CHAPTER 54 MANUAL OF REQUIREMENTS FOR FAMILY …

1 CHAPTER 54 MANUAL OF REQUIREMENTS FOR FAMILY CHILD CARE REGISTRATION STATE OF NEW jersey DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EFFECTIVE - March 20, 2017 EXPIRES - February 21, 2024 DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OFFICE OF LICENSING PO BOX 717 TRENTON, NEW jersey 08625-0717 Toll - Free Telephone 1-877-667-9845 i 3A:54 MANUAL OF REQUIREMENTS FOR FAMILY CHILD CARE REGISTRATION SUBCHAPTER 1. GENERAL 1 3 Legal authority .. 1 3 Definitions .. 2 3 Approval REQUIREMENTS for sponsoring organizations .. 4 3 Public access to records .. 6 SUBCHAPTER 2. ADMINISTRATION OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS .. 8 3 Sponsoring organization eligibility .. 8 3 Administrative responsibility .. 8 3 Reporting REQUIREMENTS .. 9 3 Sponsoring organization records .. 10 3 Complaints against a sponsoring organization .. 12 SUBCHAPTER 3. STAFF REQUIREMENTS FOR SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS.

2 13 3 General staff REQUIREMENTS .. 13 3 Types and responsibilities of staff .. 14 3 Staff qualifications .. 15 3 Staff training .. 15 SUBCHAPTER 4. SERVICE REQUIREMENTS FOR SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS .. 16 3 Evaluation of FAMILY child care provider applicants .. 16 3 Training of FAMILY child care 17 3 Issuance of a Certificate of Registration .. 19 3 Issuance of a temporary Certificate of Registration .. 19 3 Collection of registration fees .. 19 3 Complaints against a provider .. 20 3 Monitoring of FAMILY child care providers .. 20 3 Technical assistance .. 20 3 Information to parents .. 21 3 Referral procedures .. 22 3 Outreach and public relations .. 23 SUBCHAPTER 5. PROVIDER REGISTRATION AND OPERATION PROCEDURES .. 24 3 Provider eligibility .. 24 ii 3 Application for registration .. 24 3 Child Abuse Record Information background check procedures.

3 26 3 Issuance of a Certificate of Registration .. 28 3 Issuance of a temporary Certificate of Registration .. 29 3 Registration fees .. 29 3 Renewal of a Certificate of Registration .. 29 3 Denials, suspensions, revocations, nonrenewals, and provider appeal procedures .. 30 3 Special REQUIREMENTS to prevent child abuse and neglect .. 32 3 Provider reporting REQUIREMENTS .. 33 3 Provider record REQUIREMENTS .. 33 SUBCHAPTER 6. SAFETY, HEALTH, AND PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR PROVIDERS .. 35 3 Maximum number of children .. 35 3 Ages of children .. 35 3 Building and equipment .. 36 3 Emergency preparedness .. 37 3 General safety .. 39 3 Outdoor space .. 40 3 Transportation and trips .. 41 3 Health examinations for children .. 42 3 Sick children .. 43 3 Injury to a child while in the provider's care .. 44 3 Environmental sanitation and personal hygiene .. 45 3 Activities for 46 3 Rest and sleep.

4 47 3 Food and nutrition .. 47 3 Bottle and cup 48 3 Toilet training and diaper changing .. 48 3 School age children .. 49 3 Children with special needs .. 49 3 Supervision .. 50 3 Guidance and discipline .. 52 3 Communicating with parents .. 52 3 Night time child care .. 53 1 SUBCHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS 3 Legal authority (a) This CHAPTER is promulgated pursuant to the FAMILY Day Care Provider Registration Act of 1987, 30:5B-16 et seq. ( 1987, CHAPTER 27), which became effective April 27, 1987. (b) Under 30:5B-16 et seq., the Department of Children and Families has the author-ity to: 1. Adopt regulations for the: i. Operation and maintenance of FAMILY child care sponsoring organizations; and ii. Voluntary registration of FAMILY child care providers; and 2. Contract with certain agencies or organizations to serve as sponsoring organizations for the voluntary registration of FAMILY child care providers.

5 (c) Responsibility for ensuring that a sponsoring organization complies with all applicable provisions of 30:5B-16 et seq., and of this CHAPTER is delegated by the Department to the Office of Licensing, which shall: 1. Inspect and monitor the sponsoring organization to determine compliance with appli-cable provisions of this CHAPTER ; 2. Conduct random inspections of FAMILY child care homes to ensure compliance with ap-plicable provisions of this CHAPTER ; and 3. Provide technical assistance to the sponsoring organization. (d) A sponsoring organization is authorized to: 1. Register FAMILY child care provider applicants within a specific geographic area. A ge-ographic area may include: i. A single county; or ii. A group of several counties; 2. Issue new and renewal Certificates of Registration to FAMILY child care providers; 3. Provide administrative services, including but not limited to technical assistance, train-ing and consultation to providers; 4.

6 Evaluate and monitor providers at least once every two years; 5. Annually monitor no less than 20 percent of providers specified in (d)4 above on a random basis in addition to their evaluation and monitoring every two years; 6. Collect a $ registration fee payable to the sponsoring organization each time a Certificate of Registration is initially granted or renewed; 7. Maintain permanent records on each provider; 2 8. Ensure that each provider complies with all applicable REQUIREMENTS of 3A:54, the MANUAL of REQUIREMENTS for FAMILY Child Care Registration; and 9. Provide a program of outreach and public relations to inform providers and potential providers of the provisions of this CHAPTER . 3 Definitions The following words and terms, when used in this CHAPTER , shall have the following mean-ings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Alternate provider" means a person who shares child care responsibilities with a registered provider at the provider's residence and meets all applicable REQUIREMENTS , as specified in 3A:54-5 and 6.

7 "Approved caregiver" means a person at least 18 years of age who has met all applicable re-quirements for a substitute provider or an alternate provider, as specified in 3A:54-5 and 6. "Certificate of Registration" means a document issued by a sponsoring organization to a fam-ily child care provider, acknowledging that the provider is in compliance with all applicable pro-visions of this CHAPTER . " CHAPTER " means the rules contained in the MANUAL of REQUIREMENTS for FAMILY Child Care Registration, as specified in 3A:54, which reflect provisions that constitute minimum baseline REQUIREMENTS below which no FAMILY child care sponsoring organization or registered FAMILY child care provider that is subject to the authority of 30:5B-16 et seq. is legally permitted to operate. "Child" means any person under 13 years of age. "Denial of a Certificate of Registration" means a refusal by the sponsoring organization to is-sue an initial Certificate of Registration.

8 "Department" means the New jersey Department of Children and Families. Developmentally appropriate means an approach to caregiving that considers the cognitive, physical, and emotional needs of a child in addition to the child s age. "Division" means the Division of Child Protection and Permanency, in the New jersey De-partment of Children and Families. Distance learning means education that takes place via electronic or digital media linking instructors and students who are not together in a classroom. "Evaluate" or "evaluation" means the review of a FAMILY child care provider by a sponsoring organization upon receipt of an application for a Certificate of Registration to determine the ap-plicant's compliance with the REQUIREMENTS of this CHAPTER . " FAMILY child care home" means the private residence of the FAMILY child care provider in which child care services are provided to no fewer than three and no more than five children at any one time for no fewer than 15 hours per week, except that the Department shall not exclude a FAMILY child care home with fewer than three children from voluntary registration.

9 3 " FAMILY child care provider applicant" or "provider applicant" or "applicant" means a person at least 18 years of age who has applied for a Certificate of Registration. " FAMILY child care provider" or "registered FAMILY child care provider" or "provider" means a person who has received an initial, renewal or temporary Certificate of Registration issued by a sponsoring organization. " FAMILY child care sponsoring organization" or "sponsoring organization" means an agency or organization that contracts with the Department of Human Services to assist in the voluntary registration of FAMILY child care providers and that complies with all applicable REQUIREMENTS of the MANUAL of REQUIREMENTS for FAMILY Child Care Registration. "Health care provider" means a physician, nurse practitioner, physician's assistant or other health care professional who is licensed or otherwise authorized by the state in which he or she practices to perform the applicable health care services specified in this MANUAL .

10 "Household member" means an individual at least 14 years of age who resides in the home of a registered FAMILY child care provider or applicant for registration. Lockdown means occupants of the home are directed to remain confined to a room or area with specific procedures to follow regarding locking of doors, closing of windows, and shades, seeking cover, etc. This procedure is implemented when a criminal element is believed to be on the premises and officials expect that these measures will minimize the risk of exposure of the occupants to the criminal element. " MANUAL of REQUIREMENTS for FAMILY Child Care Registration" or " MANUAL of REQUIREMENTS " means the REQUIREMENTS contained in this CHAPTER ( 3A:54). "Monitor" or "monitoring inspection" means to inspect a registered FAMILY child care provid-er to review the provider's compliance with the applicable REQUIREMENTS of the MANUAL of Re-quirements.