Bergenfield, NJ Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)

Chapter 310 of the Borough Code, adopted by the Bergenfield Board of Health on October 20, 2020, licenses every private child-care center, infant-care center, day nursery, nursery school, boarding school, private elementary school, cooperative group, or similar establishment caring for six or more children under age six where any tuition, fee, board, or other compensation is charged, or that is publicly funded. Section 310-2 bars anyone from maintaining a place for day care of children in the Borough without a Health Department license, capped at a one-year term; every license expires December 31, and renewal applications are due by January 31 with the required fee.

An initial license cannot issue until the Construction Official has signed off with a certificate of occupancy or continued occupancy for the facility, and licenses may not be transferred between operators. Section 310-4 layers on annual inspection fees tied to enrollment: $75 for centers caring for six to 50 children, $100 for 51 to 100, $125 for 101 to 150, and $150 for any facility caring for more than 150 children, payable to the Health Department by January 31 each year. A. , and with Division of Youth and Family Services regulations.

Section 310-6 requires premises to stay in good repair, free of rodent and insect harborage, with properly maintained plumbing, and outdoor play equipment kept hazard-free, while § 310-7 folds in building, plumbing, and fire code compliance. The Board of Health can suspend or revoke a license under § 310-8 after a hearing. Violations are punished under § 310-9 at $50 to $1,000 per offense, or up to 90 days' imprisonment, or both, with each day of a continuing violation counting separately, enforced by a Registered Environmental Health Specialist or Health Official from the Bergenfield Health Department.