Worker shortage puts NJ’s child care centers in ‘crisis mode’ | Video – NJ Spotlight

A staffing shortage among child care providers in New Jersey is creating long waitlists, reduced hours and vacant positions in day care centers.

“I would describe the current state of child care in New Jersey as being in crisis mode,” said Meghan Tavormina, president of the New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children.

Diana Smith, director of JumpingJax, a day care center in Paramus, said, “All our expenses are going up and in order to give the employees what we would like to do we would have to raise tuition for our families, which they can’t afford either. We’re in a Catch-22 situation so it’s a struggle right now.”

Concern about COVID-19-related risks is also a factor in parents’ child care decisions.