New Jersey Family Child Care Licensing: Training Requirements

This post is part of our series on New Jersey family child care licensing. For more on licensing in New Jersey, see the following posts:

New Jersey Family Child Care Licensing: An Overview
Types of Licenses
The Licensing Process
Eligibility
Home Requirements

To become a licensed family child care provider in New Jersey, you must meet certain training requirements.

Provider training requirements

Before new family child care (FCC) or family, friend, and neighbor (FNN) applicants can start their in-home child care program, each candidate is required to attend pre-service training provided free of charge by the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) Agency in your county or online provider.

All providers (FCC and FFN) 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 (approximately 6 hours).

• 18 hours of pre-service training : Your CCR&R (also called sponsoring organization) shall provide 18 hours of pre-service training for each provider or applicant and alternate provider prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Registration (your license).
• Pre-service training subjects : The sponsoring organization shall ensure that the pre-service training includes an overview and information regarding, but is not limited to, the following subjects:
• Child growth and development;
• Discipline;
• Safety, first aid, and emergency evacuation procedures;
• Health and sanitation;
• Nutrition, developmentally appropriate and age-appropriate feeding;
• Developmentally-appropriate program activities;
• Parent-provider communication;
• Recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect;
• Reducing the risk and recognizing potential signs and symptoms of Abusive Head Trauma and Shaken Baby Syndrome;
• Preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and using safe sleeping practices, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP);
• Administering medication to children;
• Prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions;
• Including children with special needs in the family child care home;
• Care plan implementation for children with special health care needs;
• Prevention and control of infectious diseases (including immunization);
• Building and physical premises safety, including identification of and protections from hazards that can cause bodily injury, such as electrical hazards, bodies of water, and vehicular traffic;
• Understanding New Jersey’s family child care registration rules;
• Understanding sponsoring organization operations, policies, and procedures;
• Emergency preparedness and response planning for emergencies resulting from a natural disaster or a man-made caused event in the family child care home;
• Appropriate precautions when transporting children;
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); and
• First aid.
• The pre-service training sessions for providers, applicants, and alternate providers shall include group or individual instruction provided by persons with expertise in areas listed above and may be supplemented by:
• Printed materials;
• Television broadcasts; or
• Audio-visual materials.
• Training location: the sponsoring organization shall arrange each pre-service and in-service training session in an appropriate location that is accessible to the providers.
• Details of training sessions : The sponsoring organization shall maintain on file documentation of all pre-service and in-service training, including for each training session:
• A description;
• A schedule; and
• Attendance lists.
• The sponsoring organization shall provide to each provider:
• Prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Registration, a copy of appropriate informational materials supplied by the Office of Licensing; and
• From time to time, any other available materials that may assist the provider in operating a family child care home.
• First aid and CPR training : The sponsoring organization shall inform providers about available sources of training in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• 8 hours of in-service training : The sponsoring organization shall also provide in-service training for providers on a semi-annual basis by means of a group or individual instruction and written material. In-service training shall include continued reinforcement of the subjects listed above. A total of at least 8 hours of in-service training shall be offered to providers each year.

How to access training

The FCC and FFN training can be obtained online or you can take the instructor-led training, for free, through your local CCR&R . Here is the breakdown of 18-hours of required pre-service training with relevant links, approximate hours it takes to complete each training and associated costs:

PLEASE NOTE: Only the health and safety training courses linked to below or the courses offered through your CCR&Rs will be counted towards your required training hours for Division of Family Development (DFD)’s Subsidy Assistance Program Health and Safety Requirements.

Orientation Training: 2-hour training available at your local CCR&R . Topics include Office of Licensing (OOL) policy review, Business Practices, and Program Management;

Title: New Jersey Child Care Subsidy Health and Safety Training
Hours: 6
Cost: free
Link: available online and in person at your local CCR&R.
Description: Click here for instructions on how to access the online training. Topics include Safe Spaces, Transportation Safety, Handling and Storage of Hazardous Materials, Emergency Preparedness, Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease, Food and Allergic Reactions and How to Respond, Safe Sleep and SUIDS Prevention, Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome, an overview of Administration of Medication.

Title: Identifying Child Abuse & Neglect – Mandated Reporting in Early Care & Education
Hours: 2
Cost: Free
Link: Available online and in person at your local CCR&R.
Description: Click here for instructions on how to access the online training. Topics include Child Abuse and Neglect, Discipline, Mandated Reporting, and Child Maltreatment.

There is a limit to the number of active users we can have in the online training system at one time. Please do not register until you are ready to complete the training. Once you register you will have 1 week to complete the training, after which your account will be deactivated and you will be unable to access the module. Please make sure to complete the training within the 1-week window, or sooner if possible so that others can access the module.

Title : First Aid and CPR Training
Hours: Varies (approximately 6 hours)
Cost: Varies
Link: Available at local CCR&R or through an authorized training vendor.
Description: Topics include First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). FCC providers must be certified through one of the following recognized health organizations: American Heart Association; American Red Cross; National Safety Council or the Medic Pediatric Course or through your local CCR&R.

Sources:

• The New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development (DHS/DFD) Provider’s Training
• Chapter 54 Manual of Requirements for Family Child Care Registration