New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 3A - CHILDREN AND FAMILIES › Chapter 54 - MANUAL OF REQUIREMENTS FOR FAMILY CHILD CARE REGISTRATION › Subchapter 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS › Section 3A:54-1.2 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall
				  have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Alternate provider" means a person who shares child care
				  responsibilities with a registered provider at the provider's residence and meets
				  all applicable requirements, as specified in N.J.A.C. 3A:54-5 and 6.
"Approved caregiver" means a person at least 18 years of age who
				  has met all applicable requirements for a substitute provider or an alternate
				  provider, as specified in N.J.A.C. 3A:54-5 and 6.
"Certificate of Registration" means a document issued by a
				  sponsoring organization to a family child care provider, acknowledging that the
				  provider is in compliance with all applicable provisions of this chapter.
"Chapter" means the rules contained in the Manual of Requirements
				  for Family Child Care Registration, as specified in N.J.A.C. 3A:54, which reflect
				  provisions that constitute minimum baseline requirements below which no family child
				  care sponsoring organization or registered family child care provider that is
				  subject to the authority of
				  30:5B-16 et seq. is legally permitted
				  to operate.
"Child" means any person under 13 years of age.
"Denial of a Certificate of Registration" means a refusal by the
				  sponsoring organization to issue an initial Certificate of Registration.
"Department" means the New Jersey Department of Children and
				  Families.
"Developmentally appropriate" means an approach to caregiving that
				  considers the cognitive, physical, and emotional needs of a child, in addition to
				  the child's age.
"Distance learning" means education that takes place via
				  electronic or digital media linking instructors and students who are not together in
				  a classroom.
"Division" means the Division of Child Protection and Permanency,
				  in the New Jersey Department of Children and Families.
"Evaluate" or "evaluation" means the review of a family child care
				  provider by a sponsoring organization upon receipt of an application for a
				  Certificate of Registration to determine the applicant's compliance with the
				  requirements of this chapter.
"Family child care home" means the private residence of the family
				  child care provider in which child care services are provided to no fewer than three
				  and no more than five children at any one time for no fewer than 15 hours per week,
				  except that the Department shall not exclude a family child care home with fewer
				  than three children from voluntary registration.
"Family child care provider applicant" or "provider applicant" or
				  "applicant" means a person at least 18 years of age who has applied for a
				  Certificate of Registration.
"Family child care provider" or "registered family child care
				  provider" or "provider" means a person who has received an initial, renewal or
				  temporary Certificate of Registration issued by a sponsoring organization.
"Family child care sponsoring organization" or "sponsoring
				  organization" means an agency or organization that contracts with the Department of
				  Human Services to assist in the voluntary registration of family child care
				  providers and that complies with all applicable requirements of the Manual of
				  Requirements for Family Child Care Registration.
"Health care provider" means a physician, nurse practitioner,
				  physician's assistant or other health care professional who is licensed or otherwise
				  authorized by the state in which he or she practices to perform the applicable
				  health care services specified in this manual.
"Household member" means an individual at least 14 years of age
				  who resides in the home of a registered family child care provider or applicant for
				  registration.
"Lockdown" means occupants of the home are directed to remain
				  confined to a room or area with specific procedures to follow regarding locking of
				  doors, closing of windows, and shades, seeking cover, etc. This procedure is
				  implemented when a criminal element is believed to be on the premises and officials
				  expect that these measures will minimize the risk of exposure of the occupants to
				  the criminal element.
"Manual of Requirements for Family Child Care Registration" or
				  "Manual of Requirements" means the requirements contained in this chapter (N.J.A.C.
				  3A:54).
"Monitor" or "monitoring inspection" means to inspect a registered
				  family child care provider to review the provider's compliance with the applicable
				  requirements of the Manual of Requirements.
"Night time care" means child care provided in the evening or
				  overnight between the hours of 8:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M.
"Office of Licensing" or "Office" means the Office of Licensing in
				  the Department of Children and Families.
"Parent" means a natural, foster or adoptive parent, guardian, or
				  any person with responsibility for, or custody of, a child.
"Provider assistant" means a person at least 14 years of age who
				  has been designated by the provider and approved by the sponsoring organization to
				  assist the provider in caring for children in the home.
"Refusal to renew a Certificate of Registration" or "nonrenewal"
				  means the nonissuance of a Certificate of Registration by the sponsoring
				  organization after the expiration of the existing Certificate of
				  Registration.
"Registration fee" means payment to a sponsoring organization by a
				  provider or applicant upon issuance of a temporary or regular Certificate of
				  Registration.
"Renewal of a Certificate of Registration" means the issuance of a
				  Certificate of Registration by the sponsoring organization after the expiration of
				  the existing Certificate of Registration.
"Revocation of a Certificate of Registration" means a permanent
				  removal of a provider's current Certificate of Registration for failure to comply
				  with the applicable requirements of the Manual of Requirements.
"Reside" means to be in a residence, to dwell permanently or
				  continuously, and to occupy a place as one's legal domicile.
"Should" denotes a recommendation reflecting goals toward which a
				  sponsoring organization or a family child care provider is encouraged to
				  work.
"Shelter-in-place" means occupants in the building seek shelter in
				  the home from an external threat, such as a weather-related situation or chemical
				  spill.
"Staff member" means a person employed by or working for a
				  sponsoring organization on a regularly scheduled basis. This includes full-time,
				  part-time, and voluntary staff, whether paid or unpaid.
"Substitute provider" means a person at least 18 years of age
				  designated by the provider and approved by the sponsoring organization who is
				  readily available to provide child care on a temporary basis in the provider's home
				  when the provider cannot be present. When the substitute provider cares for enrolled
				  children for more than five consecutive days, or more than five days per month, a
				  substitute provider shall meet the qualifications of an alternate provider.
"Supervision" means having awareness of and responsibility for the
				  ongoing activity of each child, knowledge of activity requirements, children's needs
				  and accountability for their care. Adequate supervision requires the provider,
				  substitute, provider assistant and/or alternate to be awake and having immediate
				  access to children as needed.
"Supervision" means having awareness of and responsibility for the
				  ongoing activity of each child, knowledge of activity requirements, children's
				  needs, and accountability for their care. Adequate supervision requires the
				  provider, substitute provider, provider assistant or alternate provider, if any, to
				  be awake and have immediate access to children as needed.
"Temporary Certificate of Registration" means a document issued by
				  the sponsoring organization to a provider which indicates that the provider is in
				  substantial compliance with the requirements of the Manual of Requirements, provided
				  that no imminent hazard affecting the children exists in the home.