The New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) has expressed support for a bill that would require the state Division of Family Services to maintain a waiting list of lower income working parents who qualify for childcare subsidies but cannot receive assistance due to funding shortfalls.
The New Jersey Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), funded by the federal Child Care and Development Fund, assists eligible parents with payments for childcare or afterschool care for children under 13. Eligibility requires parents to work full-time, be enrolled in school, or attend job training programs. The subsidy is paid directly to approved providers, while parents cover a co-pay.
Althea D. Ford, NJBIA’s Vice President of Government Affairs, highlighted the importance of understanding how many families are unable to access CCAP support. “The Child Care Assistances Program funding freeze that occurred in August 2025 created significant challenges for working families who rely on the program to subsidize childcare costs,” Ford said. “With no clear direction on how long the freeze would last or whether it would be permanent, working families were left with no information and support.
“An additional challenge created by this freeze was the lack of knowledge about the full scope of need. While no new children could be added to the program, there was no mechanism set up to ascertain how many parents were relying on this program to return to work, and with it not available, how the workforce could be impacted.”
In November 2025, the Department of Human Services reopened new CCAP applications for a limited number of slots reserved for priority groups such as homeless families, children with special needs, and very low-income households. As of January 2026, applications are being accepted but availability remains limited and no extra funding has been allocated for fiscal year 2026.
The Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee amended and released bill A-2247, sponsored by Assemblywoman Shanique Speight (D-29). The legislation requires the Division of Family Services to place presumptively eligible parents on a waiting list when their applications cannot be processed due to funding issues and notify them when funding becomes available.
Additionally, the bill mandates an annual report detailing the number of applications received, approvals granted, and presumptively eligible applicants placed on waiting lists. Amendments require reporting on average application processing times, average waitlist duration, geographic distribution by county, and data on children represented in applications.
“With this bill, the state can obtain more information about how funding freezes impact working families, our state’s workforce and the economy and can make more informed decisions about how to prioritize its resources to support working families,” Ford said.
NJBIA is recognized as the largest statewide employer association in the country representing private-sector employers across New Jersey sectors (official website). The organization aims to advance members’ financial success through advocacy and essential services (official website). Michele Siekerka serves as president and CEO (official website), leading efforts that include fostering partnerships among businesses and government entities (official website) as well as providing cost-saving benefits (official website).
