Child Care Providers

 

Dear Center Director:

 The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 (CCDBG) requires states to conduct comprehensive criminal history background checks every five years for the state to qualify for funding. With the recent passage of The American Rescue Plan Act, there will be additional funds through the CCDBG available for child care as long as all licensed child care centers are compliant with the original Act.

As a result, all child care centers seeking to renew their license must ensure all center staff (at least 18 years of age who are or will be working at the center on a regularly scheduled basis), including but not limited to sponsors, sponsor representatives and volunteers, obtain a new Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) check even if a CHRI was previously completed. Re-fingerprinting is not needed at this time for staff with a CHRI clearance letter dated January 1, 2021 or after if the clearance letter is on file and available for review. Ensure documentation of cleared fingerprints are maintained on file and available for review upon request.

 Thank you for your cooperation in helping New Jersey meet federal requirements to maintain child care funding to the state and for keeping children safe, healthy and protected.

 NJ Department of Children and Families Office of Licensing 

FEMA Releases Independent Study Course

IS-36 Toolkit 

 The newly revised FEMA online independent study course, “Preparedness for Child Care Providers” (IS-36),  covers multiple hazards and risks that may affect child-care providers. These include fires, criminal activity and child abduction, severe weather, hazardous materials, illness outbreaks and geological events like earthquakes. The comprehensive course can support safety and planning not just at child-care centers and preschools, but also at before- and after-school programs, summer youth programs and at-home childcare facilities.

 

Preparedness for childcare providers also includes a variety of tools for students such as procedures for sheltering in place, emergency site closings, reunification with parents and guardians and more. Students will learn how to create an emergency plan tailored to their needs, including actions like how to identify staff responsibilities when an emergency happens. A companion toolkit includes helpful hazard checklists, sample forms like emergency contact sheets and checklists for emergency drills.

 

Students can complete this free, web-based course online in about two hours.

 

If you care for young kids, be sure to take a look at the course and share it with your colleagues. If you’re a parent of young kids, let their childcare center know about the course. You can find the course at FEMA – Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Course | IS-36.A: Preparedness for Child Care Providers.

Federal Emergency Management Agency

fema.gov

 

Federal Emergency Management Agency logo

Child Care Centers

Child care centers that care for six or more children must be licensed by the State of New Jersey. If you are interested in opening or expanding a child care center in Burlington County, please follow these basic steps:

  • Contact the Department of Children and Families Office of Licensing, toll-free at 1-877-667-9845 or download the Manual of Requirements for Child Care Centers which can be found at www.state.nj.us/dcf/providers/licensing/laws/CCCmanual.pdf. The manual explains in detail the regulations which govern the operation of child care center programs
  • Check with the local government zoning and planning board to learn about zoning and planning requirements in the town you wish to locate the center. You may also want to request a courtesy inspection from the Office of Licensing if you are looking at an existing facility. The inspector will be helpful in assessing the renovations necessary to meet licensing requirements.
  • Once licensed, please log in NJCCIS (New Jersey Child Care Information System) and fill out an application. This is the first step that helps notify Office of Licensing of your intentions of providing care for children. Also contact your CCR&R representative, Christine Robles at chrobles@bccap.org, so she can add you to our referral database, add you to our mailing and e-mail blast lists and assist you in becoming eligible to participate in the child care subsidy programs. During this process we strive to assist in areas of environment, curriculum, staff development and training. BCAP provides a wide variety of educational programs for individuals working in child care centers. Workshops and courses that enable child care center staff to obtain 8 hours of training are required by the Office of Licensing.

NJCCIS

NJCCIS has housed the NJ Workforce Registry for a couple of years, and now it houses GNJK enrollment, and licensing and the Infant Toddler Specialist Network Initiative. All participating providers receiving subsidy payments are required to complete all Center Information by logging into NJCCIS. This includes current hours of care, rates and possible transportation services. Keep in mind to send all changes to your CCR&R. All referrals are based on the information submitted into the database upon written request by the provider. Please submit any and all updates to Chris Morrison via chmorrison@bccap.org.
All registered Family Child Care providers are now responsible for filling out their initial and renewal applications in NJCCIS. Please find/update your information by logging in to your account and clicking on “My Providers” under the Provider tab. Contact Sue Fenick at 609-288-3629 or at sfenick@bccap.org with questions and issues.

Professional Development Opportunities

BCAP offers a variety of virtual and in-person professional development opportunities for all childcare providers. Trainings are delivered either by a trainer of the BCAP’s training team or a guest speaker from either a county and/or state organization. Training topics vary each month.  

Click here for our current training calendar  

Grow New Jersey Kids

Research shows that children who are in quality child care and early learning programs when they are young are better prepared for kindergarten with better reading skills, more math skills and larger vocabularies.  Grow NJ Kids (GNJK) is a state-sponsored initiative to raise the quality of child care and early learning throughout New Jersey.  Grow NJ Kids gives child care and early learning programs resources to assess and improve their programs, while providing parents with information that allows them to evaluate the quality of programs and make the best choices for their child.  For more information about the Grow NJ Kids program click here.

 

If you would like more information about participating in GNJK, please contact our staff:

Center Based Providers – Corinna Harris, 609-261-6834, X4724, coharris@bccap.org

Family Child Care Providers – Kimberly Bowe, 609-261-6834, X5137, kbowe@bccap.org

Infant Toddler Specialist Network

Infant Toddler Specialist Network

The Infant Toddler Specialist Network, a quality initiative funded by the NJ Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development, assists educators of very young children in providing the very best care for infants and toddlers. The Infant Toddler Specialist Network has two predominant goals:

· To improve the quality of infant/toddler early care across the state

· To increase the availability of quality early care programs for families with infants and toddlers

Burlington County has its own Infant Toddler Specialist that offers professional development, technical assistance, assessment, mentoring, and consultation to all early childhood programs serving infants and toddlers. The Infant Toddler Specialist offers professional development workshops specific to infant and toddler care and education. The specialist is also able to offer professional development to your program at your location, if needed. The specialist offers resources, materials, mentoring and modeling to enhance your program. Using the appropriate environmental scale (ITERS-3 or FCCERS-3), the Infant Toddler Specialist will assist you with assessing your program and see where improvements can be made. Enrolled providers are eligible to receive classroom materials as incentives for completing the program. Grow NJ Kids programs are not eligible for the incentives. Providers are encouraged to take advantage of any grants and scholarships that are available on NJCCIS.

Contact Kathryn Simone at 609-288-3634 or at kasimone@bccap.org for more information.

Family Engagement

The Family Engagement Specialist coordinates and facilitates Books, Balls and Blocks events to promote family engagement and education, and provides support to families, helping them thrive and therefore reducing the risk of child abuse and neglect. Families are supported and encouraged to attend parent cafes, focus groups and other activities, as well as fill out an ASQ-3 screening tool, to inform, educate and solicit feedback and input. Through these activities, caregivers can learn about and assess their child’s development. The Family Engagement Specialist works closely with early childhood systems and key partners and serves as a resource to the CCR&R regarding community events and activities. For more information please contact Adriana Costello, Family Engagement Specialist, 609-261-6834, ext 5148, ACostello@bccap.org

 

Family Child Care Registration

BCAP administers Family Child Care (FCC) Registration for residents of Burlington County. Our early childhood professionals perform home inspections and provide technical assistance at the provider’s home.  Registered Family Child Care providers can accept state subsidy payments, are included in BCAP’s referral database, and have access to 24 hours of training per year specific to family child care (state regulations require 20 hours over the three years of registration, in order to renew).

Interested individuals must complete the following:

  • Attend a 2-hour Orientation
  • Online Application
  • Fingerprinting
  • Provider Health Examination Form
  • Two References
  • Child Abuse Record Information (CARI) Form
  • Attend an 10-hour Pre-Service Training
  • Become CPR/First Aid Certified
  • Pay a $25.00 registration fee, at the time of home inspection (click here for the home inspection checklist)

Virtual Orientations are held the first Thursday of every month, 6:30-8:30 pm.

For more information about becoming a Family Child Care Provider please contact our Quality & Education Coordinator, Sue Fenick, at 609-261-6834 X5132 or at sfenick@bccap.org.

To view the State’s website on becoming a provider, follow this link:  http://www.childcarenj.gov/Providers/How-to-Become-a-Provider

E-Child Care (ECC)

Below is important information regarding E-Child Care for centers, family child care providers, and family friend and neighbor providers:

  • Providers can check their account anytime and access reference guides and manuals on the Provider Web Portal at: http://echildcarenj.org/eccpw or by calling the provider helpline at 877-516-5776.
  • Providers who need assistance with using ECC or are new to the program may contact our ECC specialists at 609-835-4329 Wanda Fisher ext: 5134 or Andrea Ferrare ext: 4028 or by email at bccapecclogs@bccap.org
  • Child Care Enrollment Study  On December 21, 2021, the Governor signed legislation (P.L.2021, c.324) requiring a study that compares the cost of basing assistance program payments on attendance to the cost of basing these payments on enrollment. The Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development (DHS/DFD) is collecting attendance data for this mandatory study using the Child Care Enrollment Study Form.  Please visit this page for important information about the Child Care Enrollment Study.  
  • Information about Temporary COVID-19 Family Differential Payments and Child Care Payments Based on Enrollment can be found here.
  • E-Child Care 2024 Provider Payment Schedule(PDF): Schedule of payment for providers being reimbursed for subsidized care through the State’s e-Child Care
  • E-Child Care Provider Payment Discrepancy Form and Attendance Log. This form can be completed to report a payment discrepancy.
  • ECC Card order form PDF  Use this form to replace a lost card, add up to two alternate cardholders or link your child care to your EBT card.
  • E-Child Care Use Mandate Letter for Providers This is the official letter from the State notifying providers they must track all subsidized attendance using the new ECC system effective July 1, 2012.

Child and Adult Care Food Program

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a USDA program which makes reimbursements to FCC providers for nutritious meals/snacks served to children in care.  The requirements include a Family Child Care provider Certificate of Registration, children in care, and trainings/monitorings for compliance.  Contact Maria Romero of The Children’s Home Society of NJ (Ocean County) at 732-557-9633 x170 or at mromero@chsofnj.org.

Director’s Meetings

Here in Burlington County, all child care center-based programs are encouraged to participate in our monthly Directors Meetings. This is a wonderful opportunity for child care professionals to learn new initiatives, receive program updates and also to dialogue and network with colleagues. Meeting notices are e-mailed with agendas.
Click here to view the latest notice.

Family Child Care Provider’s Professional Learning Community (PLC)

The Family Child Care Providers Professional Learning Community is focused with a mission of meeting regularly and sharing expertise to collaborate for the social, emotional, and academic growth of each child, through quality and purposeful educational experiences in and out of the Family Child Care home. Our goal is to enhance our effectiveness as professionals and develop a powerful approach and strategy for change and improvement.

Join us for our monthly meetings! Click Here for more information.

Please contact Michelle Burress for more information at: familychildcarePLC@gmail.com

Suspension and Expulsion

Child Care Enrollment Study replaces Closure Dates

On December 21, 2021, the Governor signed legislation (P.L.2021, c.324) requiring a study that compares the cost of basing assistance program payments on attendance to the cost of basing these payments on enrollment. The Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development (DHS/DFD) is collecting attendance data for this mandatory study using the Child Care Enrollment Study Form. Providers will access the Enrollment Study Form through their existing Electronic Child Care (ECC) Provider Web Portal record. Providers will be responsible for recording the absences of the children participating in the New Jersey child care assistance program.

How-To Documents and Resources 

Frequently Asked Questions

Step-by-Step Instructions
User Guide (en español)
Tutorial Video  (en español)

Virtual Technical Assistance Office Hours
Afternoon and evening sessions are available, click on the time to join the session.

Tuesday 5/10
12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.  (español disponible)

Thursday 5/12
12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. (español disponible)
6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. 

E-blasts

BCAP communicates regularly with the providers in our community by e-mail to ensure that important information about new initiatives, health and safety and professional development opportunities is shared in a timely manner. In order to receive the latest updates, please make sure that we have your most recent and reliable e-mail address. Update your information by calling (609) 835-4329 Ext 5144 or email Chris Robles at chrobles@bccap.org.

NJ Parent Link

The homepage for NJ Parent Link provides information for the parents of NJ. NJ Parent Link is a portal for Federal, State, and Community resources.
Click here to visit the website.

Virtua Mobile Services Program

Thanks to the Virtua Mobile Services Program, at least 40 children have received Dental Screening while under care at their Child Care Center!   This is a fantastic program that provides health screenings to children between 6 weeks to 5 years.   While visiting the child friendly office on wheels, the children are provided a basic dental screening and a goody bag of dental essentials.   We are very excited to partner with Virtua in order to offer general health support for the children in our community.   We look forward to the upcoming Developmental Screening and Mobil Flu Clinics.   Hope to see you there!!

Contact Chris Morrison at  609-835-4329 ext 5144 or chmorrison@bccap.org to arrange a visit for one of the following services:

  • Dental Screening
  • Developmental Screening
  • Flu Clinic
  • Lead Screening
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