TRENTON, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Lawmakers in New Jersey are considering creating a new social services office to handle all things related to babies and kids age 8 and under. This Department of Early Childhood would take some responsibilities away from other departments in the state. A bill to create the new department has cleared a Senate committee by a 3-2 vote.
“There is nothing more important than ensuring the success of New Jersey’s kids, and that begins at the very start of a child’s life. Proper care from pregnancy through age 5 and beyond is vital to the healthy development of children and must be a priority in both shaping policies and delivering services,” said Sen. Ruiz (D-Essex). “By bringing everyone together, aligning our existing programs and elevating a clear focus on zero to five we can better support our children and families during this formative time.”
Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz says this department would bring services from four departments under the Early Childhood umbrella, giving parents one place to go for all of their needs rather than having to figure out if they need to contact the Department of Education.
Supporters applaud the simplicity.
“The earliest years in a child’s life are the most important, and bringing the programs that serve our families from prenatal care to elementary school under one umbrella will allow us to ensure that we are delivering them in the most effective way possible,” said Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson).
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However, some say It’s not an ideal solution. Elisabeth Ginsberg is executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools. She says while well intentioned, this bill will lead to more confusion for families after kids age out of early childhood; and it will create more work for schools. She wants to see the Department of Education continue to be the point of contact on school-related issues.
“Public schools would have to be responsive to two different departments, the department of education and early childhood, so that would perhaps increase the workload of public schools, and public schools already have a significant workload.”
And Ginsberg says the cost could be another issue. It’s unclear how much the new office would add to the budget. And while there’s a budget surplus now, Ginsberg says there’s no guarantee of a surplus in the future.
There is no date yet set for a full vote on the bill.