In New Jersey, many child care workers make far too little to get by, yet many families can’t afford to pay the price for care. Winifred Smith Jenkins, senior director of Zadie’s Nurturing Den, a daycare center that cares for children ages 6 weeks to 6 years old, says it has been difficult to retain and recruit staff during the pandemic, as many workers have chosen to leave the industry for higher pay.
Now the state is investing more than $80 million to increase reimbursement rates by an average of 25% for child care providers serving children in the state’s child care assistance program.
