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

Chapter 101, adopted November 7, 1985 by Ord. No. 889-85, applies to "every person, corporation or other entity, including the City of Passaic," that operates a location where children are cared for, or that contracts with the city to provide child-care services; § 101-6 excludes schools, which the state regulates separately, defining coverage as any location serving children under 18. Under § 101-1B, the mandatory screening steps are fingerprinting; review of criminal convictions and pending criminal actions once a police investigation is complete; an inquiry with the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment; and, for prospective hires, contact with the applicant's three most recent employers.

§ 101-3 assigns all fingerprinting, investigation and criminal-record work exclusively to the Passaic Police Department, which reports results back to the employer, but bars the employer from disclosing those results to anyone beyond staff who need them for job duties and the employee or applicant. Operators must document compliance to the city (§ 101-4), and every city child-care contract must incorporate these screening duties as material terms (§ 101-5), so a lapse is a breach the city can use to terminate the contract without liability to the operator.