02/20/2026
ECEA Board Member Amy Ragsdale testified yesterday In support of A. 2247 (Speight / Haider).
Here is her testimony:
"The Early Childhood Education Advocates (ECEA) is a non-profit organization comprising licensed, community-based childcare providers across the state. Launched in 2019, we are funded solely by our members, who rely on our organization to address critical legislation that affects them and the families they serve.
I am honored to be here today to express strong support for the proposed legislation (A.2247) requiring the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services to maintain a waiting list for income-eligible applicants to the state’s Child Care
Assistance Program (CCAP). This bill represents a critical step toward transparency, accountability, and fairness for New Jersey’s working families.
Access to affordable, high-quality childcare is not a luxury — it is a necessity. Childcare enables parents and caregivers to remain in the workforce, supports children’s cognitive and social development during their most formative years, and strengthens the economic fabric of our communities.
Yet far too many low-income New Jersey families are being turned away from the state’s Child Care Assistance Program due to limited funding, with no clear pathway to receive
help in the future. Without a formal waiting list, these families simply disappear from the system — uncounted, uncontacted, and unsupported.
ECEA has been a vocal supporter of the CCAP program and ensuring its funding remains intact. There can be no other freeze in funding. The proposed legislation would require the state to maintain an official waiting list of income-eligible individuals whose applications cannot be processed due to funding
constraints, establish clear procedures for placement on that list, and create reliable notification methods — including website posting — to alert qualified applicants when funding becomes available. These measures ensure that no eligible family is simply
turned away and forgotten, and that the State retains a full picture of unmet need.
We are equally supportive of the bill’s annual reporting requirement. By mandating that the Division publish aggregate data — including the number of applications received,
approvals granted, applications not processed due to limited funding, and applicants placed on the waiting list — the legislation creates a vital accountability mechanism.
This data will allow policymakers, advocates, and the public to understand the true scope of childcare access gaps in New Jersey and to make the case for sustained and expanded
investment in the program.
ECEA believes transparency is the foundation of sound public policy. When families are denied assistance due to funding shortfalls, the State has an obligation to acknowledge
that unmet need rather than allow it to go unrecorded. This bill shines a light on the gap between the demand for childcare assistance and the resources available to meet it —
and in doing so, creates the evidence base needed to drive future funding decisions.
We urge the Legislature to move swiftly to pass this important legislation. New Jersey’s children and families cannot afford to wait. By establishing a waiting list and requiring transparent annual reporting, the State will take a meaningful step toward ensuring that every income-eligible family who seeks childcare assistance is seen, counted, and ultimately served.
Thank you for your consideration and your commitment to New Jersey’s youngest learners."
Questions can be directed to the ECEA at 908-789-0700 or [email protected]
