Establishes New Jersey Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Care.

S4288

SENATE, No. 4288

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 14, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� RAJ MUKHERJI

District 32 (Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes New Jersey Blue Ribbon Commission on
Child Care.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
establishing the New Jersey Blue Ribbon Commission on
Child Care.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� a.� There is established
the New Jersey Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Care within the Department of
Children and Families.

���� b.� The commission shall
consist of 13 members as follows:

���� (1) the Commissioners of
Children and Families, Education, Human Services, and Labor and Workforce
Development, and the Secretary of Higher Education, or their designee, who
shall serve ex officio;

���� (2) four members of the public
appointed by the Governor who have experience or expertise in child care or
early childhood education, including: one representative of a licensed child
care center; one licensed family child care provider; one representative of an
early childhood advocacy organization; and one parent or guardian of a child
currently enrolled in a child care program in the State.

���� (3) two members of the public,
one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor upon recommendation of the
President of the Senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the Minority
Leader of the Senate, which public members shall have experience in early childhood
education policy or child care program administration, or child care workforce
development; and

���� (4) two members of the public,
one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor upon recommendation of the
Speaker of the General Assembly and one of whom shall be appointed by the
Minority Leader of the General Assembly, which public members shall have experience
in early childhood education research or child development, or child care
program operations or administration.

���� c.� Vacancies in the
membership of the commission shall be filled as provided for the original
appointments.

���� d.� The commission shall
organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members and
shall select a chairperson from among the members.� The chairperson shall
appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.

���� e.� The members of the
commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of
the commission within the limits of funds made available to the commission for
its purposes.

���� f.� The commission shall be
entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the
employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau,
commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to perform its
duties.

���� g.� The Department of Children
and Families shall provide staff support to the commission.

���� 2.� a.� The purpose of the
commission shall be to develop a comprehensive, Statewide strategy to
strengthen and stabilize the child care system in the State.�

���� b.� The commission�s
examination shall include, but shall not be limited to:

���� (1) conducting a comprehensive
review of the State�s child care system, including access to child care
services, affordability for families, workforce compensation, facilities and
infrastructure, and existing funding structures;

���� (2) identifying systemic
challenges within the child care system and opportunities for reform;

���� (3) developing actionable
policy and funding recommendations to strengthen and stabilize the State�s
child care system;

���� (4) developing a sustainable
framework for coordination among stakeholders in the State�s child care and
early childhood education system;

���� (5) outlining State agency and
municipal early childhood initiatives in order to support the development of
equitable, high-quality child care and early education systems that address
unmet needs, strengthen early care infrastructure, and improve health,
educational, and economic outcomes in the State;

���� (6) developing recommendations
concerning State and federal statutory and regulatory reforms to improve child
care and early childhood education services, including recommendations to
streamline funding sources and reduce statutory and regulatory burden; and

���� (7) developing an initial plan
to support the implementation of the commission�s recommendations.

���� 3.� The commission shall
submit a report of its findings and recommendations for legislative, executive,
or any other action as may be appropriate to the Governor, and to the
Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later
than 12 months after the commission organizes.

���� 4. This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the
13-member �New Jersey Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Care in the Department of
Children and Families, which will develop a comprehensive, Statewide strategy
to strengthen and stabilize the child care system in the State.

���� The commission�s examination
will include, but is not limited to:

���� (1) conducting a comprehensive
review of the State�s child care system, including access to child care
services, affordability for families, workforce compensation, facilities and
infrastructure, and existing funding structures;

���� (2) identifying systemic
challenges within the child care system and opportunities for reform;

���� (3) developing actionable
policy and funding recommendations to strengthen and stabilize the State�s
child care system;

���� (4) developing a sustainable
framework for coordination among stakeholders in the State�s child care and
early childhood education system;

���� (5) outlining State agency and
municipal early childhood initiatives in order to support the development of
equitable, high-quality child care and early education systems that address
unmet needs, strengthen early care infrastructure, and improve health,
educational, and economic outcomes in the State;

���� (6) developing recommendations
concerning State and federal statutory and regulatory reforms to improve child
care and early childhood education services, including recommendations to
streamline funding sources and reduce statutory and regulatory burden; and

���� (7) developing an initial plan
to support the implementation of the commission�s recommendations.

���� The commission shall submit a
report of its findings and recommendations for legislative, executive, or any
other action as may be appropriate to the Governor, and to the Legislature
pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than 12
months after the commission organizes.