Survey Finds New Jersey Families Satisfied with Child Care
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 1998
CONTACT: Jacqueline Tencza, (609) 292-3703
Most families on welfare or leaving welfare for jobs said their existing child care is either good or excellent, according to a survey released today by the New Jersey Department of Human Services.
More than 90 percent of the respondents reported that they were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their current child care arrangement. The study also found that despite the availability of licensed child care centers, 65 percent of the families chose care in a home setting, either by a relative, friend or a registered child care provider.
The study was random survey of 1,000 participants in New Jersey’s welfare reform, Work First New Jersey, who had children under the age of five.
“When we were crafting New Jersey’s welfare program, we were concerned about the quality of child care and adequacy of supply as so many mothers on welfare started going to work,” said Human Services Commissioner William Waldman.
“This survey is good news in that it tells us that most families are not only finding child care, but also that it is care that gives them piece of mind when they go to work,” Waldman said.
Of the 1,000 parents surveyed, 47 percent chose care by a friend or family member, 16 percent chose care in someone's home and 33 percent chose child care centers.
The survey indicates that the choice for care in a home setting was made even though a different type of child care was available. Approximately 80 percent of those surveyed responded that they could enroll their child in a licensed child care center if the wished. Nearly 75 percent of the respondents reported that a relative or friend could provide child care for them, while child care in a “registered family child care” home was available to 60 percent of respondents.
The Commissioner pointed out that it is difficult to gauge the supply of child care when so many families are choosing to use friends or relatives.
Although a variety of child care options were available to a majority of Work First participants, half reported that it was difficult or very difficult to find quality child care.
In addition, the survey found that cost and availability during the hours it was needed were the two most commonly named reasons for difficulty in finding care.
“By expanding the supply of child care through the Governor's Bright Beginnings initiative and increasing what we pay for child care, we have already begun to address some of the issues that the survey identified,” Waldman said.
Under Work First New Jersey, the state pays for child care for families on welfare who are in training or other welfare-to-work activities and then for two years after the parent gets off of welfare to ease the transition off of public assistance
Conducted by the Center for Employment Policy and Workforce Development, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, the phone survey polled 1,000 randomly selected Work First New Jersey participants who were involved in welfare-to-work activities, or were employed either part-time or full-time.
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