Providing High-Quality Child Care in Your Home

Create an account in the New Jersey Child Care Information System (NJCCIS). NJCCIS supports all business operations related to child care in New Jersey. You will need to create an account so that you can complete the application, register for required training and professional development, apply for grants and so much more. If you need help, you CCR&R is available to walk you through the registration process. 

Registered providers are required to have a substitute, someone who is 18 years or older. This will be a person who fills in for you if you are sick, have a meeting or take some vacation time.
 
All staff who have direct or unsupervised access to children will need to have an NJCCIS account and will need to meet all the same requirements as you do.

In order to care for children in your home, you must submit an application which can be found in NJCCIS. It costs $25 to apply. Character references and the results of a medical examination and tuberculin Mantoux test are also required, your CCR&R will make sure you know who needs to complete this.

This required two-hour orientation is provided by your local CCR&R and provides an overview of everything involved with becoming registered.  Experienced staff answer your questions and provide helpful tips to get you started.

Federal law requires that anyone involved in a child’s care or supervision, or who may have unsupervised access to children, to complete a comprehensive criminal background check. This includes anyone who lives in a registered family child care home.
 
Staff must complete these comprehensive criminal background checks BEFORE they begin employment or start to care for children in their home.
 
Background checks are free.

A Comprehensive Criminal Background Check includes:

• Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) Fingerprint check
• Child Abuse Record Information (CARI) Check including the State and National Sex Offender Register Check

You may lose your registered family child care status and be ineligible for child care assistance funding if you, or anyone mentioned above:

• Refuse to consent to the criminal background check;
• Knowingly makes a false statement;
• Are registered, or are required to be registered, on a state sex offender registry or repository or the National Sex Offender Registry;
• Have been convicted of a felony, including the following crimes: murder, child abuse or neglect, crimes against children including child pornography, spousal abuse, crime involving rape or sexual assault, kidnapping, arson, physical assault or battery, or drug-related offenses committed during the preceding 5 years; or
• Have been convicted of a violent misdemeanor committed as an adult against a child, including the following crimes: child abuse, child endangerment, sexual assault, or of a misdemeanor involving child pornography.

Additional background check requirements by other regulatory entities may be imposed, as required by law.

You, and anyone involved in a child’s care or supervision or who may have unsupervised access to children, must complete the following trainings before they start to care for children: 
 
Health, Safety, and Child Growth and Development/Mandated Reporting: Basic Requirements for Licensing
This training is available through NJCCIS and includes the following topics:

• building and physical premises safety
• transportation safety
• handling and storage of hazardous materials
• emergency preparedness
• prevention and control of infectious disease
• food and allergic reactions and how to respond
• administration of medication
• shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma
• safe sleep and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SUIDS) prevention 
• basic child development information
• child abuse and neglect
• discipline
• mandated reporting
• child maltreatment 

You, and anyone involved in a child’s care or supervision or who may have unsupervised access to children, must complete Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR training. This is offered through your CCR&R using a trainer/vendor who is certified by a recognized health organization. The Pediatric CPR training course is a hands-on skills practice training.

In addition, all registered family child care providers and their staff must complete at least six hours of in-service training each year. The in-service training must include a review of, and updates on, the health, safety, child development, social and emotional behavior intervention, and other subjects covered in the orientation trainings.

Providers must have written procedures to address and handle the following situations. You will receive a packet and guidance from your CCR&R.

• Emergency Preparedness Plan

• Disposal of bio-contaminants

• Food and allergic reactions

• New Jersey Department of Health Immunization polices and allow for grace period (Families of children in foster care and homeless children are permitted a 30-day grace period to take any necessary action to comply with immunization requirements. These children are provided CCDF-funded child care services during the grace period).

The CCR&R shall conduct an inspection (monitoring) prior to the issuance of your Certificate of Registration. This means they will inspect your home to ensure you comply with local, state and federal requirements for health, fire and building codes as well as meeting all areas from the Manual of Requirements for Family Child Care Registration and DHS/DFD child care assistance program requirements. CCR&Rs will conduct announced and unannounced inspections of family child care homes to ensure continued compliance.