N.J. Admin. Code § 3A:56-5.7

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 23, December 2, 2024

Section 3A:56-5.7 - Child Abuse Record Information background checks

(a) As a condition of securing and maintaining a certificate, the home or agency shall provide written consent to the Department from the director and each staff member, treatment home parent, teaching family home parent, alternative care home parent, supervised transitional living home parent, and household member at least 18 years old in a treatment home, teaching family home, alternative care home or supervised transitional living home, for a Child Abuse Record Information (CARI) background check to be conducted.

(b) If a director, treatment home parent, teaching family home parent, alternative care home parent, supervised transitional living home parent, or household member refuses to consent to or cooperate in a CARI background check, the Department shall deny, suspend, revoke or refuse to renew the certificate, as applicable.

1. The home or agency may appeal the denial, suspension, revocation or refusal to renew, as specified in 3A:56-2.4.

2. The treatment home parent, teaching family home parent, alternative care home parent or supervised transitional living home parent may choose to remove the household member so refusing from the home before the action against the certificate takes effect.

(c) If a staff member refuses to consent to or cooperate in a CARI background check, the home or agency shall immediately terminate the staff member's employment at the home or agency.

(d) Upon receipt of written consent from an individual specified in (a) above, the Department shall conduct a search of its records to determine if an allegation of child abuse or neglect has been substantiated, pursuant to section 4 of P.L. 1971, c. 437 (N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.11), against the individual.

1. The Department shall consider incidents of child abuse and neglect that were substantiated on or after June 29, 1995, to ensure that the perpetrator has had an opportunity to appeal a substantiated finding of child abuse or neglect.

2. The Department may consider incidents substantiated prior to June 29, 1995, if the Department, in its judgment, determines that the perpetrator poses a risk of harm to children in a home. In cases involving incidents substantiated prior to June 29, 1995, in which the Department determines that the individual is disqualified, the Department shall offer the perpetrator an opportunity for a hearing to contest the substantiation, if no hearing occurred previously.

(e) If the Department determines that an allegation of child abuse or neglect has been substantiated against an individual specified in (a) above, the home or agency shall immediately terminate the individual's employment at the home or agency.

(f) If the Department determines that an allegation of child abuse or neglect has been substantiated against a director, treatment home parent, teaching family home parent, alternative care home parent, supervised transitional living home parent, or household member, the Department shall also deny, suspend, revoke or refuse to renew the certificate of approval, as applicable.

1. The home or agency may appeal the denial, suspension, revocation or refusal to renew, as specified in 3A:56-2.4.

2. The treatment home parent, teaching family home parent, alternative care home parent or supervised transitional living home parent may choose to remove the disqualified household member from the home before the action against the certificate takes effect.

3. If the incident was substantiated prior to June 29, 1995, the Department shall notify the individual in writing that the individual may request a hearing to contest the substantiation.

(g) If the Department determines that an allegation of child abuse or neglect has been substantiated against a staff member, the home or agency shall notify the staff member in writing that the termination of employment is based on a substantiated allegation of child abuse or neglect. If the incident was substantiated prior to June 29, 1995, the home or agency shall notify the staff member in writing that the staff member may request a hearing to contest the substantiation.

(h) Subsequently, if an allegation of child abuse or neglect is substantiated against a staff member during employment, the agency or home may continue the employment of the individual should there be an appeal of the abuse or neglect finding; however, the individual shall not be left alone as the only adult caring for a child at the home while the appeal is pending.

N.J. Admin. Code § 3A:56-5.7

Administrative Change, 49 N.J.R. 98a.

Amended by 50 N.J.R. 135(a), effective 1/2/2018