Bill giving parents of twins, multiples more say in New Jersey public preschool placements heads to governor
NEW JERSEY — Legislation that would give parents of twins and other multiples greater control over their children’s placement in public preschool programs has advanced to the governor’s desk after receiving legislative approval.
The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Greg McGuckin (R-Ocean) and Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia (R-Sussex/Morris/Warren), would extend existing classroom placement rights for parents of multiples to include public preschool programs.
Under current New Jersey law, parents or guardians of twins or higher-order multiples enrolled in the same public school from kindergarten through eighth grade can request that their children be placed in the same classroom or in separate classrooms.
The proposed legislation, A5218/S4349, would expand those rights to preschool and allow parents to request that their children be treated as a single unit during preschool lottery systems or open enrollment.
“A parent’s right to make educational decisions for their children doesn’t stop at the doors of a public preschool. New Jersey needs to extend the rights afforded to parents of multiples in elementary and middle school to parents of preschoolers, because they know what setting will be in the best interests of their children,” McGuckin said.
The legislation was prompted in part by the experience of Jackie Anderson, a Brick Township mother of identical twin girls who has advocated for changes to the state’s preschool enrollment policies.
According to McGuckin, Anderson began pushing for a legislative solution after one of her daughters was accepted into her school district’s preschool program through a lottery while the other was not.
Anderson told the Senate Education Committee that preschool lottery systems should determine whether space is available, rather than make decisions about separating twins.
“A random lottery outcome had the power to make a significant developmental decision for two three-year-old twins. A lottery should determine whether a seat is available. It should not determine whether young multiples are separated. Separation should be an individualized developmental decision, not one made by chance,” Anderson told the committee.
Fantasia said the legislation would build on a law enacted in 2008 that gave parents of twins and other multiples a greater voice in classroom placement decisions.
“The Legislature in 2008 wisely afforded parents the right to have a say in how public schools placed twins. By including public preschools under the law, we can create a statewide standard ensuring all families of multiples have the chance to choose what works best for their children and all schools have one set of rules for admission,” Fantasia said.
The proposed law would apply to public preschool programs operated by school districts, Head Start programs and licensed child care providers.
Supporters say the measure would establish a consistent statewide approach to preschool enrollment and classroom placement for families with twins, triplets and other multiples.
The legislation advanced to the governor’s desk in late October and awaits action before it can become law.
