Our First Lady and the United Way: Working parents need quality, affordable child care | Opinion
Updated Dec 11, 2020;
Posted Dec 11, 2020
A recent study by the Center For American Progress estimates that 54% of New Jersey’s child care supply may be lost due to the pandemic. To resolve the problem, First Lady Tammy Murphy and Kiran Handa Gaudioso, the CEO of United Way of Northern New Jersey, say philanthropy can drive innovative solutions in partnership with the government.
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By Tammy Snyder Murphy and Kiran Handa Gaudioso
The latest ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report for New Jersey shows that 1.2 million households have been priced out of survival over the last decade. As the cost of essentials rose nearly double the rate of inflation, wages simply didn’t keep up. And, topping the budget of high-priced basics, above even housing, is licensed child care. This service — now essential infrastructure for a functioning state economy — has become a seeming luxury too many working families cannot afford.