Services For Child Care Providers

Take The Childcare and Resources Referral Survey (Child Care Center)
Take the Childcare and Resources Referral Survey (Family Child Care)

Training and Support Programs

PfP offers a series of training programs to reinforce and expand providers' knowledge about how to deliver the best programs to the children in their care. Aware that we live in a world where credentials matter, PfP helps these early childhood education professionals get certification which confirms their skills. Each year PfP trains 130 child care professionals who are vital to the child care community.

For those who are already registered providers and wish to become accredited, the National Association for Family Child Care has a nationally recognized accreditation process since 1998. More information is available at www.nafcc.org. You can also review the NJ Manual of Requirements for Family Day care Registration

Licensed Child Care Center accreditation is available through the National Association of Young Children (NAEYC). More information is available at www.naeyc.org

For a list of requirements to become eligible for NAFCC accreditation, Click Here.

Family Child Care Registration

Family Child Care is New Jersey's registration program for individuals who offer home-based child care. A Family Child Care Provider may care for up to five children in her home, for a fee. Registered providers operate as independent small business owners, but must comply with state requirements. PfP offers courses that train new providers, and helps them get registered with the state. As part of the registration process, a PfP inspector visits the Family Child Care Home, both to insure compliance with state regulations and to help any provider with a problem come into compliance. PfP inspectors also make periodic follow-up visits. We are glad to say there are 530 providers on our roster.

If you are 18 years of age and live in Essex County and are interested in becoming a Family Child Care Provider, you may call one of our Family Child Care Counselors at (973) 744-4050 or come into our Programs for Parents office at 20 Church Street, Suite 14, Montclair, New Jersey, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

If you would like more information on how to assist as a registered provider in Operation Child Care, call (973) 744-4050 or visit www.ChildCareAware.org. More information is also available in this Operation Child Care Flyer. This program has been put in place by the U.S Military to aid members of the National Guard or Reserve returning from Iraq.

Child Care Food Program

PfP's Food Program supports the Family Child Care Provider's goal of offering the most all-around nurturing to the children in her group. The Food Program, an extension of the National School Lunch Program, makes sure that children in Family Child Care are being well nourished in a sanitary setting. The meals and snacks for which providers are reimbursed follow USDA nutritional guidelines. This program enhances the care offered by 136 providers in Essex. Our staff trains providers in nutritious meal planning, food safety, and sanitation.

First Steps Infant/Toddler Initiative

The New Jersey First Steps Infant/Toddler Initiative was created to assist early educators in offering the very best possible care for New Jersey’s youngest citizens. Three regional agencies, Programs for Parents, Inc. (northern), Community Coordinated Child Care of Union County (central), and the Southern Regional Child Care Resource Center, EIRC (southern) will serve as lead agencies for the 16 child care resource and referral agencies across the state. The agencies will employ Infant/Toddler Specialists who will partner with early care providers and their directors, by providing professional development, technical assistance, consultation services, program assessment and resources.

For more information download the First Steps brochure or call us as 973-744-4050 ext 1016.

Directors Academy

This new training program, customized for Child Care Center Directors will deepen their business skills by providing the latest information on maximizing staff performance and satisfaction; keeping up-to-date, clear records; facilities management; programming; identifying developmental delays; interaction with parents; legal matters; marketing the business; and, very important today, crisis management.

Child Development Associate

Each year, PfP offers CDA training for Family Child Care professionals. The training program has a customized curriculum. A member of the CDA National Credentialing Program, PfP helps each graduating participant get proof that her skills have been evaluated and determined to be satisfactory. PfP takes pride in having trained 460 child care professionals who have achieved the CDA National Credential.