The New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) would have to maintain a waiting list for people applying to the State’s child care assistance program (CCAP) under legislation advanced in committee today. The Assembly Aging and Human Services approved Bill A2247, sponsored by Assemblywoman Shanique Speight.
CCAP helps income eligible families afford care. When assistance is unavailable, parents – particularly single parents and those working hourly or nontraditional schedules – are often forced to reduce work hours, leave the workforce altogether, or rely on unstable informal care arrangements. Last summer, DHS announced that the program would stop accepting new applications due to funding shortfalls. The agency resumed accepting applications on a limited basis in December.
“Child care is a critical part of New Jersey’s infrastructure. It allows parents to work, supports healthy child development, and strengthens our economy,” said Assemblywoman Speight (D-Essex, Hudson), Chair of the Aging and Human Services Committee. “Last year’s freezing of new CCAP applications underscored the fragility of New Jersey’s child care system. Establishing a waitlist is a critical step toward understanding the scope of need and providing data necessary to make informed decisions about the program at the state level.”
Currently, families whose applications for CCAP are not processed due to funding limitations may receive little clarity regarding their status, future eligibility, or when they might reasonably expect assistance to become available. This lack of transparency increases uncertainty for families and can discourage reapplication.
Under the bill, the Division of Family Development (the Division) within DHS would be required to maintain a list of presumptively eligible applicants who apply for assistance through the CCAP but are notified that their applications cannot be processed due to limited funding.
The legislation would also require the Division to designate contracted child care resource and referral agencies as access points to assist applicants in completing and submitting applications, as well as standardized self-attestation forms used to establish program eligibility. The Division would also be required to publish, at least semi-annually, a report containing aggregate data on eligible applicants who qualify for and apply to receive assistance through the State’s child care assistance program.
Assemblywoman Shama Haider also sponsored the legislation.
Today, Congressman Van Drew released a list highlighting some of the federal funding he has secured for South Jersey over the past year through the federal budget, competitive grants, and targeted infrastructure investments. In total, hundreds of millions of dollars are being brought back to New Jersey’s Second Congressional District.
“South Jersey will not be forgotten,” said Congressman Van Drew. “Our communities deserve their share, and I will keep fighting to make sure we get it. What we secured this past year is real money, for real projects, delivering real results, and we are not done yet. There are even more exciting funding announcements coming in the months ahead, and people across South Jersey are going to continue to see this funding take shape and transform their communities.”
Examples of Projects Funded and Receiving Funding:
$ Tens of Millions, Beach Replenishment: Commitment from the Army Corps of Engineers to fast-track funding for beach replenishment along the Jersey Shore.
$425,000,000, U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May: Provides funding for a new state-of-the-art indoor training center that consolidates seamanship training, firefighting training, physical fitness, classrooms, and graduation spaces into a single structure. Other major components include a new small-arms firing range, gallery cafeteria, and pier. The funding also provides for the total recapitalization of the barracks system.
$43,000,000, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Improvements: Provides funding for sustainment and infrastructure improvements at the Tech Center, including upgrades to electrical systems and resiliency projects.
$2,100,000, National Aviation Research and Technology Park (NARTP) Advanced Aviation Testing Corridor: Establishes a civilian/military drone testing corridor in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and the FAA to improve our ability to detect and manage drones in national airspace.
$10,508,000, Infrastructure Projects Across South Jersey: Provides funding for various projects, including Atlantic Avenue resurfacing and traffic light synchronization.
$37,800,000, Dredging and Erosion Mitigation: Provides funding for dredging and erosion mitigation across South Jersey, including dredging the Absecon Inlet, Cold Spring Inlet, New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway, and Maurice River, as well as building outfall pipes and mitigating erosion in Atlantic City.
$24,300,000, Cape May City Seawall Flood Mitigation Project: Provides funding to build a protective seawall in Cape May.
$3,000,000, Atlantic Cape Community College Capital Fund: Supports the creation of a dental hygiene school, expanding access to healthcare education and local career opportunities.
$8,298,000, Airports Across South Jersey: Provides funding to improve and expand the infrastructure at Atlantic City International Airport, Woodbine Airport, Millville Airport, Cape May Airport, and Ocean City Airport.
$13,300,000, Head Start Programs: Provides funding for Head Start early childhood education projects across the district.
$1,000,000 ($500,000 each), Maurice River and Salem River: Historic “New Start” funding to study increasing the depth of the Maurice River and Salem River.
$2,625,000, Corbin City K9 Training Facility: For the construction of a modern K9 law enforcement training facility in Corbin City.
$2,000,000, Salem Town Bank Pump Station: To support the design and construction of flood mitigation infrastructure in Salem City.
$500,000, HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers: Supports a national expansion of the South Jersey-based HERO Campaign’s designated-driver/traffic safety programming.
$1,000,000, Swedesboro Lead Pipe Abatement: Replaces lead pipes and improves drinking water safety in the Borough of Swedesboro in support of their objective to be “lead free”.
$500,000, Cape May Desalination Plant: Brings in the United States Army Corps of Engineers to support the construction of a water desalination plant which serves Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, Cape May City, Cape May Point, West Cape May, and part of Lower Township.
$600,000, Gandy’s Beach: Funds an Army Corps investigation to design shore protection features at Gandy’s Beach in Cumberland County, which suffered a disaster in early 2024.
$750,000, Long Beach Township Sewer Main Replacement: Funds replacement of aging sewer main infrastructure to reduce failures/overflows and improve service reliability.
$1,000,000, Aviation Maintenance Training Academy: Establishes an Aviation Maintenance Training Academy at the Atlantic City International Airport in conjunction with the Atlantic County Economic Alliance, the U.S. Air Force, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the National Aviation Research and Technology Park, and aviation businesses. This will create a pipeline for workers and former military personnel to gain skills and access job opportunities in lucrative private sector aircraft maintenance positions.
$1,624,000, Emergency Shelter Water Supply for the City of Vineland: Supports the design and construction of additional sewer and water capacity to support the FEMA-designated emergency shelter at St. Augustine’s in Richland.
An active outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) throughout the State of New Jersey is being monitored by NJDEP Fish & Wildlife and federal partners. Since the beginning of the U.S. outbreak in January 2022, avian influenza has impacted wild birds in every state.
If you see sick or dead birds, particularly in groups of 5 or more, please report your finding to the Wild Bird Disease Reporting Form.
Typical signs of HPAI include diarrhea, discharge from the nose, coughing, sneezing, and incoordination, but some birds may show no signs before death.
While HPAI can infect humans, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared that the ongoing HPAI outbreak is primarily an animal health issue that poses low risk to the health of the general public.
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) is excited to announce a new service that makes it easier for customers who have difficulty communicating in English to receive help at agencies across the state.
All NJMVC agencies are now equipped with handheld Pocketalk translation devices, enabling staff and customers to engage in real-time, two-way conversations in over 80 languages. These devices are also dispatched with NJMVC Mobile Units as they make visits throughout the state.
“These advanced language translation devices represent a significant step forward in our customer service capabilities,” said Acting NJMVC Chief Administrator Rosalie Johnson. “By bridging language gaps more effectively, we are affirming our commitment to improving service for every New Jerseyan and making sure all of our customers are supported, respected, and understood.”
New Jersey’s linguistic diversity is among the highest in the nation, with over 30% of residents aged five and older speaking languages other than English at home. Nearly 1.2 million New Jerseyans report some degree of limited English proficiency, underscoring the importance of this initiative.
The Pocketalk devices are user-friendly and deliver quick, accurate translations, reducing confusion and enhancing service interactions. They facilitate clear communication and guide customers through their NJMVC experience with greater ease and efficiency, ultimately reducing the time needed to complete their in-person business.
Following a successful pilot in fall 2025, the statewide rollout of these devices has been met with enthusiastic feedback from both customers and staff. Currently, each agency and mobile unit are outfitted with between five and twelve translators.
For years, the NJMVC has championed language accessibility alongside other New Jersey State agencies. Some notable NJMVC initiatives include offering an award-winning, multilingual website; publishing an annual driver manual in a half-dozen languages; conducting driver knowledge tests in more than a dozen languages; and providing a bilingual phone system with support and answers to questions in both English and Spanish.
For the latest NJMVC news, services, and detailed customer information, please visit NJMVC.gov.
Burlington Township High School alumna Shannon Daly has been nominated for the Television Academy Foundation’s 45th College Television Awards. The annual awards show recognizes and rewards excellence in student-produced programs from colleges nationwide. Winners in the competition will be announced by television stars at thered carpet awards ceremony on March 28, 2026, at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California.
Daly received a nomination in the News category, along with fellow classmates at Montclair State University, for her work as a producer and writer on a project titled San Francisco: On the Edge.
San Francisco: On the Edge is a special edition of Montclair NewsLab. In the spring of 2025 students traveled to San Francisco to report on the urgent issues impacting the city including the Fentanyl crisis, LGBTQ rights, the homelessness epidemic and climate change’s effect on local fishing. They spoke to people living with addiction on the streets of the Tenderloin, a fisherman facing disappearing seasons, and volunteers providing aid to undocumented immigrants.
As an active participant in the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement, Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital, Jefferson Washington Township Hospital and Jefferson Stratford Hospital are proud to announce that they have achieved special recognition as an Age-Friendly Health System — Committed to Care Excellence by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Earning this distinction required working toward the reliable practice of a set of four evidence-based elements of high-quality care for all older adults, known as the 4Ms: What Matters, Medication, Mind, and Mobility.
Globally, more than 5,200 hospitals, practices, convenient care clinics, nursing homes, and home health care organizations have been recognized as Age-Friendly Health Systems – Committed to Care Excellence.
“Jefferson Health has always been committed to care excellence and is proud and humbled to have achieved this recognition,” said Aaron Chang, President of Jefferson Health- East. . “The Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative continues to be an important part of our overarching vision to provide every older adult with the best care possible. Above all, we aim every day to earn recognition of excellence from the older adults and carers whom we serve.”
“I applaud the team at Jefferson Health-East for continuing their journey to advance age-friendly care. Age-Friendly Health Systems and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement celebrate their recognition as an Age- Friendly Health System — Committed to Care Excellence,” said Camille Burnett, PhD, MPA, APHN-BC, BScN, RN, DSW, FAAN, Vice President for Health Equity, Institute for Healthcare Improvement. “We know that older adults and staff alike want equitable, evidence-based quality care centered on what matters most to each individual. Together, we can move toward a future in which every older adult, during every care interaction, receives age-friendly care. Thank you, Jefferson Health-East, for all that you do to improve care for our neighbors, colleagues, and friends.”
Age-Friendly Health Systems is an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), in partnership with the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Catholic Health Association of the US (CHA). For more information, visit www.ihi.org/agefriendly.
Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and a coalition of 21 other states and the District of Columbia asked a U.S. District Court today to enforce its December 2025 order prohibiting the Trump Administration from terminating the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which provides New Jersey communities with critical resources to fortify their infrastructure against natural disasters.
As today’s filing explains, the multistate coalition won a December 2025 order from the U.S. District Court barring the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from terminating the BRIC program, but the Trump Administration has not yet signaled that it has any intention of complying with the court order, and FEMA regional offices appear to be delaying implementation of the court’s order.
The motion filed today seeks immediate action from the court to ensure that the Trump Administration does not continue to deprive states of the essential funding provided through the BRIC program. For 30 years, the BRIC program has provided communities with resources that have saved lives, reduced injury, protected property, and saved money that otherwise would been spent on post-disaster costs. Every dollar FEMA spends on mitigation—primarily through the BRIC program—saves an average of six dollars in post-disaster costs. In New Jersey alone, federally funded grants for disaster mitigation have saved New Jerseyans more than $10 billion in post-disaster costs.
“New Jersey is no stranger to natural disasters that have devastated our state. Instead of working with us to prepare for the next major natural disaster and reduce the massive costs these catastrophic storms impose, the Trump Administration is doing everything in its power—now even going so far as to ignore court orders—to keep New Jerseyans from accessing critical federal resources for disaster preparedness,” said Acting Attorney General Davenport. “The Trump Administration’s actions are as unconscionable as they are unlawful, and they will dramatically increase the costs that hard-working New Jerseyans will bear when the next natural disaster strikes. Make no mistake: We will do everything in our power to protect these critical programs from unlawful attacks out of Washington.”
“By funding innovative and proactive flooding resilience projects, the BRIC program is critical to reducing the cost of post-disaster relief,” said Acting Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Ed Potosnak. “We stand firmly with our partners from across the nation in fighting to ensure the continuation of this program. I commend Acting Attorney General Davenport and her team for helping us to protect lives and property while delivering on Governor Sherrill’s promise of efficiency and affordability for the people of New Jersey.”
As outlined in today’s motion, the states have seen no signs that the Trump Administration has reversed the unlawful termination of the BRIC program. Projects that are ready to move forward remain stalled, and FEMA has been unable to provide any information or guidance. States have been unable to obtain any grant information or to move their projects from planning phases to construction phases.
Some communications from FEMA regional offices appear to indicate that the agency may have unilaterally decided it can delay its implementation of the court’s order. In one instance, regional FEMA staff said they had no information to share because of “ongoing litigation.” In another instance, an acting director told a state “that the situation is ‘wait and see’” and that there was a “litigation hold.” Today’s filing argues that these examples demonstrate that FEMA is actively delaying compliance with the court’s order.
The December 2025 order issued by the District Court affirmed the states’ position that FEMA’s decision to abruptly terminate the BRIC program contravenes Congress’s decision to fund it, and that the Executive Branch has no lawful authority to unilaterally refuse to spend funds appropriated by Congress. The order also concluded that FEMA’s actions violate the separation of powers, the Appropriations and Spending Clauses, and the Administrative Procedure Act.
The states now ask the court to enforce the December 11 order by requiring the federal government to make pre-disaster mitigation funds available as required by statute, communicate the status and next steps for current BRIC projects to the states, communicate the reversal of the BRIC termination to all relevant stakeholders, and file status reports with the court outlining any actions taken or planned to comply with the order.
The BRIC program supports often difficult-to-fund projects, such as constructing evacuation shelters and flood walls, safeguarding utility grids against wildfires, protecting wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, and fortifying bridges, roadways, and culverts. Over the past four years, FEMA has selected nearly 2,000 projects to receive roughly $4.5 billion in BRIC funding nationwide.
Joining Acting Attorney General Davenport in filing this motion are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Washington, and the governors of the Commonwealths of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
New Jersey American Water is investing approximately $400,000 to upgrade critical water infrastructure in Camden. The project includes replacing 1,700 feet of water pipe originally installed in the early 1900s with new 8 inch ductile iron water main, helping improve reliability, water quality, and fire protection for local customers.
As part of this work, crews will also install new meter pits at the curb area—within the company’s rightofway—at properties where none currently exist. Affected customers will be contacted directly to schedule appointments to relocate their water meter from inside the property to the new pit. Work will take place along the following streets: Grand Avenue from Berkley Street to Baird Boulevard Benson Street from Eutaw Avenue to Marlton Avenue This investment is part of New Jersey American Water’s ongoing, multi-year commitment to strengthen water infrastructure in more than 100 communities across the state. Planned upgrades like this help reduce the likelihood of service interruptions, improve water flows for homes and businesses, and support dependable fire protection. These improvements are designed to deliver long-term value by reinforcing the system before issues arise.
Construction is underway and is expected to be completed by the end of March 2026. Crews will work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekend work is not expected unless needed to maintain the project schedule. Contractors will ensure customers can enter and exit their driveways as needed, and access to homes and businesses will be maintained.
Work is being performed by New Jersey American Water’s local, qualified contractor Pioneer Pipe Contractors, Inc., with traffic control coordinated in partnership with local officials. Motorists should use caution near work zones and expect typical construction noise during work hours. Daily cleanup will occur, and driveway and sidewalk restoration will be completed as construction concludes. Where excavation is required, temporary surface restoration will be provided, with permanent restoration after the soil has time to settle.
Assemblywoman Andrea Katz will hold a press conference to discuss her legislative package aimed at addressing the youth mental health crisis by strengthening online protections for children. The package includes a bill to enact a New Jersey Kids Code Act (A4015), which would require online service providers to implement measures to protect minors’ online privacy; legislation that would require mental health warning labels on certain social media platforms (A4013); and a measure that would establish a social media research center (A4014). These bills will be heard in the Assembly Science, Innovation, and Technology Committee immediately following the press conference.
When: Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 1:30 p.m.
Where: Room L-109, New Jersey State House, 125 West State Street, Trenton, NJ
Invited Guests:
Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin
Assemblyman Christopher Tully, Chair of the Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Assemblywoman Andrea Katz
Erin Popolo – Parent advocate, whose daughter Emily died by suicide in 2021 after intense cyberbullying on Snapchat and Instagram.
Julie Scelfo – Founder and Executive Director of Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA).
Laura Miranda-Browne – Co-founder of Roots To Results, a women-owned business in New Jersey, mother of three children, school board member, and member of Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA).
