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Gov. Murphy announces suite of new proposals to expand access to early childhood education and support working families

Murphy Administration Has Expanded State-Funded Preschool Programs to an Additional 229 School Districts Over the Past Seven Years

NEW JERSEY – During his 2025 State of the State Address, Governor Phil Murphy announced his support for two key policy initiatives aimed at expanding access to early childhood education for more families across New Jersey.

On Monday, accompanied by Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, Assemblywoman Andrea Katz, Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, Senator Shirley Turner, and Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli, Governor Murphy visited Maurice Hawk Elementary School in West Windsor to emphasize his commitment to expanding access to free, high-quality preschool and kindergarten programs, helping young learners in communities throughout the state start their educational journeys on strong footing.

“One week ago, during my State of the State Address, I announced that our Administration will take a new step to ensure every school district in New Jersey offers free, full-day kindergarten,” said Murphy. “Paired with a second initiative to codify preschool funding, we are paving the way for both universal pre-k and free full-day kindergarten in New Jersey. By working with our partners in the State Legislature, we will strengthen early childhood education, reduce child care costs for parents, and ensure all children in New Jersey get the same strong start, regardless of their zip code or family’s socioeconomic status.”

Acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer added, “The research is clear: access to early childhood education is crucial for the development of our youngest learners while providing relief to our state’s working families. These initiatives will ensure every child has access to full-day kindergarten and expand preschool across all communities, reinforcing our commitment to giving every student the foundation they need to succeed.”

Since taking office, Governor Murphy has prioritized universal, free preschool in New Jersey. Over the past seven years, the state has increased funding for public preschool by more than $550 million, bringing total spending to $1.2 billion to support programs in communities across the state. As a result, 229 additional districts have been added to the state-funded preschool program, meaning that now, 293 of New Jersey’s elementary-serving districts offer free, high-quality preschool, whether in partnership with childcare providers or within elementary schools.

The Governor’s Office is working with legislative partners on legislation to advance the following initiatives:

  • Codify Preschool Funding: Establish separate legislation to ensure more reliable, long-term funding for preschool programs.
  • Ensure Access to Full-Day Kindergarten: Guarantee all five-year-old students access to free, full-day kindergarten.
  • Strengthen Mixed Delivery: Develop a handbook to standardize the process for forming agreements between school districts and private providers.
  • Create the Preschool Teacher Pipeline Investment Program: Provide guidance on dual admission programs for Early Childhood Education studies and establish salary scales for private preschool teachers working toward certification.

These initiatives are based on Phase II of the Strategic Plan for Preschool Expansion, which is also being released today. This plan incorporates feedback from over 74 stakeholder engagement sessions, involving 36 organizations and 485 staff members from school districts and private providers statewide.

Additional recommendations from the strategic plan include improving the alignment of childcare and public preschool facility requirements, exploring public-private partnership opportunities for dedicated facility funding, and enhancing transportation options for preschoolers.

Jay Edwards

Born and raised in Northwest NJ, Jay has a degree in Communications and has had a life-long interest in local radio and various styles of music. Jay has held numerous jobs over the years such as stunt car driver, bartender, voice-over artist, traffic reporter (award winning), NY Yankee maintenance crewmember and peanut farm worker. His hobbies include mountain climbing, snowmobiling, cooking, performing stand-up comedy and he is an avid squirrel watcher. Jay has been a guest on America’s Morning Headquarters,program on The Weather Channel, and was interviewed by Sam Champion.

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