New Jersey is Moving Towards Universal Preschool

Preschool gives children a head start on education. In fact, early education can be the key to whether your child is successful in school. But early education is not free, and some parents cannot afford tuition. New Jersey is the first state in the US that wants to even the playing board by providing free preschool and full-day kindergarten for all residents.

Governor Phil Murphy signed three bills into law in July 2025 that codifies early education statewide, reported Patch. The bill– S3910/A5717 – requires the Department of Education to provide grants to expand preschool access for children ages three to four.

“A child’s earliest years are when curiosity blooms and the foundation for lifelong learning is built,” senator Teresa Ruiz, who was one of the sponsors of the legislation, told Patch. “But today, with childcare costs soaring to the level of college tuition, too many families are being forced to choose between their child’s potential and their household budget.”

The New Laws
The law for free preschool passed 28-10 in the state senate and 53-25 in the state assembly. Murphy said that during the last seven years funding in the state for public preschools has increased by close to $600 million. But it is still not enough.

The new legislation will make early education available to all. “We are no longer waiting to close opportunity gaps,” agreed the cosponsor, Shirley Turner. “We are preventing them from the start.”

Murphy explained  that his administration has made it a priority to provide universal free preschool in the state which is also firmly on course to provide free full-day kindergarten in school districts that do not have it by the 2029-30 academic year.

How Has it Been Received?
The new laws have been well received and the bill was signed at the Plainfield Early Learning Center with state legislators and education officials in attendance, reported the New Jersey Monitor.

The location was not chosen by chance. The state education commissioner Kevin Dehmer pointed out that the Plainfield school district was required by courts in 1981 to provide universal preschool to remedy funding disparities between poor urban districts and wealthier suburban ones.

“Plainfield is where New Jersey’s state-funded preschool program began more than 25 years ago,” Dehmer said. “Since its inception, the Abbott preschool model has been a national benchmark because of its focus on quality, equity, and community partnership. Each year we’ve seen how this has had a lasting impact on our students, our families, and their communities.”

Now universal preschool can make a big difference in many more lives. It can be a real game- changer when it comes to bridging the gap between children who have the advantage of early education and those who do not.