Family Child Care Home Business Start Up
CCR&Rs offers FREE professional support!
- Tips and tools to help set up and operate your business to succeed.
- Resources and hands-on support
- Quality Tips
- A community of peers for learning and sharing
CCR&Rs have decades of experience helping child care providers.
Our vision is your long-term success.
Our goals for you:
- A successful business
- Work/life balance
- A quality program
We are here to help!
Contact your local CCR&R today!
Our Registration Tip Guide provides you with:
- The family child care registration application
- Forms and resources
- Plus, your local Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) staff will support you every step of the way!
Our goal is to grow family child care homes statewide to ensure that parents in every community have great local choices for child care to best meet their needs!
Family Child Care Registration Tip Guide
Registration Tip Guide Basics. Through the CCR&R family child care registration tip guide, you'll have access to materials (such as required forms), guidance (such as the NJ Office of Licensing FCC Manual), and staff support to help make the registration process as easy as possible! It's a journey, but CCR&R staff are on the road with you! Welcome to the FCC family!
Tip #1
Learning more about family child care registration
Interested in learning more about registration? Great! CCR&R staff are here to help. You can review the family child care registration application and also, contact your local CCR&R to find out about scheduled orientation meetings for prospective family child care providers. These meetings are regularly held.
- Orientation meetings provide an overview of the registration process. Experienced staff answer your questions on the spot and provide helpful tips about getting started.
- Attending an orientation is not only a requirement of the registration process but also a good idea before you invest time and money into the process. There may be disqualifiers (e.g., you need to have 2 safe ways to exit in an emergency so that children can be evacuated safely. For example, a basement used for child care space that only has a stairway to exit wouldn't qualify because a secondary way to exit is needed).
Tip #2
Promoting a healthy environment
Registration Toolkit Resource Library
- Family child care registration application (The official application is online through NJCCIS, but this paper application is good to see what is required).
- Family child care registration application checklist
- Family child care registration certificate RENEWAL checklist
To promote your health as well as the health of children in your care, FCC providers need to have a health examination form completed by a doctor. Also, a health form needs to be submitted for your substitute, any alternate provider (if applicable), any assistants (if applicable), as well as any other household member.
Pets. Pets are allowed, however, you will need to have current pet vaccinations documented by a veterinarian.
Tip #3
Promoting an environment of trust
Caring for children means protecting our most vulnerable. Being a registered child care provider means holding a position of public trust in the community. Background checks are free (paid by the Division of Family Development).
Personal References. Two personal references are needed for you and your alternate.
Fingerprint Criminal History Check. For you, all staff members, and any adults (age 18 and older) living in your home.
Criminal Conviction Disclosure. For you, all staff members, and all members of the household age 14 and older.
Child Abuse Record Information (CARI) Check. For you, all staff members, and all members of the household age 14 and older.
CCR&R staff are available to answer any questions related to these background checks.
Background Checks
Tip #4
Promoting a safe environment
To become registered, family child care providers are required to have current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and first aid certification. If you don't have CPR and first aid certification, ask your CCR&R when the next class is scheduled. Some CPR courses also include training in use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
- This certification must be completed in a classroom setting and must include infant/child/adult components. On-line certification cannot be accepted.
CCR&R staff can also go over a safety check-list with you and help you to make sure that your home supports the safety of children.
Tip #5
Promoting a nurturing environment and healthy child development
During a child's earliest years, the brain is growing the fastest -- developing a foundation for all future social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.
Prior to obtaining a registration certificate, providers are required to have orientation, CPR and First Aid certification, and completion of a 10-hour series: Health, Safety, and Child Growth and Development/Mandated Reporting: Basic Requirements for Licensing. The training is available on NJCCIS in both English and Spanish. Many CCR&Rs also offer an in-person option.
Tip #6
Promoting emergency preparedness
Sometimes emergencies happen. For that reason, federal law requires all child care providers to have an emergency plan. Check out this Child Care Emergency Action Plan template and think through what you need in case of emergency. The plan is required for all registered providers.
Tip #7
Partnering with parents for the responsibility of children
As you open your family child care business and enroll children, you will need to maintain files for each child. These files include: emergency contact information for parents and caregivers, permissions from parents, child health information, etc.
CCR&R staff will review the forms with you that are needed for the children in your care and work with you to develop a record-keeping system that best works for you!
Tip #8
Operating Your Business
Most providers open up a child care business because they enjoy working with children. Many have not run a business before. CCR&R staff can provide resources to help guide you in your business practices (e.g., keeping records and setting policies for families).
You've Got This!
This may seem like a long process, but your CCR&R staff will work with you every step of the way. Once completed, you will be a Registered Family Child Care provider!
This is just the beginning of our journey in caring for the next generation together! We look forward to working with you to support your business and the children in your care.
CCR&R staff are here to help! Our goal is your success!
Additional Resources
- Office of Licensing Family Child Care Manual of Requirements
- Family Child Care Self-Check List (for registration compliance, consider this the "skinny" version of the FCC manual)
Here's what registered providers have to say about operating their own family child care business!
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Provider Picture
Provider Picture
- There is a registration fee of $25, which is good for the period of registration (3 years). Don't forget, the fee is deductible as a business expense on your taxes!!
"I love being my own boss, setting my own hours, and getting paid for doing the work that I love!"
"It wasn't easy gathering all the paperwork I needed to get registered, but along the way, I had a lot of help! And, now I have people I can call, who I know, who believe in me!"
"I've always enjoyed working with children. It's my calling really. To run my own business and help children learn and become ready to enter school with the skills to succeed, I just love my work."
Sound good? CCR&R staff will help you at each step along the way!
