Child Care Connection

What Child Care Connection does

Child Care Connection, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1986 and headquartered at 1001 Spruce St., Suite 201, Trenton, NJ, designated by the State of New Jersey as the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency for Mercer County. It serves three primary user groups: Mercer County families seeking child care (1,085 parents and 2,145+ children served through subsidy programs in FY2025), licensed and registered child care providers (centers, family child care, and Family Friend and Neighbor providers) needing training and compliance support, and a smaller set of area employers seeking dependent-care consultation. Core products include free child care referrals with 3–6 provider options per inquiry, NJ Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) administration including a county voucher program and dedicated voucher program, the e-Child Care (ECC) electronic attendance and payment tracking system, family child care registration and home inspection services, Grow NJ Kids quality rating support, and the Early Childhood Institute for Professional Development delivering 325+ annual training hours across CDA certification, CPR/First Aid, and CCDBG-required courses.

The underlying technology stack is largely state-administered rather than proprietary: NJCCIS (workforce registry, training registration, provider applications), the EPPIC payment portal, the MyNJHelps CCAP application system, and the NACCRAWare provider database for referral searches. Child Care Connection provides training and processes applications through these state platforms; it does not expose a public API. The business model is a hybrid of government managed-services contracts (County of Mercer and NJ Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development as anchor funders), modest fee-for-service revenue (CPR/First Aid at $60/course, family child care registration at $25), and tax-deductible donations including employer matching gift programs. Distribution runs through a community referral line (609-989-8101), in-person counseling at the Trenton office, the agency's multilingual website (childcareconnection-nj.org), email newsletters, Facebook, community fairs, and direct outreach. The agency is led by Executive Director Cynthia Jackson with a 32-person professional staff and governance from a Board of Trustees currently presided over by Ross H. Bear, M.Ed.

Name

Child Care Connection

Legal name

Child Care Connection, Inc.

Website

https://childcareconnection-nj.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Child Care Connection is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency, founded in 1986, that administers state and county child care subsidy programs, delivers provider training, and operates referrals for Mercer County, New Jersey families and providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Care Resource and Referral Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (624410), Child Care Services (6244)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Toddler-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Home-Based Infant & Toddler Care (Family Daycare) (EDACAGAD)

Keywords

• Child care referrals
• Subsidy program administration
• Early childhood training
• Child care resource agency
• Provider registration support

Headquarters

HQ city

Trenton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Grants: Funding from County of Mercer and State of New Jersey to administer child care assistance programs, quality improvement initiatives, and enhanced care programs
2. Training and Registration Fees: Fees for professional development training sessions, CPR/First Aid certification courses ($60 per course), and family child care registration ($25 application fee)
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, matching gift programs from employers, planned giving, and memorial gifts. Organization is qualified under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Child Care Connection is the designated Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency for Mercer County, New Jersey. It connects families with licensed child care providers through free referral services, administers state (NJ CCAP) and county (Mercer County Voucher, Dedicated Voucher) child care subsidy programs, processes family child care registrations, supports providers through the Grow NJ Kids quality rating system, and delivers over 325 hours of professional development training annually through its Early Childhood Institute.

Product overview

Child Care Connection is a non-profit child care resource and referral (CCR&R) agency serving Mercer County, New Jersey since 1986. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of services organized around three core functions: (1) connecting families with child care through referrals, subsidy programs including NJ CCAP and Mercer County vouchers, and the e-Child Care electronic tracking system; (2) supporting child care providers through family child care registration, Grow NJ Kids quality rating participation, and FFN provider support; and (3) professional development through the Early Childhood Institute offering over 325 annual training hours including CDA certification, CPR/First Aid, and specialized programs. The organization also provides business consultation services to employers seeking dependent care solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Care Referrals Free referral service for Mercer County families searching for licensed child care centers, family child care providers, school-age programs, nursery schools, and summer camps; provides a minimum of 3-6 provider options per inquiry.
• NJ Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Administration Administration of the NJ Division of Family Development's child care subsidy program that helps eligible families cover child care costs on a sliding fee scale; serves as the Mercer County intake and processing agency.
• e-Child Care (ECC) Support Support and training for the state's electronic child care system used by subsidy-receiving providers and families to record attendance and track subsidy payments through the electronic portal.
• Family Child Care Registration Support Acts as the CCR&R sponsoring agency for state family child care registration in Mercer County; includes home inspections, application review, and ongoing compliance monitoring. $25 registration application fee.
• Grow NJ Kids Quality Rating Program Support Enrollment support, training, mentorship, and financial incentives for child care providers pursuing Grow NJ Kids quality ratings, which qualify them for differential state reimbursement rates.
• Professional Development Training Operated by the Early Childhood Institute for Professional Development, offering 325+ annual training hours including CDA training, CCDBG-required training, CPR/First Aid certification ($60/course), Healthy Kids Healthy Futures, and Strengthening Families programs.
• Mercer County Voucher Program County-funded child care subsidy program for Mercer County families administered in addition to the state CCAP; provides additional eligibility for local families.
• Business Consultation Services Consultation services for Mercer County employers including dependent care needs assessments, workplace seminars on work/family issues, and design of child care support programs for employees.
• Dedicated Voucher Program Child care voucher program providing subsidies to eligible families for center-based or family child care services.
• Family Friend and Neighbor (FFN) Provider Support Orientation, training, and support services for FFN/Approved Home providers including CCDBG-mandated training, home inspections, and connection to subsidy programs.
• Annual Child Care Connection Virtual Conference Annual professional development conference providing training and networking opportunities for child care professionals in Mercer County.
• DOE-Contracted Pre-K Wrap-Around Services Wrap-around child care services for children enrolled in DOE-contracted Pre-K programs in Trenton, providing care before and after school hours.
• Child Care Job Bank Online job posting service connecting Mercer County child care centers seeking employees with qualified candidates in the early childhood field.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• County of MercercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986Long-standing partnership for administering enhanced care programs to improve quality of child care at the local level. County funding supports CCR&R operations and subsidy programs.
• State of New Jersey (Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986State agency partnership to administer NJ Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), quality improvement initiatives, and family child care registration. Holds the State's unified child care services contract for Mercer County.
• Grow NJ KidscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Jersey's quality rating system for child care. Child Care Connection supports providers in enrolling and achieving quality ratings, which qualify them for differential reimbursement rates.
• Mercer County ECE Shared Services AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the NJ Shared Services Initiative connecting early care and education providers in a collaborative network. Helps strengthen members' business operations, educational leadership, and job quality.
• New Jersey Child Care Information System (NJCCIS)coreTechnology or IntegrationStatewide online database system for child care workforce registry, training registration, and provider applications. Child Care Connection provides training and processes applications through this platform.
• Advocates for Children of New JerseyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState advocacy organization Child Care Connection recommends for families interested in child care advocacy efforts.
• Children's Defense FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational advocacy organization Child Care Connection recommends for families interested in child care advocacy efforts.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational professional organization Child Care Connection recommends for early childhood education advocacy.
• Child Care Aware of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization Child Care Connection recommends for families seeking child care resources and referrals outside New Jersey.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Child Care Council of New York: Regional CCR&R agency serving New York City families with referrals, training, and subsidy administration. Closely comparable to Child Care Connection in mission and operating model, differing primarily by geography.
• Childcare Alliance of Houston: Regional child care resource organization serving the greater Houston area with referrals, provider training, and advocacy. Mirrors Child Care Connection's CCR&R operating model at a different regional scale.
• Starting Point (Cleveland): Regional CCR&R agency serving Cuyahoga County, Ohio with child care referrals, provider quality support, and training. Functions as the county-level CCR&R counterpart to Child Care Connection for Northeast Ohio families.
• Child Development Resources: Regional non-profit serving the Virginia Peninsula with child care referrals, training, and family education. Mirrors Child Care Connection's referral-and-training operating model in a comparable-sized market.
• Child Care Resources: Regional CCR&R agency serving King and Pierce counties in Washington State with referrals, training, and family support services. Operates an analogous mission and service portfolio to Child Care Connection.

Broad incumbents

• Child Care Aware of America: National membership organization supporting a network of Child Care Resource and Referral agencies nationwide. Operates as the umbrella body for CCR&R agencies like Child Care Connection, with overlapping mission around referrals, training, and public funding administration.
• NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children): National professional association advancing high-quality early childhood education. Child Care Connection recommends NAEYC for advocacy and is part of the same professional ecosystem around early childhood quality standards and accreditation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/people/Child-Care-Connection-NJ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Child Care Connection