA has supported a mixed-delivery system that supports public and private providers to ensure equitable access across socio-economic backgrounds for parents, which will help support New Jersey’s workforce.
In her testimony, Ford offered several insights that are vital to the successful execution of the program, particularly from a business perspective. They included the incentivization of partnerships, the need to work with an existing regulatory framework and the importance of not compromising infant and toddler care.
“The State cannot ignore the fiscal impact that preschool expansion has on providers caring for infants and toddlers,” Ford said. “Continued expansion without some financial consideration for licensed and community providers offering infant and toddler care will render care unaffordable and significantly reduce the number of providers that can afford to offer this care.
“The State’s investment in preschool expansion is laudable, and we encourage its implementation in an efficient and effective manner. We look forward to continued collaboration,” Ford said.
To see Ford’s full written testimony, click here.
