Group Child Care Center-Based Permit
A Group Child Care program provides child care to 3 or more children under the age of 6 years of age for 5 or more hours per week, for more than 30 days in a 12-month period, primarily operating in a non-residential space.
Group Child Care applicants are required to provide information on specific levels of supervision, such as the Educational Director, Group Teacher and Assistant Teachers, and proof of their qualifications, certificates and trainings. Group Child Care programs are required to retain on-site files containing staff and child information, including medical reports.
The program will be inspected by an Early Childhood Education Consultant (ECEC) and Public Health Sanitarian (PHS) at least once a year. The Group Child Care program must submit a renewal application with supporting documents in order to remain in compliance with the permit.
This information encompasses health and safety related aspects of the regulatory requirements of a group child care permit. Users should be aware that reading the documents included here will be necessary to properly understand the various provisions of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene regulations. For those programs that have funding from the NYC Department of Education and the Administration of Children's Services, there may be additional requirements.
The Group Child Care permit, once granted, is issued for a two-year period. The permit is non-transferable. A permit will contain:
- Permit Number
- Issue date
- Expiration Date
- Name of Program
- Address of Program
- Permit capacity
- Floors and classrooms
- Ages of children
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
Review the Site Viability Checklist to ensure the site you have chosen for your center will meet the requirements.
Complete the Site Viability Inspection application. You will upload this document when you apply.
All Group Child Care permit holders must operate in accordance with the requirements set by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
What Group Child Care Providers Should Know - A Compliance Guide
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.
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.
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 online to the MyCity Portal.
Fines may also be paid in person at the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Citywide Licensing Center. Appointments are required.
List of Permit Fees.
- 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)
List of accepted payment methods.
- Visa Debit and Credit Cards
- Master Card Debit and Credit Cards
- American Express Card
- Discover Card
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.
Within 10 business days, you will be contacted by a representative from your Bureau of Child Care borough office to arrange a Site Viability inspection of your proposed center location. Your borough office will then work with you to complete the application process and provide you with guidance on providing all the documentation and meeting all the requirements to obtain a Group Day Care permit.
Before a permit is issued, all applicants must meet all of the requirements for Group Day Care center permit.
As you go through the permit application process, you will be instructed to submit additional documents. To upload additional documents, you will need your online licensing login information and password. If you have forgotten your password, follow the instructions on the login page. If you still have problems logging in, call 311 and ask for Day Care Permit. All documents must be uploaded one at a time. Select the name of each document and then upload that document.
In additional to the What Group Child Care Providers Should Know: A Compliance Guide we also have a Daily Self-Inspection Checklist for Group Child Care Programs that you can use to help make sure your child care program is in compliance with Article 47 of the New York City Health Code. Routinely review the questions on this checklist to make sure that you can answer yes (Y) to all of them. This checklist covers many, but not all, requirements for group child care programs. For a complete description of all requirements described in Article 47, visit nyc.gov/health and search for Health Code.
For other languages and additional information for operators click here.
Whenever a new Educational Director is hired, you must contact your Bureau of Child Care Borough Office and provide the following:
• Proof of qualifications as required by New York City Health Code Sections 47.13, 47.15 and 47.17.• Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR) clearance • Criminal Justice Clearance (fingerprinting from the Department of Investigation) • Reference Letters from the three (3) most recent employers • Physical examination certificate from a licensed health care provider including required immunizations as required by New York City Health Code Section 47.33.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Before you renew, read a list of the documentation you must upload at the time you renew your permit. You must make electronic copies of the documents to upload them. The following document types can be uploaded: PDF, JPG, GIF, PNG, XLS, XLSX, DOC, DOCX, VSD, and TXT. Documents must be uploaded one at a time. Select the name of the document and then upload that document. Your document names should not contain any special characters.
• Annual lead paint survey which is required if there is paint of an unknown lead content OR there is lead-based paint. This is not required if XRF test results showing the facility is “lead-free” have been submitted to the Bureau • Proof of Worker's Compensation and Disability Insurance form • Any of the following documents that have changed since the issuance of the current permit: Incorporation documentation, Health Care Plan, Architectural Plans, Safety Plan (including Lost Child Prevention and Retrieval Plan, and the Certificate of Occupancy.
