If you are a family receiving child care assistance through New Jersey’s Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development, federal law requires you to share in the cost of child care using a sliding fee scale (meaning cost is adjusted depending on your income). This fee is known as copayment or copay. Please note that your child care provider will begin collecting copayments from you starting August 1, 2024.

Copayments had been temporarily suspended since the onset of, and recovery from, the COVID-19 pandemic due to the availability of additional federal funding. That funding is no longer available, and federal law requires families receiving child care assistance to share in the cost of child care by making copayments, with limited exceptions.

Click here to access the Summer 2024 Newsletter from our Quality/Training Team! 

Child Care Connection is pleased to announce that its annual conference for early care & education will once again be held in Mercer County!  The event, which was last held locally in 2021, will take place at The Conference Center at Mercer on Saturday, October 26, 2024 (8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.), and will include two workshops, a keynote address by Jacquelyn León, lunch, vendors, networking, and more. Download the flyer for more information and save the date! 

See what’s in the Spring 2024 edition by clicking here! 

Are you interested in strengthening your child care/preschool business by working with other like-minded owners/directors? Consider applying to be a member of the Mercer County Early Childhood Shared Services Alliance! Click here for more information.

Our next round of Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED classes are now scheduled and posted! Check out this flyer or our calendar/events for details.

Find out what’s in the December edition by clicking here! 

Child Care Connection has updated its Mercer County Quick Facts: Children, Families, and Child Care.  For a copy, Click Here.

Child Care Connection has added a job bank to our website for Mercer County-based child care centers seeking employees. Please contact if you would like to post a job opening.  To look at the posted job openings, Click Here.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA)  approved the creation of the $54.5 million Child Care Facilities Improvement Pilot Program for child care centers and family child care homes. Through Phase 1 of the program, the NJEDA will provide nearly $15 million in grants of up to $200,000 to licensed child care centers in New Jersey to cover the costs of facility improvements. The Child Care Facilities Improvement Program provides grants to New Jersey child care providers for facilities improvements that will contribute to high quality early childhood learning environments.  

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) announced  that it will close applications for Phase 1 of its Child Care Facilities Improvement Program on October 20, 2023. Following overwhelming interest in, and demand throughout, Phase 1 of the program the NJEDA plans to open applications for Phase 2 in 2024. This second phase will provide grants to Registered Family Child Care Homes (FCCs) to address facilities improvements.