Types of Child Care

4Cs of Passaic County, Inc. a resource and referral agency has helped thousands of New Jersey families select the child care option that is right for them. Services provided include:

  • Free child care referrals to fit your family’s needs
  • Information on choosing quality child care
  • Information about accessing financial assistance for child care

Family Child Care

This type of care is provided in someone’s home. In New Jersey, a provider can care for no more than five children, plus a maximum of three of their own children. Home providers can choose to be registered, which means they meet the basic safety and programs requirements established by state law. This registration also allows these in-home providers to accept payments from families participating in government-subsidized child-care assistance programs.

In-Home Care

In this type of care, a person comes to your home to care for your child. This provider might offer other services such as light housekeeping, starting or making dinner or driving your child to lessons or play dates. Although you may use an agency to find such a provider, they are neither regulated nor licensed by the state and cannot participate in the state’s quality-improvement program, Grow NJ Kids.

Child Care Centers

Licensed by the state of New Jersey, these facilities are inspected every two years and must meet basic health, safety, program and staffing requirements. They can care for 6 or more children from the age of 6 weeks to 13 years. There are many types of licensed child-care centers, including but not limited to infant/toddler programs, early care and education programs and school-age programs. Licensed centers also may choose to meet more rigorous, research-based or accreditation standards. (There also are license-exempt centers, such as programs that are part of a public school district or private school.)

Head Start & Early Head Start

Head Start and Early Head Start programs support the mental, social and emotional development of children from birth to age 5. In addition to education services, programs provide children and their families with health, nutrition, social and other services.

School District Preschool Programs

School districts provide research-based preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds, that may be located within a school district site, a private provider or a local Head Start agency.

Summer Youth Camps

Summer Youth camps are licensed under the Youth Camp Safety Act of New Jersey and 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.

Finding Quality Child Care 

Click links below

How to find quality child care

Finding quality child care checklist/Lista de verificación para encontrar cuidado infantil de calidad

Extended Referral Services

4Cs of  Passaic County offers “Extended Services” and referrals for issues other than child care. These “warm” referrals made to collaborating agencies are given to clients as well as the community for issues other than child care. Our goal is to effectively connect families with tangible resources that will meet their emergent need and empower and gear them towards self-sufficiency. These referrals include the following categories:

Special Needs

  • Special Needs Certification Form. To receive prioritized services for a child with
    special needs, the parent/applicant must submit a completed CC-216: Special
    Needs Certification Form to the CCR&R, except that the CC-216 shall not be
    required for teen parents.

    Form – CC-216 Special Needs Certification Form

  • Age 0-3 (Early Intervention)
  • Age 4-18 (Special Child Case Management Unit for children with a disability)
  • Age 5-18 (Perform Care – Behavioral Health and Developmental & Intellectual Disability Services
  • Adults (Division of Developmental Disabilities)
  • Mothers (Mom 2 Mom – Peer support services for moms of special needs children and adults
  • Disability
  • Domestic Violence
  • Education and Training
  • Emergency Clothing
  • Emergency Clothing
  • Food Pantry
  • Housing
  • Job Search
  • Legal Services
  • Medical Insurance
  • Mental Health
  • Prenatal/Post Natal Program and Services
  • Rental Assistance
  • Utility Assistance

Other – See A 4Cs Caseworker

Referral Disclaimer (English)

The information provided to you by the 4Cs of Passaic County Child Care Resources & Referral Agency Inc. should not be considered an endorsement or recommendation of a particular program or child care setting. The Division of Family Development, as a funding source of the New Jersey Child Care Resource and Referral System and 4Cs of Passaic County, Inc. disclaim any liability or responsibility for any misinformation and/or quality of services provided by the child-care provider appearing on the resource and referral database, bulletin boards, list or verbally.

Complaints

  • Child Abuse Hotline (State Central Registry)
    1-877 NJ ABUSE (1-877-652-2873), TTY 1-800-835-5510
    All reports of child abuse and neglect, including those occurring in institutional settings such as child care centers, schools, foster homes and residential treatment centers, must be reported to the State Central Registry (SCR). This is a toll-free, 24-hour, seven-days-a-week hotline.

Office of Licensing (OOL) 1-877-667-9845 Parents are encouraged to discuss with the center any questions or concerns they might have. Parents may also file or make a complaint with the Office of Licensing who will investigate.  Complaints may be made anonymously.  If there is a licensing complaint investigation, parents are entitled to review the OOL Complaint Investigation Summary Report, as well as any letters of enforcement or other actions taken against a center during its current licensing period.