Sherrill Signs Law Easing Multiples' Preschool Placement
New Jersey parents of twins and other multiples gain more say over whether children are placed in the same or separate public preschool classrooms.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Child Care
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Governor Mikie Sherrill signed legislation allowing parents or guardians of twins and higher-order multiples to request joint or separate placement in public preschool classrooms. The law also lets parents ask that multiple-birth children be treated as a single unit in preschool lottery systems or open enrollment.
Why it matters
The change extends a 2008 New Jersey law giving parents of multiples placement rights in grades kindergarten through eighth to public preschool programs, creating a statewide standard. It was prompted in part by a Brick Township mother whose identical twin was admitted to preschool through a lottery while her sister was not.
The legislation, designated A5218/S4349 and sponsored by Assemblyman Greg McGuckin and Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, expands a 2008 statute covering parents of multiples in kindergarten through eighth grade. The source does not report how many families will use the new options or how districts will handle lottery conflicts.
The players
Mikie Sherrill
Governor of New Jersey, who signed the legislation into law.
Greg McGuckin
Republican Assemblyman from Ocean County who co-sponsored the bill.
Dawn Fantasia
Republican Assemblywoman representing Sussex, Morris, and Warren counties who co-sponsored the bill.
The details
The law applies to public preschool programs run by school districts, Head Start programs, and licensed child care providers. Parents or guardians may request joint or separate classroom placement, and may ask that multiple-birth children be treated as one unit during lottery or open enrollment.
Timeline
2008: Original New Jersey law giving parents of multiples placement rights is enacted.
November 13, 2026: Governor Mikie Sherrill signs the legislation.
2027-28 school year: New preschool placement provisions take effect.
Policy Lineage
The new law builds directly on New Jersey's 2008 statute granting multiples' parents placement rights in kindergarten through eighth grade, extending those protections to preschool programs and licensed child care providers. It closes a gap that left the earliest years of schooling without the same placement options.
Parents of twins or other multiples with children entering public preschool in New Jersey should plan for the 2027-28 school year, when the new placement and lottery options take effect. Families can request joint or separate classrooms, and can ask that multiple-birth children be treated as one unit in lottery systems.
The takeaway
Parents of multiples in New Jersey gain a clearer voice in preschool placement, so it is worth asking the district or provider early about joint or separate classroom requests before the 2027-28 school year.
Further reading
Explore more child care news for New Jersey families and providers.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WRNJ Radio.
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Should parents of twins get to decide whether their children share a preschool class?
