The Intensive Services Program (ISP) is contracted with the Department of Child Protection and Permanency Mercer County Offices. The Intensive Services Program (ISP) is a therapeutic treatment program for parents whose children were placed in out of home care as a result of abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, or abandonment. The purpose of the Intensive Services Program is to assist in achieving the earliest, most appropriate permanency plan for children in placement in an effort to avoid the harmful emotional effects of unplanned, long term foster-care.  These services support connection between birth parents and their children in foster care in order to help maintain or repair the parent-child bond during the time the family is separated. ISP services integrate: parent-child therapeutic visitation; individual, couples, and family counseling with birth parents and/or family members; referrals and support to children and their resource parents; and weekly therapeutic parenting groups. Aftercare services are provided for 30 days once reunification has occurred to ensure safety and stability of the family unit. 

  • 635 South Clinton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08611
  • Tel 609-695-6274 x 127 Nicole Coburger, LCSW

Hours of operation:
9:00am-5:00pm
Please send completed referral packets via email to ncoburger@chsofnj.org.

We offer a free and confidential child care referral service utilizing our extensive database of child care available in Ocean County. In addition to referrals, we offer brochures containing checklists to help you make an informed decision about child care. For more information contact Chantele McAllister via telephone at (732) 557-9633, Ext. 105 or email at cmcallister@chsofnj.org .   CHSofNJ does not license, endorse or recommend any specific provider. It is the responsibility of the parent to meet with providers in order to determine the child care arrangements which best suits his/her needs.

Click here for the Request for Child Care Referral form.

More Resources:

The Consumer Education Campaign serves parents in our subsidy programs as well as other parents utilizing any of our services. CHSofNJ provides family and provider services and support. Consumer Education manages resource and referral activities and ensures that staff are familiar with consumer education requirements. The mission is to inform and educate parents, providers and the community. Brochures on early childhood topics along with what to look for in choosing quality child care are distributed to all parents seeking child care services.  All program required profile forms are disseminated and entered for parents use and information as well. A Community Resource Directory is kept current and can be delivered electronically or by US mail. Our website includes an array of parenting materials. For more information call Chantele McAllister at (732) 557-9633, Ext. 105 or via email cmcallister@chsofnj.org  .

What Is New Jersey Cares for Kids? Learn More Here

Mas Informacion en Espanol

The New Jersey Cares for Kids program helps low and middle income families pay for the cost of child care based on eligibility. Parents must work at least 30 hours per week in a full-time or two part-time jobs, attend college or a training program full-time, or hold a part-time job and a part-time school schedule equaling full-time. Parents pay a portion of the child care cost, based on their income and family size, NJCK pays the balance up to the state maximum. For more information please contact Virginia Charpentier at (732) 557-9633, ext. 143 or via e-mail at vcharpentier@chsofnj.org. Please see PDF in forms area for income guidelines from the Department of Human Services.

NJCK application cover letter 3-1-2023 for the New Jersey Cares for Kids Application Cover Letter.
New-Jersey-Cares-for-Kids-Application

New-Jersey-Cares-for-Kids-Spanish Application

Family Size and Income Guidlines 3-1-2023

Families who are receiving public assistance through the Work First NJ program are eligible to receive help paying for child care while working or participating in an approved job or training activity. Child care assistance may continue for up to two years after the participant is employed and no longer receives public assistance. This child care is known as Transitional Child Care (TCC). If still eligible, the parent is automatically enrolled in the NJCK program following WFNJ benefits. Parents must be referred to our agency by the Ocean County Board of Social Services. For more information, call Stacy Solly at (732) 557-9633, Ext. 112 or via email at ssolly@chsofnj.org.

Kinship is a subsidy offered through the New Jersey Cares for Kids program that helps relatives who have custody of a relative’s child(ren) pay for child care. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, sisters, etc. may be able to receive assistance through this program. To receive an application for this program, see the alpha breakdown for the NJCK child care subsidy; for program information contact Cheryl DeMartino via telephone at (732) 557-9633, Ext. 155 or via e-mail at cdemartino@chsofnj.org 

Kinship cover letter March 1 2023 for the Kinship Child Care Subsidy Application Cover Letter. 
Click here for the Kinship Child Care Subsidy Application. 

Self Arranged Care Subsidy Participants have the option of selecting a friend or relative to care for their children. Our agency, after clearance of a Child Abuse Record Information (CARI) check by the State of New Jersey, fingerprinting and mandated training to include CPR and First Aid, will conduct a Health & Safety Inspection and provider interview. When these things have been completed satisfactorily, Subsidy funding can pay the amount specified by the DHS, DFD to that provider for child care services. The providers cannot be referred by our agency to any other parent or be paid to watch children from other families while they are being paid through the subsidy programs. Our staff will also inform you about additional requirements for e-ChildCare which pertain to these arrangements.

 

The federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Reauthorization Act of 2014 increased the health and safety requirements for all child care and early learning programs that accept child care subsidies. All teaching staff, providers, caregivers and individuals responsible for the direct care and supervision of children must complete health and safety training. This required training must be completed by center based staff and all home based child care providers. The training is available online and in our training room at scheduled times. 

The total number of training hours for Home Based Programs is twelve (12) hours plus CPR and First Aid Training. Please note: Only the health and safety training courses linked below or the courses offered through your CCR&Rs will be counted towards your required training hours for DFD’s Subsidy Assistance Program Health and Safety Requirements. Please review the documents provided to be directed to the required training. Training found on NJCCIS (New Jersey Child Care Information System) Registration must be done on NJCCIS. NJCCIS.com homepage, under the section labeled “Important Information about required trainings for CCDF (Subsidy) Providers”

Training Calendar July-September 2023

Learn More About Becoming a Registered Care Provider

CHSofNJ is the sponsoring agency for the N.J. Department of Children & Families Office of Licensing for family child care registration. Registrants must fill out an application online at NJCCIS (https//www.njccis.com). A CARI (Child Record Abuse Information) form must be submitted electronically. All Home Based child care providers are required to be fingerprinted at no cost. A trained caregiver provides care in a private residence for 5 or fewer children at one time. Our agency conducts inspections as well as curriculum and program observations. Family Child Care providers must attend an orientation, complete required Health & Safety Training, along with mandatory CPR and First Aid courses. These trainings are all available at no cost at CHSofNJ. For more information about this program, please contact us at (732) 557-9633, Ext. 103.

Complaints Against a Child Care Center A complaint involving a child care center that does not involve the suspected abuse or neglect of children is handled by The NJ Department of Children & Families, Office of Licensing. The toll free number is 1 (877) 667-9845. 

Complaints Against a Family Child Care Provider in Ocean County, NJ The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey is responsible for registering and monitoring family child care providers in Ocean County, NJ. A complaint that is not child abuse or neglect involving a registered child care provider will be investigated by our agency. To discuss or register a complaint, contact our Program Administrator at (732) 557-9633, Ext. 101. You are entitled to any results of an investigation as long as they are categorized as “open for public inspection.” If you remain anonymous, you will need to call our agency for the outcome. If you give your name, you should be aware that under New Jersey’s Right-to-Know Law, it is included in our records which are open for public inspection. If a complaint investigated by our agency is substantiated, the registered family child care provider will receive any technical assistance and/or additional home visits necessary to help the provider come into and remain in compliance.

Your Child Care Resource and Referral agency has so much more to offer than just subsidy – our Quality Team is here to support our community in a variety of ways:

Quality Manager

The Quality Manager works with all of the quality team members to help coordinate our efforts to meet the needs of Ocean County families and children. They provide support for the family child care, health and safety, and FCC providers to improve their programs. You can reach Lisa Lockwood, Quality Manager, at extension 142 or llockwood@chsofnj.org.

Resource and Referral
Resource & Referral (R&R) is the “hub” of our agency, working with families, child care providers, and other community service agencies. The R&R Specialist posts upcoming training to the New Jersey Child Care Information System (NJCCIS) and handles registrations. They oversee our early education lending library of various books and DVDs available to child care providers. Give us a call to make an appointment to view the materials – providers can borrow up to 3 materials at a time for 2 weeks. 

The R&R Specialist ensures provider information is current and supports programs in meeting child care subsidy requirements. They are able to provide families with a unique list of providers based on their specific needs, such as location, the child’s age, times care is needed and types of child care providers. The R&R Specialist is also able to offer referrals to other service agencies if needed. Community outreach is another component of R&R. The R&R Specialist participates in various events throughout Ocean County to inform the community of the wide variety of services offered through CHSofNJ. Please see additional information under the Resource & Referral tab. You can reach Chantele McAllister, R&R Specialist, at extension 105 or cmcallister@chsofnj.org

Family Child Care

The Family Child Care Inspector provides support for quality care in home based settings. They oversee both family child care and approved home providers. They recruit new providers for family child care and assist in the renewal of existing family child care providers. They provide orientation to prospective providers and provide technical assistance as needed on child care requirements as well as all aspects of subsidy. They offer monthly orientation training as well as First Aid and CPR classes. Technical assistance to become a family child care provider and for current providers to improve their programs is available as needed. Please see additional information under the family child care tab. You can reach our Child Care Inspector at 732.557.9633 ext. 103.

Lead Trainer
CHSofNJ offers a wide variety of professional development opportunities to support the early education community. The Lead Trainer plans and organizes the training calendar, including both workshops presented by CHSofNJ staff and by other community partners. Workshops are offered to address all of the CCDBG requirements, as well as a variety of topics to support infant toddler, preschool and afterschool caregivers, directors and family child care providers. We offer a comprehensive online CDA program that is eligible for the NJCCIS scholarship to cover 100% of tuition. You can reach Lisa Lockwood, Lead Trainer, at extension 142 or llockwood@chsofnj.org.

Infant Toddler Specialist
The Infant Toddler Specialist promotes quality care for infants & toddlers throughout the county. They provide technical assistance to all programs serving infants & toddlers and can conduct ITERS-3 assessments to support quality improvement. They inform the early education community about quality initiatives related to infants and toddlers, and provide support for grants related to infant quality, offering up to $10,000 for the expansion of infant and toddler child care. You can reach Karen Fisher, Infant Toddler Specialist, at extension 131 or kfisher@chsofnj.org

Family Engagement
The Family Engagement Specialist supports families through outreach and consumer education utilizing various strategies, community events, focus groups and meetings. They coordinate several Books Balls & Blocks events throughout the year to help families understand their child’s development and to implement developmental screenings. They plan activities designed to facilitate support among parents utilizing the Strengthening Families model. In addition, the Family Engagement Specialist works closely with other agencies throughout Ocean County to identify community resources, promotes public awareness of available services and serves as a resource about community activities and events to other CCR&R staff. You can reach Terence (Teri) Torquato, Family Engagement Specialist, at extension 109 or ttorquato@chsofnj.org.

Grow NJ Kids
The Quality Improvement Specialist supports child care centers and family child care providers enrolled in Grow NJ Kids, our state’s quality rating and improvement system. They hold information sessions several times a year and can assist with the enrollment process. They can conduct ITERS-3, ECERS-3 and FCCERS-R program assessments, provide on-site staff coaching and training, and provide technical assistance to support quality improvement. You can reach Jill Sidote, Quality Improvement Specialist, at extension 132 or jsidote@chsofnj.org.

Shared Services Coordinator
The Shared Service Coordinator works with participating centers to assist them with running their business more efficiently and productively. The participating centers are members of the Shared Service Alliance, and they work together on self-selected common goals that benefit them all. Some benefits of being an Alliance member include: training support, business management support, cost savings, staffing support, etc. Shared Service Alliance members are selected by the advisory board, and membership is annual. If you would like to learn more about our Shared Service Alliance, please reach out to lcolavito@chsofnj.org.

Registered Family Child Care
CHS is the sponsoring agency for the N.J. Department of Children and Families Office of Licensing for family child care registration. A registered provider provides care in a private residence, for 5 or fewer children at one time. Our agency conducts inspections as well as curriculum and program observations. Providers are required to attend orientation, health & safety training and be certified in CPS and First Aid. In home providers are fingerprinted and required to have a Child Abuse Record Information (CARI) check.

Child Care Center
A child care center means any home or facility maintained for the care, development and supervision of six or more children under 13 years of age. For further information on licensing requirements, click here.
Provider Notice to Extend Enrollment Based Subsidy Payment through December 2021

Preschool/nursery school
Most preschools are licensed by The State of New Jersey as child care centers. However, there are those that are operated by public school districts or religious organizations that are exempt from licensure. Parents seeking part-time care might choose a nursery school program. They usually run the same as a school year, operating nine months out of the year. The curriculum may vary. Any facility exempt from licensing is not eligible for subsidy funds.

Before School and After School Programs
These are programs for children who need care before and after their school day. Programs may be found at child care centers, family child care homes or specific sites.The programs may offer activities, snacks, homework assistance, free play, and outdoor play. Click here for more information from NJ School Age Care Coalition.

Summer Camps
Daily child care programs, specifically designed for school age children, are offered throughout the summer season at a variety of sites. Community centers, child care centers, family child care homes, schools and religious organizations offer camp programs. The NJ Dept of Health & Senior Services issues Health & Safety certificates to those programs that don’t fall under the Office of Licensing requirements for a child care center. Be sure the program you select has a variety of age appropriate activities, plenty of materials and a qualified staff. Camp programs may charge additional fees for field trips or special events.

Head Start
Add Head Start Referral page link here.

  • Our training program offers Continuing Education Credits, approved by The Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition, www.cdacouncil.org.
  • For those pursuing their Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential and assist family child care providers with accreditation through the National Association for Family Child Care, www.nafcc.org.
  • The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), www.naeyc.org.
  • We are also registered with The NJ Department of Education, Professional Development Provider Registration System that allows us to administer training clock hours to public school teachers. 
  • The GrowingBrain Event
  • July-September 2023 Training Calendar