NJEDA Seeks Public Input on How Employers Can Support Child Care

Update (June 14, 2023): The deadline to respond to this RFI has been extended to July 11, 2023.

TRENTON, N.J. (May 18, 2023) – The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) yesterday issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input for innovative ways that employers can help solve New Jersey’s child care challenges. Input may be used to inform the development of a pilot program that engages employers in supporting New Jersey’s parents and children. The RFI can be found at http://www.njeda.com/bidding with responses due by June 20.

WHAT: The RFI issued today will gather information and perspectives on how New Jersey employers can be empowered to offer support and resources for working parents. This includes innovative approaches to employer-provided child care benefits, expanded partnerships between employers and child care providers, and flexible policies for workers with child care needs. For the purposes of this RFI, ‘child care’ may include care for children ages 0 – 5, as well as before- or aftercare for school-aged children.

This input will help the NJEDA better understand possible strategies to strengthen New Jersey’s child care sector in order to bolster this crucial piece of the state’s economic infrastructure. The labor force participation of working parents depends on the availability of safe, quality, affordable child care. This RFI will build on Governor Phil Murphy’s commitment to a whole-of-government approach to fortify the state’s child care sector. The information gathered through this RFI may be used to help the NJEDA shape the usage of state funds that were appropriated to the NJEDA in Governor Murphy’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget to establish the Child Care Employer Innovation Pilot Program.

WHO: The RFI seeks responses from all interested stakeholders, including those located within and outside the State of New Jersey. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Parents/caregivers
• Employers and employer associations/consortia;
• Child care and/or parent/caregiver advocacy organizations;
• Policy and academic researchers;
• Companies that provide child care benefit services;
• Technology companies serving the needs of families or caregivers;
• Child care providers;
• Child care technical assistance providers;
• Business and entrepreneurship support organizations;
• Child care resource & referral agencies;
• Community Development Financial Institutions providing loans and/or financial support to child care providers;
• Higher education institutions;
• Foundations and philanthropic initiatives. 

HOW TO RESPOND:

All questions concerning this RFI must be submitted in writing no later than noon EDT on June 2, 2023 via e-mail to: childcareRFI2023@njeda.gov. The subject line of the e-mail should state: Questions – 2023-RFI-178.

Answers to questions submitted will be publicly posted on the Authority’s website on or about June 9, 2023 at http://www.njeda.gov/bidding/#OET Addendum.

All RFI responses must be submitted in writing no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on June 20, 2023 via e-mail to childcareRFI2023@njeda.gov. The subject line of the e-mail should state: RFI Response – 2023-RFI-178.

To learn more about NJEDA resources for businesses, call NJEDA Customer Care at 844-965-1125 or visit https://www.njeda.gov and follow @NewJerseyEDA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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