New Jersey child care, camp and ratio rules

Child care licensing

Any home or facility that cares for six or more children under 13 for less than 24 hours a day needs a DCF child care center license. That includes school-age child care programs and recreation-type centers run by county or municipal recreation or park departments. Family child care homes (five or fewer children) are not licensed; they may register voluntarily.

After-school and recreation programs: Exempt from licensing: programs run by a local public school board; programs that are an integral part of a private K-6 school; single-activity programs such as sports, art, music or dance (limited to 2 hours a day for children under 6); qualifying homework/tutoring programs; and youth camps holding a Department of Health youth camp license. Drop-in programs of 2 hours or less with the parent in the building, and 'open door' programs where children come and go on their own, are not centers. Sources: N.J.A.C. 3A:52-1.2 and 1.3.

Licensing agency: New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF), Office of Licensing

Sources: N.J.A.C. 3A:52 Manual of Requirements for Child Care Centers (effective Dec. 20, 2023); DCF Office of Licensing; DCF licensing laws and regulations

Staff-to-child ratios in licensed centers

Rule: N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.3(c) (ratios); N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.4 (group sizes). The rule's age bands are 2 1/2 up to 4 years (1:10), 4 years (1:12), and 5 years and older (1:15). Group size is 20 in early childhood programs (children under 6) and 30 in school-age child care programs, so a 5-year-old group in a school-age program can reach 30. In mixed-age rooms, staff are computed for each age group to the nearest tenth and any fraction over a whole number needs another staff member. School-age programs need at least two staff (one 18 or older) when six or more children are present, and only staff 16 or older count toward ratio.

Work out your staffing with the ratio calculator

Summer camps

Private day camps and resident (overnight) camps need an annual youth camp certificate of approval from the Department of Health under the Youth Camp Safety Act (N.J.S.A. 26:12-1 et seq.) and N.J.A.C. 8:25. A youth camp serves five or more children under 18 for two or more days in the same week; a day program with only a minimal recreational part and no high-risk activity is not a camp. Municipally run camps are not required to be licensed, and a licensed youth camp does not also need a DCF child care license.

Camp agency: New Jersey Department of Health, Youth Camp Safety program

Sources: NJ DOH Youth Camps; N.J.A.C. 8:25 Youth Camp Safety Standards (current through March 18, 2026); NJ DOH Youth Camp FAQ

Background checks

Licensed centers: the sponsor and every staff member working on a regular schedule must consent to a Child Abuse Record Information (CARI) check, resubmitted with each license renewal, and the sponsor and staff 18 and older must complete a fingerprint-based criminal history (CHRI) check through the State Police and FBI. New staff must start both within two weeks of hire and cannot be left alone with children until results arrive (N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.10, 4.11). Youth camps have their own rule (N.J.A.C. 8:25-3.2): adult staff with unsupervised access need a 50-state name-based criminal check (resident camps also need an FBI fingerprint check), all staff need an annual sex offender registry check, and full checks repeat every five years, with the first deadline June 15, 2026.

Sources: N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.10 and 4.11 (center manual); N.J.A.C. 8:25-3.2 (youth camp rule); NJ DOH Youth Camp FAQ (background checks)

Giving medication

Centers must tell parents their medication policy at enrollment and give medicine only with the parent's written approval, by designated trained staff. Medicine stays in its original container (prescriptions labeled for the child) in a locked or inaccessible place, each dose is logged, over-the-counter medicine is limited to listed types given per the label unless a health care provider authorizes otherwise in writing, and school-age children may self-administer with written parent authorization under staff supervision (N.J.A.C. 3A:52-7.5).

Free medication administration log

Sources: N.J.A.C. 3A:52-7.5 (center manual)

Reporting child abuse

Every person who has reasonable cause to believe a child has been abused or neglected must report it immediately to the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.10). Reports can be anonymous; call 911 as well if a child is in immediate danger.

New Jersey child abuse hotline: 1-877-652-2873 (1-877-NJ ABUSE), 24/7 (how to report). In an emergency, call 911.

Sources: NJ DCF Hotlines and Helplines; NJ DCF educational materials (how to report); Child Welfare Information Gateway: Mandatory Reporting (May 2023)