Ocean County, NJ Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

New Jersey regulates home-based child care under the Family Child Care Registration Act (N.J.S.A. 30:5B-16 et seq.). Ocean County home providers register with the NJ Department of Children and Families (DCF) Office of Licensing through a Sponsoring Organization — typically Ocean, Inc. or other local community action agencies. Registration allows care for up to 5 children under 13 (including the provider's own children under 5). Larger group sizes (6+) require a Child Care Center license with substantial additional compliance (commercial building code, fire inspection, director qualifications). N.J.S.A. 40:55D-66.5b explicitly prohibits local zoning from treating a registered family day care home as anything other than a single-family residential use — Ocean County towns (Toms River, Brick, Lakewood, Jackson, Berkeley, Stafford) cannot require conditional use permits, HOA-style special approvals, or extra parking beyond what the residence already needs. Requirements include CPR/first aid certification, criminal background checks (all household members 14+), home inspections, immunization records, and liability insurance recommendations. NJ's child care subsidy (NJ Cares for Kids) accepts registered family providers.