The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Board has approved an additional $50 million for grants for Phase 1 of its Child Care Facilities Improvement Program, increasing the total funding to nearly $75 million.

This additional funding brings the total resources available to nearly $75 million, which will help meet the overwhelming interest and demand for Phase 1 of the Child Care Facilities Improvement Program.

Since launching in November 2022 with an initial pool of $24.5 million in funding, the NJEDA has received more than 450 applications from child care centers that serve over 36,000 children statewide.

In 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed the Child Care Revitalization Fund into law and the first phase of this program was initially funded with $20 million in federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) and an additional $4.45 million in state funds.

In addition to this substantial pool of funding, NJEDA has more than $10 million in funding for future program phases, which will include a grant program for family child care homes.

To date, the NJEDA has approved 31 applications from child care centers for a combined $5.7 million in funding through Phase 1 of the program and expects to approve many more applications in the coming weeks and months.