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Before you submit your application
1
Before you can apply for a Group Child Care Center permit, you must attend a mandatory Pre-Permit Orientation Session at your local Borough Office. After you successfully complete the orientation you will be given a certificate number which you will need to apply for your permit
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Review the Site Viability Checklist to ensure the site you have chosen for your center will meet the requirements.
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Complete the Site Viability Inspection application. You will upload this document when you apply.
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All Group Child Care permit holders must operate in accordance with the requirements set by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
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Refer to the Group Child Care Resource List for contact information, guidance for obtaining certifications and approvals, as well as other resources for opening and operating a group child care center.
Resources for Group Child Care Center Permit Applicants and Operators (PDF )
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Refer to the Requirements Checklist for basic documentation and other requirements needed to apply for any permit from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), some of which depend on the type of business that will be given the permit.
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All child care services serving food to children must have a supervising manager who has passed a Food Protection Course and received a Food Protection Certificate. To obtain a Food Protection Certificate, register for the Food Protection Course prior to submitting the application for a Group Child Care permit.
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All outstanding fines imposed for Health Code Violations must be paid before you can apply for or renew a permit issued by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
You can review and pay outstanding violations at 66 John St, 10th floor, New York, N.Y. 10038 or by going to nyc.gov/citypay and selecting option #6.
Fines may also be paid in person at the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Citywide Licensing Center or Online.
NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)
Address
Licensing Center
42 Broadway, Lobby
New York, NY 10004
Licensing Center
42 Broadway, Lobby
New York, NY 10004
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List of Permit Fees.
More info
- Group Child Care application: $200. Permits are valid for a period of two years. Separate permits must be issued for Infant Services and Preschools. Payment by debit or credit card only (all applications must be submitted online)
- Food Protection Course: $114 (check, money order or debit/credit card when registering in person; debit/credit when registering online)
- Payment for Health Code Violation(s), if any (check, money order or debit/credit card when paying in person; debit/credit only when paying online)
- Fingerprinting Fee: $110 (money order only)
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List of accepted payment methods.
More info
- Visa Debit and Credit Cards
- Master Card Debit and Credit Cards
- American Express Card
- Discover Card
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All new and renewal applications for a Group Child Care permit must be submitted online. If you do not have access to the internet, you can search for a public library in your borough. All public libraries have computers with internet access.
Ready to Apply?
Steps to apply online:
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To apply, you must have completed a pre-permit orientation session given by the NYC Department of Health. You will need the certificate number that was given to you when you completed the orientation. If you have not taken an orientation, you must do so before you apply for a permit.
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Complete the Site Viability Inspection application. You will upload this document when you apply. Do not use any special characters when naming this file or the upload may fail.
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Make electronic versions of each required document: Site Viability Application, Proof of ID, and if applicable, Proof of Not-for-Profit status. You will be required to upload these documents into the application system. Each document must be uploaded one at a time. Select the name of the document then upload that document. The following document types can be uploaded: PDF, JPG, GIF, PNG, XLS, XLSX, DOC, DOCX, VSD, and TXT. If your documents' names contain any special characters the upload will fail. Do not name them using special characters.
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Important Tip for Creating an Online Permit Account: For businesses, it is recommended that you should not use a personal email account. Please create an online account using a business email address and share the log-in email address and password with the business owner and/or other business management so they will have continuous access to the online account.
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Create an account with the NYC Online Licensing system. Follow the directions to register as a new user. Payment is required to complete and submit the application so applicants should have their credit or debit card information readily available. Partially completed applications may be saved and returned to later for completion. Note: you may be prompted to download the Microsoft Silverlight application. This is required to upload documents.
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Once you have created an account, you may begin the application process. Complete all required Sections and information (fields with *), upload your documents and pay the required fee.
Ready to Apply?
Apply Onlineopen_in_new
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If you need assistance using the online licensing system, call 311 and ask for Child Care Permit.
Steps to apply by mail:
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Applications for a new Group Child Care Center permit are only accepted online. See Apply Online. If you do not have access to the internet, you may search for a library in your neighborhood. All public libraries have computers with internet access.
Steps to apply in person:
1
Applications for a new Group Child Care Center permit are only accepted online. See Apply Online. If you do not have access to the internet, you may search for a library in your neighborhood. All public libraries have computers with internet access.