Public Policy Practicums – Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy

A teacher helps her diverse group of students build a structure with plastic pieces.

Assessing Child Care Systems in New Jersey

Jessica Dufort, Jennifer Elliott, Eashwayne Haughton, Kevin Keys, Amanda Parker Read Report Equitable access to high quality, safe, and affordable child care is a necessity for healthy children and families. A family who secures quality dependable child care is able to simultaneously meet the needs of their children and be a productive member of the […]

Multi-ethnic group of preschool students in class

Understanding the Early Child Care Landscape in New Jersey

Alexa A. Kurtz, Bailey D. Lawrence, Jessica L. Roman, Patrick J. Walsh Read Report New Jersey Community Capital (NJCC) is a nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) based in New Brunswick, New Jersey. NJCC supports communities of various sizes and demographic compositions across the state. The CDFI adopts a multi-faceted approach to neighborhood revitalization and […]

Bridging the Gap: Observations and Recommendations for Supporting New Jersey Micro-Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

Erin Clifford, Soraya Hebron, Munsif Husami, Sabrina Riddick, Aritra Samanta Read Report To inform NJEDA’ s role in strengthening the ecosystem in New Jersey for micro- businesses, especially those that are minority- and woman- owned, the Rutgers Master of Public Policy student research team aimed to answer the following research questions: Who is actively servicing […]

Projected Employment Changes for the Top 10 Degree Programs Across All Degrees and Certificates.

Skills Mismatch and Opportunity Gaps: An Analysis of Skills Development and Equity in the New Jersey Labor Market

Ali Naim Butt, Brandon Espana, Hassan Khurshid, Jonathan Teters, Yingchen Zhang View Report The current period of economic instability resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the New Jersey economy and labor market, with negative impacts felt more harshly by women and minority groups. With millions forced from their primary field of employment, workers may […]

Workforce Development Supports for Individuals with Disabilities in the State of New Jersey: An Overview of Best Practices

Jordan Gallagher, Chioma Nwankwo, Drew McClendon, James Kelly, Hyojeong Kim & Mathilde Roux View Report View Presentation In January 2020 Governor Murphy announced his Jobs NJ plan as part of the administration’s strategy to foster a stronger and fairer economy for all New Jerseyans. Part of this plan includes a particular focus on populations that […]

Healthy Homes Initiative

Matthew Camarda, Laraib Kamal, Kurt Lituma, Preethy Thangaraj, Yifan Ye View Report View Presentation The connection between housing and health is multifaceted and well-documented. As millions are forced indoors during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the quality of housing likely has an even greater impact on one’s health than in the past. This report explores the […]

They Give You A Voice: Program Evaluation of the Garden State Leaders Program

Rebecca Glinn, Ryan Jeter, Monica Moir, Justin Ray, Breana Stevens View Report View Presentation In 2015, the New Jersey Coalition to End Homelessness partnered with the Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey to create the Garden State Leaders Program. The Garden State Leaders Program (GSL) trains New Jersey residents with experiences of homelessness and poverty to […]

Protections and Benefits for Workers in Today’s On-Demand Economy

Caitlyn Leiter-Mason, Stephanie McAlary, Bhavin Patel, Kyle Sullender & Manning Qiao View Report View Presentation In this report, we identify options for state administrative and legislative actions that New Jersey can pursue to improve on-demand workers’ workplace protections and access to worker benefits. We prepared this report for the New Jersey Department of Labor and […]

Preparing New Jersey for the Next Economic Downturn

Preparing New Jersey for the Next Economic Downturn: Insights from the Great Recession Alex Barree, Vineeta Kapahi, Rafay Kazmi, Benjamin Levy, Jeehye Min, and Emilia Piziak View Report Nearly a decade after the Great Recession, New Jersey (NJ) continues to feel the effects of a slow recovery. The Great Recession created significant pressures on state […]

Closing the Gap: Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit

Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit to Younger, Childless Workers in New Jersey Genesis Arteta, Rory Daly, Alyssa Howes, Fope idowu, Whitney Rosenbaum, Cayla Sekuler View Report The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit designed to be an anti-poverty tool that encourages work and supplements the income of individuals throughout the […]