Every child deserves equal access to early childhood education — including twins and higher-order multiples.

Our family experienced firsthand the inequity created when preschool lottery systems treat twins as completely separate applicants instead of as a functional same-age family unit. In our district’s public preschool lottery, one of our twins was admitted while the other was waitlisted, forcing our family into an impossible choice: separate preschool-aged twins or lose access to the program altogether.

As we looked deeper into the issue, we discovered this was not an isolated outcome — it was a predictable inequity built into the system itself.

Families with singleton children can either receive placement or not receive placement. Families with twins and multiples, however, face a unique outcome that other applicants never experience: forced split placement.

While singleton applicants in our district had approximately a 77.1% chance of placement, twins effectively had to “win” twice in order to access the same opportunity. This reduced the likelihood of full placement for twins to approximately 59.4%, creating a nearly 18% disparity in access. When a system produces predictable and consistent inequities for a specific group, access to that publicly funded educational opportunity cannot be considered equal.

Twins and multiples are not simply siblings who are close in age. They share the same developmental stage, school entry point, daily routines, and early childhood transitions simultaneously. Research has long recognized the unique bond and developmental considerations associated with twins and higher-order multiples, particularly during early childhood. Forced separation at the preschool level is not only developmentally inappropriate for many twins, but also creates significant logistical and financial burdens for families, including conflicting schedules, transportation challenges, childcare instability, and situations where split placement becomes practically unworkable altogether.

Linking twins in preschool lotteries ensures that children are either entered together, or waitlisted together. It does not guarantee placement or give preferential treatment. Currently, each district is allowed to make their own determination about how their lotteries are run and what classroom placement policies are, regardless of the inequities or developmental concerns that exist surrounding these systems.

Amendments to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-38, New Jersey’s existing twin education law, have now been formally submitted to the Legislature to extend protections to the preschool level and introduce clear protections for lottery-based admissions systems.

The amendments would:

• Require districts using preschool lotteries to treat twins and higher-order multiples as one unit during admissions.
• Ensure twins are either admitted or waitlisted together unless parents request otherwise.
• Extend existing twin placement protections to include preschool programs.

This issue extends far beyond one family or one district. Families of twins and multiples across New Jersey remain vulnerable to the same inequitable outcomes anywhere preschool seats are distributed through separate lottery entries.

We are asking for signatures to show New Jersey legislators that this issue matters to families across the state and that these amendments deserve immediate support.

Please sign and share today to help ensure that no family of multiples is forced into this position again.

FAQs

“Isn’t this just asking for guaranteed spots for twins?”

No. Twins and multiples would still go through the same lottery as everyone else. The amendment simply makes sure they are treated as one family unit during the process, so families don’t end up with one child admitted and one child left out. 

“Wouldn’t this take a seat away from another child?”

No additional seats are being requested. The total number of available spots stays exactly the same. The proposal only changes how twins are entered into the lottery so families of multiples are not disproportionately harmed by split outcomes.

“That’s just how lotteries work.”

Most people think of a lottery as everyone having an equal chance. The issue is that twins currently have to “win” twice to fully access the program, while singletons only need one number selected. That creates a predictable disadvantage for families with multiples.

“Why should twins be treated differently than siblings close in age?”

Twins and higher-order multiples are unique because they are the same age, apply for the exact same program at the exact same time, and are developmentally recognized as a same-age sibling unit. This situation does not apply in the same way to siblings who are different ages.

“If one twin gets in, why not just send that child?”

For many families, split placement is not realistically workable. It creates major childcare, transportation, scheduling, financial, and social-emotional challenges. In practice, it can make the preschool seat unusable for the family.

“So are you saying twins deserve special treatment?”

No. The goal is equal access, not preferential treatment. Right now, the structure of many preschool lotteries creates a barrier that only families with multiples experience. The amendment is meant to remove that inequity.

“Don’t parents already have rights under the NJ twin law?”

Current New Jersey law mainly addresses classroom placement after children are already enrolled in kindergarten. The proposed amendment expands protections to include preschool lottery systems and pre-K placements.

“Are other districts already doing this?”

Yes. Many districts in New Jersey and across the country already link twins and multiples in preschool lotteries because it prevents predictable split-placement outcomes for families.

“Why not just push for universal pre-K instead?”

Universal pre-K and equitable lottery systems are not mutually exclusive. Expanding access statewide is important, but families of twins and multiples still deserve fair treatment within the current system while those larger changes are being pursued.

“Why does this matter so much?”

Early childhood education is incredibly important developmentally. Families of multiples should not face a predictable barrier to accessing those opportunities simply because their children were born together.