ASSEMBLY STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
SENATE, No. 2344
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: JUNE 6, 2024
The Assembly State and Local Government Committee reports
favorably Senate Bill No. 2344.
This bill amends the Child Care Revitalization Act, P.L.2021,
c.144, to remove language requiring that the $54.5 million of federal
resources, appropriated under the act for use by the New Jersey
Economic Development Authority to provide facilities improvement
grants to licensed child care providers, fund such grants for registered
family child care homes.
The Child Care Revitalization Act appropriates federal funds,
allocated to the State from the federal “Coronavirus State Fiscal
Recovery Fund” established pursuant to the federal “American Rescue
Plan Act”, Pub.L.117-2, as the funding stream for the child care
facilities improvement grants.
The Economic Development Authority is currently developing a
facilities improvement grant program, to be funded with State
resources that have already been appropriated to the authority, for
family child care providers. Both the sponsor and the authority believe
that a State-funded program will provide a less burdensome
application, implementation, and compliance experience for family
child care providers.
The initial phase of the Child Care Facilities Improvement Act
provides grants, in an amount ranging from $50,000 to $200,000, for
qualifying facilities improvement projects undertaken by child care
centers licensed by the Department of Children and Families prior to
June 4, 2021. Family Child Care providers are not eligible for the first
phase of the grant program.
As reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 2344 is identical to
Assembly Bill No. 3582, which was also reported by the committee on
this date.