New Center for Infant and Toddler Research Launches at Rutgers University with Nicholson Foundation Funding

Decision-makers in New Jersey and elsewhere seeking information on policy to support the learning and development of infant and toddlers will be able to find that guidance from the new Infant and Toddler Research Center (ITC@ NIEER), which launched in February 2021.

A unit within the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University, ITC@ NIEER conducts policy analysis and research into infant and toddler education and care, communicating and translating its research to inform policymaking.

With support from The Nicholson Foundation, ITC@ NIEER has published a research paper, The Financial Impact of COVID Licensing Standards on NJ Child Care Providers, that shows how COVID-19 safety measures and low state subsidies have put New Jersey childcare providers in financial peril.

ITC@ NIEER will be compiling data for and releasing other forthcoming reports about the state of child care in New Jersey. Topics range from an exploration of the financial strain from infant and child care costs for working families to an examination of the percentage of children in the state under age 3 cared for by parents and family members.

To formally kickoff the Center’s launch, ITC@ NIEER held a webinar on February 19, moderated by Executive Director of The Nicholson Foundation, Arturo Brito, MD, MPH. The webinar featured a diverse panel of experts who discussed education and care for infants and toddlers in New Jersey. (Watch a replay of "5 Thing We know and 5 Things We Don't But Should.")