Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman announced Nov. 26 that the department will start the process of reopening the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) for a limited number of slots, with the goal of allowing applications for new children in January.
Reopening the application will extend vital assistance to 75,000 children. The opportunity to apply will be first issued to families who fall into the program’s priority groups and who complete a registration form starting in December.
The limited number of available slots will be offered to priority groups – in accordance with state regulation – that include families with children experiencing homelessness, children with special needs, and children from households with very low incomes. Due to the limited funding available, not all applicants who fall into a priority group and who are invited to apply may be granted assistance.
“The child-care assistance program is a vital economic lifeline that helps pay for high quality early childhood education and allows parents to continue their careers. That is why reopening applications to maximize utilization for this program is so important,” said Adelman.
Families will need to complete a registration form by entering some basic information and will be notified when they can complete the full application. The registration form will be available starting in December through ChildCareNJ.gov. Families can sign up now at ChildCareNJ.gov for an email and/or text message alert for when the registration form goes live.
CCAP helps income-eligible parents who are working, in school, or in job training to pay for child care. The program stopped accepting new applications as of Aug. 1, because of limited funding. The pause in applications affected only new enrollees; children who were already enrolled and being served by the program continue to receive assistance.
Families can also find information about their local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies, which are available to all New Jersey families and can refer those who are not CCAP-eligible to affordable child-care services,” said Division of Family Development Assistant Commissioner Natasha Johnson.
Families can also check whether they are eligible for the Head Start child care program or if their school district has free child care for 3- and 4-year-olds.
Since 2018, the Murphy Administration has invested more than $1 billion in new funding for child care, and, as part of those investments, child care provider rates have more than doubled.
The fiscal year 2026 budget allocated $79.5 million in new funding for the child care program; however, a funding gap remained because of increasing enrollment and unfunded federal policy changes, including the requirement to make enrollment-based payments.
