Our Approach

Shared agenda: The Coalition is building an inclusive table, establishing deep relationships, and producing a repository of research evidence to assess New Jersey policies, identify areas of greatest need, and develop effective family-centered policy solutions, guided by the needs and perspectives of parents, caregivers, and child care educators.

Policy roadmap: Working with a group of researchers, advocates, and stakeholders, the Coalition is developing an evidence-informed child care policy agenda with short- and long-term strategies for legislation, administrative improvements, budget prioritization, and gaining support of key policymakers. The draft policy road map will be presented at a Community Café (based on the World Café model) on October 2 to gather a wide range of perspectives including community and family voice. The roadmap will be put in motion before the next gubernatorial election in November 2025 to uplift two-generation, family-centered policies.

Collaborative learning: Monthly learning roundtables bring research evidence, lived expertise, subject matter experts, and policy innovations to the table, and build partnerships with key stakeholders and policymakers.

Amplifying impact through partnership: The Coalition supports the paid family leave advocacy and outreach work of New Jersey’s Time to Care Coalition as well as collaborative advocacy efforts around policies that promote economic security for New Jersey families.

Learning from innovative pilots underway in New Jersey: Many Coalition members partner with direct service organizations and state agencies to test innovative approaches and deliver immediate benefits to families and communities. These pilots will provide real world evidence to inform state policy recommendations and learnings to scale effective approaches.