8.4 Public-Private Partnerships

Lead Agencies must demonstrate how they encourage partnerships among other public agencies, Tribal organizations, private entities, faith-based organizations, businesses, or organizations that promote business involvement, and/or community-based organizations to leverage existing service delivery (i.e., cooperative agreement among providers to pool resources to pay for shared fixed costs and operation) to leverage existing child care and early education service delivery systems and to increase the supply and quality of child care services for children younger than age 13. 8.4.1 Lead Agency public-private partnerships Identify and describe any public-private partnerships encouraged by the Lead Agency to leverage public and private resources to further the goals of CCDF: DHD/DFD actively engages in public- private partnerships as described in prior sections of this document. Several specific examples are presented below. DHS/DFD and other public partners participate with private organizations that support our efforts to better understand the impact of policies and programs on the developmental outcomes of at- risk infants and toddlers, such as the Pritzker Children’s Initiative, Early Childhood Funders Collaborative, and Early Care and Learning advisory groups. This collaboration entails committees and workgroup meetings and discussions with private organizations, advocacy groups, philanthropists, and funder groups interested in improving and expanding quality child care, building supply, and ensuring all families have equal access to quality services. ● DHS/DFD works closely with the NJ Department of Education to leverage funding support for wrap-around services for public pre-k programs. ● Additionally, DHS/DFD partnered with the NJ Economic Development Authority to launch New Jersey’s first Child Care Facility Improvement Grant Program for child care centers and registered family child cares to make facilities improvements that will contribute to high quality early childhood learning environments.