Grow NJ Kids is a rating and improvement system designed to assess child care and early learning programs, provide training and incentives to improve them, and communicate their level of quality to the public.
Any program regulated by the State of New Jersey will be eligible to participate, including:
- Child Care Centers
- Family Child Care Programs
- School District Preschool Programs
- Preschools
- Head Start Programs
Click to download the GNJK Road to Quality Infographic
Rating Readiness
As the rating entity for Grow NJ Kids, CREEHS (Center for Research and Evaluation on Education and Human Services at Montclair State University) implements the quality ratings of early childhood education programs enrolled in Grow NJ Kids.
This includes systematic and unbiased observations of classroom quality, evaluating Grow NJ Kids as an initiative, and meaningfully engagement Grow NJ Kids stakeholders in the rating and evaluation process.
Rating eligibility and processes vary by program type. To learn more and for rating readiness documents, select your program type:
Center-Based/In-District DOE
Family Child Care
NAEYC-Accredited Programs
Health, Safety, Mental Health and Social-Emotional Resources
These resources are intended for early care and education programs. Topics include mental health and social-emotional resources, face coverings, hand washing, sanitizing surfaces, infection spread, using gloves, diapering and changing and self-care for providers. Note that this guidance does not supersede New Jersey state requirements, but instead provides best practices for implementation.
View Resources