There’s an overlooked group of families in Egg Harbor Township who don’t qualify for New Jersey's Childcare Assistance Program (NJCCAP) due to financial ineligibility. Their salaries are above the median and yet, the costs of childcare are soaring beyond the means of their household economy.

As of 2024, ChildCare Aware of New Jersey, a non-profit childcare referral network, has reported there are 21,903 children in Atlantic County under age five.* (This number does not include children born after October 1st and are therefore unable to enroll in Head Start until they turn six.)

Atlantic County childcare tuition ranges from $1400 to $2,100+ per month for an infant to 29-months and $1,100 to $1,500+ per month for full-time children ages 30-months to 6 years old. For part-time enrolled children, the rates vary from $1,000+ per month for infants to 29-months and $700+ per month for ages 30-months to 6 years old. This does not include home-based childcare tuition fees, but for the record, home-based childcare costs range $14,614 for infants and $12,000 for preschool ages. The annual cost for facility-based childcare is $1,982 to $3,384 more than one full-time semester at our local community college.

Stay with us, we’re going somewhere.

Out of 21,903 under age five in Atlantic County:

• 3,133 children were enrolled in full-day preschool

• 3,614 children were enrolled in Early Head Start

• 11,203 children were enrolled in the regular Head Start program

With 10.9% of Atlantic County’s children under age 5 living in poverty, it’s possible that 2,387 children may be enrolled in full-day preschool with assistance from the state. Still, without confirmation of exactly how many children in poverty are part of the 3,133 enrolled in preschool, we have arrived at two logical extremes:

• Scenario A (Maximum possible non-poverty enrollment): If zero children living in poverty are enrolled in full-day preschool, then all 3,133 enrollees are children who do not live in poverty.

• Scenario B (Minimum possible non-poverty enrollment): If every single child living in poverty is enrolled in the full-day preschool program, then at least 746 enrollees are children who do not live in poverty.

Leaning toward Scenario B, there could be a minimum of 746 children who belong to families that are ineligible for New Jersey’s CCAP due to exceeding the family income limit.

Without qualifying for assistance, these parents may be:

• forced to consider leaving the workforce

• utilizing a less viable childcare option

• working an additional job/overtime hours leading to head of household absenteeism

• placing daycare tuition as the primary bill jeopardizing the household economy for housing, food security, healthcare, and transportation

Our primary focus is on the families who are disqualified from NJCCAP because they are above the income bracket, but are still facing poverty. We will address this assistance gap by offering a sliding scale tuition model based on financial need, financial history and projection, and current childcare assistance status. We will also address the need for more holistic support systems for parents. By providing a community center with skill-building opportunities, we aim to empower parents to improve their career prospects, thereby increasing their ability to afford daycare and improving their overall economic stability.

Our overall objective is to provide an innovative learning environment according to age and comprehension level surrounding a STEAM-based (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) curriculum.

The Family Resource Center will also present free extracurricular activities, events, and services centered around supporting parents, strengthening familial bonds, and being an asset for the Egg Harbor Township community at-large.

*ChildCare Aware of New Jersey (2024). Atlantic County Quick Facts: Children, Families, & Child Care. Https://www.Ccanj.org. https://www.ccanj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Atlantic-County-Children-in-NJ-Fact-Sheet-March-2025.pdf