Statewide Forum In Cranford Will Address NJ Child Care Deserts – Cranford, NJ Patch

CRANFORD, NJ — There are 18 towns in a swath of northwest New Jersey that have no day care centers with open spots for toddlers or infants — making it hard for struggling parents to support their families. And it’s a situation that can have tragic consequences besides just job loss.

Last year, a Rochester, N.Y. single mother who worked at a fast food restaurant brought her toddler to work after her aunt backed out of watching him last-minute. The child ended up having a tragic accident at the site— highlighting the bind that single or needy parents end up in when they have limited help and still want to work to support their families.

Rep. Tom Malinowksi will hold a forum with state officials Saturday at Union County College’s Roy Smith Theater in Cranford about “child care deserts” in New Jersey.

Mailnowksi’s 7th District encompasses Hunterdon County and parts of Essex, Morris, Somerset, Union, and Warren counties.

The district includes towns like North Plainfield, which, according to figures from the group Advocates for Children in New Jersey, is one of the worst examples of a “child care desert.” According to the data, it had 973 children under 3 during the 2016-2017 school year, 642 of whom needed care — and only 13 slots available at a local day care.

Many of the day cares in these “child care deserts” don’t accept subsidies, even though some local non-profits and agencies provide funding to single parents so they can work.

Mary, a single mother in Sussex County, told Patch this week that she’s only able to work because of a subsidy from Norwescap, a non-profit social service group in northwest Jersey. The money defrays a portion of day care costs for her 14-month-old son.

She said until recently, she worked at a job that paid $300 a week, and the cost of weekly day care was almost the same.

She has a degree in psychology and just started a job in Morris County as a counselor, but says, “If I did not get Norwescap assistance, I would 100 percent not be able to afford child care and would not be able to work.”

Another single mom who lives in Mary’s county, Kim, told a similar story. “Day care for my two kids in Sussex county costs more than what I make,” she said. “It would be more beneficial to live off child support and quit my job than it is to actually put my kids in care and struggle at work. Thankfully I was able to qualify for since my employer demoted me, illegally, upon my return from maternity leave, so my childcare costs are now about half of what they were. Finding a day care that would accept both kids that was open until 6:30 p.m. was near impossible.”

She said that to qualify for her subsidy, which comes from a local non-profit, she must earn less than $42,000 per year, including child support.

“I want to get ahead,” she said, “but child care completely ruins me as a single mother.”

The “deserts” in Malinowki’s district, cited in the report, are: Franklin Township, East Amwell Township, West Amwell Township, Kingwood Township, Peapack Gladstone, Bethlehem, Tewksbury, Pohatcong, Union Township, Delaware Township, Alexandria Township, High Bridge, Holland Township, Watchung, Garwood, Washington Township, Raritan, North Plainfield, Springfield Township, Wharton, Phillipsburg, Dover Town, Netcong, Berkeley Heights, and Bedminster.

“Access to affordable, quality childcare is critical for families and single parents in the workforce,” Malinowski’s office said.

Saturday’s panel will include Elisa Neira, the deputy commissioner for the state Department of Human Services, Mary Jane DiPaolo of Community Childcare Solutions, Laura Mickley, the program director for Norwescap Child and Family Resource Services, and Clinton Councilwoman Rielly Karsh.

The forum will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Roy Smith Theater at Union County College, 1033 Springfield Avenue, Cranford. The public can register for the event here.

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