This bill mandates the Department of Children and Families (DCF), in collaboration with the Departments of Human Services and Education, to create a unified child care finder. This platform aims to streamline access to information about licensed child care centers and registered family day care providers across New Jersey, addressing the inefficiencies of the current dual systems. The child care finder will be a secure web or mobile application featuring an intuitive search interface, allowing users to locate providers based on various criteria, including distance, program type, and operational hours. Each provider will have a dedicated profile displaying essential information, and the platform will facilitate online applications, communication between providers and caregivers, and payment processing.

To implement this initiative, the bill allocates $3.6 million from the General Fund to DCF and outlines a timeline for the development and rollout of the child care finder. A qualified third-party vendor must be contracted within 90 days of the bill's enactment to develop the platform, with a pilot version to be launched in three counties within 270 days. The full statewide release is expected within one year of vendor selection. The bill also allows for additional appropriations as necessary and empowers the Commissioner of DCF to adopt regulations to ensure the effective execution of the act.