Child care centers usually serve six or more children below age 13 in a licensed, non-residential setting. In New 
Jersey, child care centers are required to be licensed and inspected by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, Office of Licensing. To contact the Office of Licensing, please call toll free at 877/667-9845 or visit www.nj.gov/dcf/providers/licensing.
For tip sheets and other resources to use in your child care search, see Tips For Choosing Child Care.
Parents needing assistance finding child care can contact our community line at 973-744-4677, or self-search by clicking this link: Search for Providers in Essex County. If you would like further information regarding any providers found on-line, please call our community line at the number listed above. For families looking for care who are not Esssex County residents, click here for the list of NJ Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies by County. For visitors who are not New Jersey residents, visit www.programsforparents.org to find the CCR&R serving your area.
Programs for Parents does not license, endorse or recommend child care providers. The names we give are referrals. Referrals are based on the information supplied by the child care providers. If you would like to update your records in our database, you may call or email us, or submit a new Child Care Referral Request Form below and click “Update” under Type of Care needed.