N.J. Admin. Code § 3A:52-1.2 - Definition of child care center

(a) "Child care center" or "center" means any home or facility, by whatever name known, which is maintained for the care, development, or supervision of six or more children under 13 years of age who attend for less than 24 hours a day.

1. For a facility that is located in a sponsor's or sponsor representative's home, the Office of Licensing shall not count the children residing in the sponsor's or sponsor representative's home in determining whether the facility is serving the minimum number of children that would require it to be licensed as a center.

(b) The term "child care center" shall include, but not be limited to, day care centers; drop-in centers; night-time centers; recreation-type centers sponsored and operated by a county or municipal government recreation or park department or agency; day nurseries; nursery and play schools; cooperative child centers; centers for children with special needs; centers serving sick children; infant-toddler programs; school-age child care programs; employment-related centers; centers that had been licensed by the Department of Human Services prior to the enactment of the Child Care Center Licensing Act of 1984; and kindergartens and pre-kindergartens that are not an integral part of a private educational institution or system offering elementary education in grades kindergarten through sixth.

(c) The term "child care center" shall not include the following programs, since they do not meet the definition of a child care center:

1. A program serving fewer than six children who are below 13 years of age;

2. A program, such as that located in a bowling alley, health spa or other facility, in which:

i. Each child attends on a drop-in basis for no more than two hours; and

ii. The parent of each child attending the program is in the same building, is readily accessible at all times on an on-call basis, and is able to resume control of the child immediately;

3. A child care program operating within a geographic area, enclave, or facility that is owned or operated by the Federal government;

4. A family day care home that is registered pursuant to the Family Day Care Provider Registration Law, N.J.S.A. 30:5B-16 et seq.;

5. Programs that offer activities for children who attend at their own discretion on an "open door" basis, where there is no agreement, written or implied, between the program and the parent for the program to assume responsibility for the care of the child; and

6. A program offering child care on an ad hoc, sporadic, and isolated basis in order to meet an emergency or special need, such as during emergency school closings, conferences, or training sessions.

Notes

N.J. Admin. Code § 3A:52-1.2

Administrative Change, 49 N.J.R. 98a. Amended by 49 N.J.R. 413(a), effective 3/6/2017