The purpose of this chapter is to protect the
health, safety and welfare of children by child-care providers who
are not subject to the licensing and other requirements of the State
of New Jersey, Division of Youth and Family Services.
With respect to children under the age of 14,
child care may be provided in a safe and healthy environment as follows:
A. A license shall be required for any person in whose
private residence child-care services are regularly provided to no
fewer than three and no more than five children at any one time for
no fewer than 15 hours per week.
B. The provisions of this chapter shall apply when the
provider of child-care services receives compensation for rendering
such services, other than an exchange of child care by the parents
of enrolled children. A "parent" shall mean a natural, foster or adoptive
parent, guardian or any person with responsibility for or custody
of a child.
C. A child-care provider shall be permitted to care for,
for a fee, no more than five children at any one time, but children
regularly residing in the provider's home shall not be counted in
the total number of children being cared for in the home. A provider
may serve additional children as part of an agreement for a cooperative
exchange of child-care services between parents, for no fee.
Except as provided herein, violations of this article shall be punishable as provided in Chapter
1, Article
III, General Penalty.