FAQ

A. Child Care Center:  Licensed Child Care Center/ School-Age Child Care (SACC)
This facility is approved by the State Office of Licensing (OOL) for the care, development and supervision of six or more children under 13 years of age who are in care for less than 24 hours a day. Centers that are accredited by a national association are programs that have been recognized as high-quality programs. Centers participating in Grow NJ Kids, New Jersey’s Quality Rating and Improvement System, are programs participating in quality activities to continuously improve their program in an effort to meet quality standards beyond basic licensing requirements.  New Jersey’s quality rating system recognizes centers with a three- to five-star rating.  For more information about Grow NJ Kids, click here.

B. Registered Family Child Care Provider
This is a provider who cares for no more than five children at any one time in his or her home and has received an initial, renewal, or temporary Certification of Registration demonstrated to the satisfaction of the sponsoring organizations (Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies) and Office of Licensing.   Family child care providers who are participating in Grow NJ Kids, New Jersey’s Quality Rating and Improvement System, are self-employed child care providers participating in quality activities to continuously improve their program to meet quality standards beyond licensing standards.  New Jersey’s quality rating system recognizes providers with a three- to five-star rating.  For more information about Grow NJ Kids, click here.

C. Summer Youth Camps
Summer youth camps are licensed under the Youth Camp Safety Act of New Jersey, possess a certificate issued by the New Jersey Department of Health, and provide services wholly or in part for recreational and educational purposes to five or more children under the age of 18. Programs must be licensed on an annual basis.  Some camps are nationally accredited by The American Camp Association (ACA); camp accreditation standards focus on health, safety, and risk management practices.

Work First New Jersey Welfare Services  Parents who participate in Work First New Jersey may be eligible for child care through the Mercer County Board of Social Services.  For more information, contact the Mercer County Board of Social Services at 609-989-6248.  The Board of Social Services is located at 200 Woolverton Street, in Trenton, NJ (08611).

Transitional Child Care is also referred to as TCC or Post-TANF (PTCC) child care.  If you are a Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) participant and participated in Work First New Jersey, you may be eligible for extended child care benefits for up to 24 months after you leave welfare. Once you are earning an income, you must pay a part of the cost of child care (a “co-pay” or fee). The amount of your co-pay changes as your income changes. For more information, go to www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dfd/programs/tcc/  or call 1-800-332-9227.

There is no fee to receive child care referral options. Call 609-989-8101, Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. If your call goes to voice mail, please leave a clear message with contact information.  A referral counselor will return your call.  Or, you can e-mail us at .

The online search tool can be found at www.childcarenj.gov.