BillTrack50 logo
Free Signup Login
Bill

Bill > S4785

NJ S4785

NJ S4785
Increases Work First New Jersey Child Care appropriation by $28 million in FY2026 annual appropriations act to ensure full funding of child care subsidy program.

summary

Introduced
10/27/2025
In Committee
10/27/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/12/2026

Introduced Session

2024-2025 Regular Session

Bill Summary

This bill increases the Work First New Jersey Child Care appropriation by $28 million, from $565.8 million to $593.8 million, in the FY2026 annual appropriations act. This line item supports the State's child care subsidy program, which assists lower-income families by paying a portion of their child care expenses. During the FY2026 Budget proceedings, the Commissioner of Human Services stated that the Governor's Budget Recommendation underfunded the child care subsidy program by approximately $25 to $30 million and, as a result, the Department of Human Services would need to pause enrollment and increase family copayments under this program at an unknown point in FY2026. Accordingly, on August 1, 2025 the child care subsidy program ceased accepting new applications for its largest eligibility group, the child care assistance program, and increased family copayments for this eligibility group from one to five percent of a family's income to two to six percent of a family's income. This bill appropriates an additional $28 million for the State's child care subsidy program, the balance of the funding shortfall projected by the Commissioner of Human Services after a $2.0 million increase was incorporated in the FY2026 annual appropriations act by the Legislature, to ensure the full operation of this critical program. The bill also removes budget language newly added in the FY2026 annual appropriations act that clarifies that the department may suspend the acceptance of applications for child care subsidies in the event of insufficient funding. Under the bill, budget language is added that requires the Commissioner of Human Services to resume the acceptance of applications for child care assistance and implement family copayments, at no more rigorous standards than those in place on June 30, 2025, thereby returning the program to its pre-August 1 policies.

AI Summary

This bill increases the Work First New JerseykNew Jersey Child Care appropri(F/NJappropriations by by $$28 in the States year budget, raising the funding approprifrom $565..8 05 million to $593.8billion.805 millionion. a funding shortage in the state's child child care subssubsidy program. The. bill restthe of Human Services to resume accepting the applications for the child care assistance and implement family coppaymentsee at standards more rigorous than those those in place onon June books 30,,, 2025(025, effectively returning the program to to program-August policies. The legislation aims to ensure that continued operation of the F/WNJJ child care assistance program,, which helps lower-families afford child careee care by covering a portion 0f their child care expenses. By removing budget language that allowed would have allowed thedens theissionpause enrollment and increasing the appropriation, specific the seeks to maintain access to the critical child care subsidy program for the for eligible families., : Your summary looks correct, but Iou can you check the math the $28 million increase $is correct? In original summary says "$28 0million million" so I want to make sure installation that is?

Committee Categories

Health and Social Services

Sponsors (5)

Last Action

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 10/27/2025)
(1 Companion Bills)

bill text

bill summary

Loading...

bill summary

Loading...

bill summary

Document Type Source Location
State Bill Page https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/S4785
BillText https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2024/S5000/4785_I1.HTM
Loading...