[INSPRATIONAL MUSIC STING] - We're now joined by Peter Rosario, President and CEO of La Casa de Don Pedro based in Newark, New Jersey.

A terrific not-for-profit organization.

Peter, good to see you, my friend.

- Good seeing you as well, Steve.

Thank you for having us.

- We put up the website, tell everyone what La Casa is.

- So, La Casa de Don Pedro is the largest Latinx led agency in the state of New Jersey.

We're proud to celebrate 50 years of mission-driven visionary service around three central pillars, early childhood, tantamount to this discussion.

Healthy homes, which is lead abatement, lead remediation, utility assistance, and a lot of other weatherization work that we do.

And finally, community empowerment, which is our pillar that we really believe in fostering self-sufficiency on a pathway to black and brown excellence for all Newark residents.

- You know that we're very much involved in the childcare issue in terms of creating greater public awareness around affordable, accessible, quality childcare.

Our initiative, the website will come up, Reimagine Child Care.

The state of childcare in mid, as we tape this, 2023, particularly in urban communities and the community that you serve, disproportionately Latino, Hispanic community in Newark.

- Incredibly fragile, probably even more fragile than it was at the height of the pandemic.

I think we're really concerned about the ability to operate programs after the stabilization grants, after the extra reimbursement rates end in December, and we have not heard a cohesive plan from the state on how, we don't need to stabilize childcare.

We need to reform childcare delivery in the state once and for all.

So, it's very fragile.

And I think, I'm already closing three centers come September, and I think there's gonna be more unless the state really comes up with a comprehensive plan to reform childcare.

- Peter, what happens when you close those centers?

What happens to the people, to those children, to those parents, and to the larger community?

- We destabilize communities economically.

I think the challenge with the childcare debate that I think we're all falling short on is this is economic justice, this is environmental, this is economic development, and this is workforce development.

And right now we flippantly think that when a childcare center closes, that's just a social service program closing.

It really is less people getting back to work.

And we are on a drastic state of unemployment all across the state, and this is how you can get people back to work.

And I really want to change the conversation in terms of economic development and getting people back to work.

- Shift gears, Peter, what is the Praxis Test?

You're calling for the removal of the Praxis Test when it comes to the list of teaching certification requirements for early child education.

What is a Praxis Test?

- So, it's a standardized test.

It's basically like the SAT.

So there's two components to it, a core component, and then whatever subject you're certified in.

For early childhood, it's a P3 Certification.

Last year the state did a pilot program, but they only removed one of the Praxis exams.

I think we need to remove both because it's a systemically, just like all standardized testing, it is not reflective of your ability to do the job, and it holds back black, brown, and increasingly, white teachers.

You may not know the Praxis in your home, but if you talk to anyone who's trying to be a teacher and has left the profession, or has decided to find another career change, they well aware of the barrier that the Praxis is, and it would immediately open up- I would've been able to fire five teachers immediately, and I wasn't able to hire any of them because of the Praxis.

- Well, where did the whole idea for this test come from?

- It's part of the Department of Education's requirements to become a certified teacher in the state of New Jersey.

- To what degree-?

You know, it's interesting, when it comes to maternal health, you and I were in a meeting recently together talking about urban, particularly Newark healthcare issues, and the issue of maternal health came up.

And the first lady, Tammy Murphy, has been very involved in this issue.

I'm gonna connect it back to childcare, early childhood.

She's been outspoken, she's been a leader when it comes to maternal health.

To what degree do you believe the Murphy administration is committed to and understands the issues you're talking about right now?

Not just the Praxis Test, but early childhood, quality, accessible, affordable childcare?

Please, Peter.

- Again, I think it's an A for effort.

I think it's a B- to probably a C+ in terms of coordination and execution.

We have the New Jersey Economic Development Authority who issued an RFP for capital grants.

We're still waiting for those dollars.

A lot of us didn't apply because there was a lot of confusion on the rollout.

We're still waiting on the answer for what's gonna happen to enrollment versus attendance.

And, you know, I think the time has come to really develop and call for public hearings on reimagining early childhood, the pathway for mothers and for children from prenatal to five.

I can't, it sounds hyperbolic, but I can't be more candid about it.

- But, Peter, hold on.

State Senator Teresa Ruiz, who comes, actually, who's a leader in the senate, leader in the legislature, a leader when it comes to early childhood education and childcare, who also is from the community that you serve.

She's been a leader in this regard, and has a package of legislation to do a lot of this, no?

- Absolutely.

Senator Ruiz is one of the biggest champions in this fight.

But I think even she would say that she's trying to piecemeal and carve out different wins, and she's probably had more victories than anyone else.

But, again, when the system is fundamentally broken, carve-outs is not enough.

And I think we really have to look at, I'll give you a perfect example.

We have these CCVC, Community Care Voucher Center slots.

There's only 3,000 in the state.

Essex County has 800 of them.

These are the slots that get people back to work.

They don't fall under the traditional definition of a subsidy, but that's 3,000.

Think about how underemployed we are in this state.

That should minimally be 15 to 25,000 slots to get people back to work.

And it's not an expense, it is getting people back to work, and it makes the economy move again.

And we need to get people back to work and moving.

- Peter Rosario, President, CEO, La Casa de Don Pedro.

Peter, thank you, my friend.

Appreciate it.

We'll continue this discussion.

- Thank you so much.

- Stay with us, we'll be right back.

- [Narrator] State of Affairs with Steve Adubato Is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by RWJBarnabas Health.

Let'’s be healthy together.

The Turrell Fund, supporting Reimagine Childcare.

Valley Bank.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Delta Dental of New Jersey.

Choose New Jersey.

NJ Best, The North Ward Center.

And by PSE&G.

Promotional support provided by Meadowlands Chamber.

And by NJBIZ.

- At the Turrell Fund, We know childcare creates transformative early learning experiences for young children, and helps families succeed.

Childcare is essential for the economy, driving financial growth and sustainability across all sectors.

The Turrell Fund envisions a New Jersey in which every infant and toddler has access to high quality, affordable childcare In order to grow, develop and thrive.

Our children are our future.

For more information, visit TurrellFund.org.