New statewide council elevates educators’ voices to shape policies for affordable child care

PRINCETON, June 4, 2026 — Start Strong NJ today announced the formation of the Jenga Advisory Council, a diverse group of 13 New Jersey child care providers who will help guide the statewide campaign for affordable child care.

“New Jersey’s conversation about affordability, business productivity, and economic growth must include child care,” said Start Strong NJ Campaign Director Sharon Levine. “The Jenga Advisory Council elevates the voices of early childhood educators — who know child care best — to strengthen Start Strong NJ’s advocacy work.”

The Jenga Advisory Council reflects Start Strong NJ’s recognition that child care providers are the foundation of early childhood education. When providers are strong, the entire system is strengthened. Affordable child care keeps parents working and businesses productive.

“Early childhood educators are the workforce behind the workforce,” said Levine.

“This council represents an important step forward for child care advocacy in New Jersey because true progress happens when those on the front lines have a seat at the decision-making table,” said Susan Dannemiller, chair of the Council and senior policy and engagement specialist at New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children.

For many families, child care is their largest monthly expense, often more than rent or a mortgage. Three-quarters of New Jersey children under age 6 have all available parents in the workforce, underscoring how critical child care is to daily life and the state’s economy. The crisis costs New Jersey an estimated $5 billion annually in lost wages, reduced business productivity, and lost tax revenue needed for important public services.

Start Strong NJ’s work emphasizes that child care affordability is too big a problem for families to solve alone. It requires public investment that reflects how families live and work today.

Jenga Council members meet monthly to inform Start Strong NJ’s priorities and strategy and:

Participate in child care site visits with elected officials

Testify at legislative hearings and meet with policymakers

Speak at community forums

Engage with media to inform thought leaders and the public

Champion Start Strong’s Blueprint for Affordable Child Care in their communities and networks.

Council members are:

Shaolin Brown, owner, Early Learner Christian Academy, Trenton

Amanda Cardone, owner/founder, Tiny Little Pieces Learning Center, Bellmawr

Angelina Crispin, executive director, Precious Time Child Development Centers, Pennsville, Penns Grove, Edgewater

Keisha Wright Daniel, owner/director, C.A.R.E. For Me Children’s Learning Center, Pennsauken

Joan Dillon, executive director, Glassboro Child Development Centers, Glassboro

Elizabeth Grove, director, Haddon Learning Center, Oaklyn

Karen Humphris, executive director, PCCC Child Development Center, Paterson

Bendue Satta James, owner, Home Away from Home Child Care, Willingboro

Nancy Jimenez, chief executive officer, Children’s Garden, Hamilton Square

Jennifer Medvesky, owner, The Early Learning Center NJ LLC, Southampton

Jane Mello, center director, Early Learning Center, Ironbound Community Organization, Newark

Patricia Velez, owner/director, Wonder World, Union

Jennice Webb, vice president of Child Care Services, YMCA MEWSA, Metuchen

The Council draws its name from the familiar tower game Jenga®. Similarly, New Jersey’s child care system is built from interconnected pieces — funding, enrollment, workforce stability, regulations, and family affordability. The word “Jenga” comes from "kujenga" — Swahili for “to build or construct.” It’s an apt metaphor for child care in New Jersey, where changes to any piece can affect the whole system.

About Start Strong NJ

Start Strong NJ is a statewide affordable child care campaign bringing together parents, early childhood educators, and businesses to meet the challenges New Jersey families and our economy face today. The campaign, guided by co-chairs with deep lived experience in the field, advances three core principles: affordable care for every family that needs it; professional compensation for early childhood educators; and stable public investment in child care as essential economic infrastructure. The campaign receives philanthropic support from the Burke Foundation, Turrell Fund, The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Community Foundation of New Jersey, Maher Charitable Foundation, and Schumann Fund for New Jersey.