Governor visits township to tout access to child care

WEST ORANGE – Gov. Phil Murphy was in the township last week to highlight how his administration has invested more than $1 billion in expanding access to child care across the state.

The governor also announced an additional $17 million in funding for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority Child Care Facilities Improvement Program.

With these new resources, New Jersey is dedicating more than $140 million to improve child care infrastructure, representing one of the largest investments of any state in the country, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

The announcement was made at The Kids Palace II child care center in West Orange that is expanding access to services thanks to funding from the NJEDA.

The NJEDA’s Child Care Facilities Improvement Program provides grants to eligible child care providers for improvements that contribute to high quality early childhood learning environments.

Through the program, which awards grants of up to $200,000, the NJEDA has approved $85 million in grants to more than 400 child care centers that collectively enroll over 34,000 children and employ over 8,500 staff, the release said.

With the inclusion of new funding announced last week, the NJEDA now anticipates another 200 centers will receive awards, bringing the total to more than 600 child care centers across all 21 New Jersey counties.

“Affordable, exceptional child care is a vital part of a stronger and fairer New Jersey economy, and the increased funding announced today will strengthen our state’s economic security and provide equitable opportunities to working parents,” Murphy said. “Increased access to high-quality child care allows more parents to return to the workforce, bolstering New Jersey’s economic growth and competitiveness. Thank you to the Biden-Harris Administration, who have provided record-high federal funding to expand access to child care, health care, and other critical resources for families in the Garden State.”

The Kids Palace II in West Orange, was approved for a grant award of $189,300 to install sprinkler and alarm systems, allowing it to expand its state licensure to be able to accept infants. In addition, the Kids Palace II has received the NJEDA’s Phase 4 Small Business Emergency grant, the NJEDA’s Henri/Ida Business Assistance grant, and New Jersey Department of Human Services’ Retention and Stabilization grants.

“Reliable and high-quality child care services are critical to the growth and success of New Jersey’s economy; however, too often financially stretched child care providers forgo making necessary investments in facility upgrades,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan.

“Governor Murphy’s visit highlights the significance of the support we have received through this grant, which has been so important in helping us create a dedicated infant-toddler space in our center. We are deeply grateful for this opportunity to expand our services and positively impact more families in our community,” said Jorroys Reyes-Moton, director and owner of the Kids Palace II.

  Child Care, Gov. Phil Murphy, West Orange