For Immediate Release	CONTACT:	(609) 633-8507
October 18, 2006		Kate Bernyk
		Tom Bell
DCF Announces Emergency Regulation to Strengthen Environmental Safety Standards for Child Care Centers

TRENTON – Following Governor Jon S. Corzine’s call for stronger environmental and safety standards for child care centers, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) has adopted an emergency regulation mandating new requirements for anyone applying for a new or renewed child care center license.

"There is no room for compromise when it comes to the safety of our children," said Governor Corzine. "We must take every precautionary step possible to ensure that child care providers live up to the highest health and safety standards."

This past September, Governor Corzine called on DCF to develop new regulations requiring stricter environmental safety standards for New Jersey facilities providing child care services. Governor Corzine also directed cabinet officials in DCF, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), and the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), and the Department of Labor to form an interagency task force to review current regulations and information used by each department that may impact the health and safety standards at child care centers.

 “Parents should be able to send their children to a child care center without fearing they may be exposed to environmental hazards,” DCF Commissioner Kevin M. Ryan said. “This regulation serves as an important step to ensuring the state has the necessary safeguards in place to protect our children and that child care center operators are held accountable for providing a safe environment where kids can play and learn.”

The stricter regulation requires license applicants to certify that any building or property proposed for the site of a child care center was not previously used for operations that could pose an environmental concern. If the site was once used for purposes classified under the Uniform Construction Code as factory/industrial, high hazard, storage, dry cleaning or nail salon, the applicant must certify that the site currently complies with soil and environmental indoor air requirements established by DEP and DHSS, respectively.

The interagency task force has been working closely to cross check and review state databases that can provide information about environmental conditions at currently licensed child care centers. This task force is also working with the legislature on new legislation that may permanently codify and possibly expand the strengthened licensing requirements and safeguards.

“Requiring applications to include a building’s classification under the Uniform Construction Code is an important and necessary tool to determine whether applicants must go further and obtain additional information to ensure environmental requirements established by DEP and DHSS are met,” said Community Affairs Commissioner Susan Bass Levin.

The new regulation also states that effective January 1, 2007, no new or renewed license will be issued to any center located in the same building or structure as a dry cleaner or nail salon unless the center operator provides indoor air sampling results that show there is no impact on the child care center. Effective June 1, 2007, applicants for a new or renewed license (or any currently licensed center requested at the state’s discretion) must obtain a No Further Action letter from DEP.

The new regulation has been developed in light of the recent discovery of environmental hazards at a child care center, Kiddie Kollege, in Gloucester County.

“Out of the Kiddie Kollege tragedy comes a progressive regulation that should give parents additional peace of mind when they send their children to day care centers,” DEP Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson said. “This regulatory action is an important step toward ensuring that we know all we possibly can about the past uses of properties that either host day care centers or are proposed for such use.”

All child care center operators must certify that their center provides safe drinking water and is in compliance with lead, asbestos and radon regulations.

"The Department of Health and Senior Services is committed to ensuring that children and staff in the state's day care centers are not exposed to any hazardous substances that could harm their health or impair their development," said Health and Senior Services Commissioner Fred M. Jacobs, M.D. J.D.

DCF has adopted, effective immediately, the new licensing requirements through an emergency amendment to New Jersey’s existing regulations governing day care center licensing. This emergency amendment expires on December 16, 2006. In addition to the emergency adoption, DCF is proposing the same child care requirement changes for final, permanent adoption. The public has been invited to comment on the changes through December 6, 2006.

The approximately 4,300 child care centers in the state have the capacity to serve nearly 330,000 children.

The emergency regulation and concurrent proposed amendment can be found HERE.

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