Child Care Providers

Information for Child Care Providers

$1,000 Hiring and Retention Bonus Grant

Hiring and Retention Bonus Grants are available to help recruit new staff into the child care workforce and to reward and retain current staff. Funded with the Child Care Revitalization Fund signed into law by Governor Murphy and the federal American Rescue Plan Act Grant, these grants will be issued from the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Family Development (DFD). If you are a child care center provider, your program may be eligible for these grants if you are:

· open and operating a licensed child care center;

· in compliance with federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) health and safety requirements (criminal background check and health and safety trainings);

· in good standing with New Jersey’s Licensing, Manual of Requirements; and

· open and operating at time of application.

Child care center staff are eligible for a $1,000 bonus, if they:

· make $50,000 or less a year;

· were newly hired or are a current employee;

· are responsible for directly working with children (care, supervision or instructing); and

· are registered in the Workforce Registry through NJCCIS (New Jersey Child Care Information System).

Family child care providers may be eligible, if you are:

· a registered Family Child Care Provider;

· in compliance with federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) health and safety requirements (criminal background check and health and safety trainings);

· in good standing with New Jersey’s Registration, Manual of Requirements;

· make $50,000 or less a year;

· open and operating at time of application; and

· have children enrolled.

___________________________________There are several things you can do to prepare for these grants, by updating your information in the NJCCIS (New Jersey Child Care Information System). Make sure:

· you are associated with your employer under the “Work Experience” panel (You will not be able to update your profile until your employment is confirmed);

· your latest employment start date is listed;

· your salary is current; and

· your title is correct.

How-To Videos and Documents

FAQ from the webinars will be posted as soon as possible.

Child Care Center Staff Grant Overview VideoUpdating your profile in NJCCIS How-to Video | PDF Instructions Licensed Child Care ProvidersGrant Overview VideoApplication Demo VideoUpdating your profile in NJCCIS How-to Video | PDF Instructions Family Child Care Providers – English Grant Overview VideoApplication Demo VideoUpdating your profile in NJCCIS How-to Video | PDF InstructionsFamily Child Care Providers – Spanish Grant Overview VideoApplication Demo VideoUpdating your profile in NJCCIS How-to Video | PDF InstructionsIf you need additional help, visit the NJCCIS Help page or contact customer service at 1-800-332-6512.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Click Here to View COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations for Operating Childcare Programs

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

_______________________________________________________________________________

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

$1,000 Hiring and Retention Bonus Grant

· open and operating a licensed child care center;

· in compliance with federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) health and safety requirements (criminal background check and health and safety trainings);

· in good standing with New Jersey’s Licensing, Manual of Requirements; and

· open and operating at time of application.

Child care center staff are eligible for a $1,000 bonus, if they:

· make $50,000 or less a year;

· were newly hired or are a current employee;

· are responsible for directly working with children (care, supervision or instructing); and

· are registered in the Workforce Registry through NJCCIS (New Jersey Child Care Information System).

Family child care providers may be eligible, if you are:

· a registered Family Child Care Provider;

· in compliance with federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) health and safety requirements (criminal background check and health and safety trainings);

· in good standing with New Jersey’s Registration, Manual of Requirements;

· make $50,000 or less a year;

· open and operating at time of application; and

· have children enrolled.

___________________________________There are several things you can do to prepare for these grants, by updating your information in the NJCCIS (New Jersey Child Care Information System). Make sure:

· you are associated with your employer under the “Work Experience” panel (You will not be able to update your profile until your employment is confirmed);

· your latest employment start date is listed;

· your salary is current; and

· your title is correct.

How-To Videos and Documents

FAQ from the webinars will be posted as soon as possible.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Click Here to View COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations for Operating Childcare Programs

FEMA Releases Independent Study Course

IS-36 Toolkit

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

Federal Emergency Management Agency

fema.gov

Federal Emergency Management Agency logo

_______________________________________________________________________________

Dear Center Director:

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

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, Sue Fenick at sfenick@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.

The American Recovery Plan (ARP) has made funds available to states to help stabilize and support the child care community. With the urgent need to maintain and attract qualified staff, some of these funds will be issued as a Hiring and Retention Bonus Grant from the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Family Development (DFD).

This grant is intended to help you recruit new staff into your workforce and to reward and retain staff already working for you.

To qualify, your program must:

be a licensed child center;
in good standing with New Jersey’s Licensing, Manual of Requirements;
meet federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) health and safety requirements (criminal background check and health and safety trainings); and
be open and operating at time of application.

Your staff may be eligible for these grants if they:

are currently working in a licensed child care center or are newly hired;
are responsible for directly working with children (care, supervision or instructing);
have an NJCCIS (New Jersey Child Care Information System) account;
are in compliance with federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) health and safety requirements (criminal background check and health and safety trainings); and
make less than $50,000 a year.

The grant application is available and you must apply for this on behalf of your staff.

DFD is hosting instructional webinars on the grant application. We’ll go over step-by-step how to fill out the application. The webinar will be recorded and a recording posted on www.ChildCareNJ.gov

Licensed Child Care Providers Webinar

Monday, November 8, 2021

6:15 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Register: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7858532179295176976

We’ll go over things you can do to prepare for these grants on the webinar, but if you would like to get a head start, here are the things you will need to do:

Things you can do to prepare for these grants:

First, check your program profile in NJCCIS to make sure your program profile information is correct and updated, such as program site address, email and demographics (gender, race and ethnicity.) The grant rules require collection of demographic information on the director/owner.

Second, make sure all eligible staff are associated with your program. If they aren’t then you need to:

Make sure your staff has an NJCCIS user account. If not, direct them to create one at www.njccis.com.
Once your staff has their NJCCIS user account, make sure they have associated with your program through the “Work Experience” section on their Professional Profile and that you approve the association request.

You should encourage your staff to check that their NJCCIS profile information is correct and up-to-date.

CLICK HERE FOR how-to documents with step-by-step instructions or you can visit www.njccis.com/njccis/help.

Keep an eye out for emails from no-reply@NJCCIS.com and continue to visit www.ChildCareNJ.gov for updates.

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 sfenick@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 609-386-5800 ext: 5132 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

Federal law changes require ALL providers to meet new health and safety standards.

All staff working in center based programs must complete training to meet the CCDBG reauthorization requirements for health and safety. The following trainings topics are required: First Aid and CPR, Health and Safety, Child Abuse and Neglect, and Child Development. For some of the training topics, participants have a choice on training modality. The total number of training hours for Center Based Programs is ten hours plus CPR and First Aid Training (click here for our current First Aid and CPR schedule). All home-based providers (FCC and Approved Home) must complete training to meet the CCDBG reauthorization requirements for Health and Safety. The total number of training hours for Home Based Programs is twelve hours plus CPR and First Aid Training. (click here for our training calendar, which contains our 10-hour Health & Safety training schedule)

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:

Kimberly Bowe, 609-386-5800, ext: 5137, kbowe@bccap.org

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 609-386-5800 ext: 5140 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 contact Susan Lass at (609) 386-5800 ext: 5148 or slass@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 609-386-5800 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/eccpwor by calling the provider helpline at 877-516-5776.
E-Child Care FAQ-FCC and Approved Home Providers(PDF): Read if you are a family care provider, an approved home (FFN), or a center serving five and fewer children receiving subsidies.
E-Child Care FAQ-Child Care Centers(PDF): Read if you are a child care center serving more than five children receiving subsidies.
IVR Provider Quick Reference Guide(PDF) Please refer to page two of the document if you are a family child care provider or a center with five or fewer children on a subsidy.
E-Child Care Questionnaire for Active Licensed Centers(PDF) Read if you are a center to determine if you qualify for a Point of Service (POS) device.
E-Child Care Questionnaire for Active FCC/FFN Providers(PDF) Read if you are a family child care provider, approved home (FFN), or a center with five or fewer children on a subsidy to determine if you should be using an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.
E-Child Care Provider Payment Schedule(PDF): Schedule of payment for providers being reimbursed for subsidized care through the State’s e-Child Care
E-Child Care Overpayment Recoupment Notice(PDF) Letter from the NJ Division of Family Development about possible recoupment of overpayment to providers during the period 10/25/11 through 1/18/12.
POS Device Quick Reference Guide (English)For centers with six or more children on subsidy. Please post to assist English-speaking parents with the check-in/check-out procedure.
POS Device Quick Reference Guide (Portuguese)For centers with six or more children on subsidy. Please post to assist Portuguese-speaking parents with the check-in/check-out process.
POS Device Quick Reference Guide (Spanish)For centers with six or more chidren on subsidy. Please post to assist Spanish-speaking parents with the check-in/check-out process.
E-Child Care Use Mandate Letter for ProvidersThis is the official letter from the State notifiying providers they must track all subsidized attendance using the new ECC system effective July 1, 2012.
E-Child Care Provider Payment Discrepancy Form and Attendance Log. This form can be completed to report a payment discrepancy before BCAP can generate an ECC manual attendance log. We have gone green! Please email completed logs to our ECC Department at bccapecclogs@bccap.org For questions or assistance feel free to contact us by email.

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.

Please contact Vivyan Saloka for more information at: vsaloka@bccap.org

Suspension and Expulsion

Please click on the following links for more information:

“Suspension and Expulsion – Best Practice”

“Policy on Prevention of Suspension and Expulsion

Closure Dates

Child Care Providers that participate in the subsidy program are eligible for 22 closure dates per fiscal year. It is the provider’s responsibility to request closure dates within the 13 day back swipe period as they are not entered automatically. Please contact Chris Morrison at chmorrison@bccap.org for further guidance with this process.

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) 386-5800 Ext 5132 or email Sue Fenick at sfenick@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!!