05/21/2026
NJAEYC was proud to be represented at the 2026 New Jersey Head Start Association Annual Conference & Professional Development in Atlantic City, where Cindy, NJAEYC President, and Susan, our Senior Policy & Engagement Specialist, presented on Start Strong New Jersey and the Blueprint for Affordable Child Care: New Jersey Doesn’t Work Without It.
Their session introduced the Blueprint as a comprehensive policy roadmap designed to transform New Jersey’s early learning landscape by recognizing child care as essential economic infrastructure, not just a private family burden. The conversation focused on three critical priorities: making child care more affordable and accessible for families, creating a state-funded compensation framework that values early childhood educators as professionals, and securing sustained public investment in the child care system.
This was an important opportunity to connect with Head Start leaders, early childhood educators, and advocates around the shared work of building a more stable, equitable, and professionalized child care system for New Jersey’s children, families, educators, and providers.
Start Strong New Jersey, Blueprint for Affordable Child Care, NJAEYC, New Jersey Head Start Association, child care advocacy, early childhood policy, Head Start, child care workforce, economic infrastructure, early childhood educators
