N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:13A-4.5

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 11, June 3, 2024

Section 6A:13A-4.5 - Health and nutrition

(a) The district board of education shall employ nurses at a ratio of one for every 300 preschool students, including students in contracted private provider and local Head Start programs. In school districts with fewer than 300 enrolled preschool children, the services funded by the school district's preschool budget and described in the school district's three-year preschool program plan and/or annual update may be:

1. Provided within the school district's existing health services required by N.J.A.C. 6A:16; or

2. Fulfilled by contracting for health services with a county or regional educational services commission approved by the State Board to do so.

(b) The district board of education shall ensure that basic child health services are provided to all enrolled preschool children. Child health services shall include:

1. At a minimum, vision, hearing, dental, height, and weight screenings of each eligible child upon enrollment;

2. The maintenance of records pertaining to immunizations, physical examinations, and other records necessary for transition to kindergarten; and

3. Parent education and communication designed to meet the health and social service needs of children enrolled in the program.

(c) District boards of education offering universal preschool shall apply to the National School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program and may charge families of eligible preschool program children for reduced- and above-scale meals. District boards of education shall also ensure that contracted private provider and local Head Start settings apply to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) to offer breakfast, lunch, and one snack per day for each enrolled preschool child.

1. If accepted into one or more of the programs, the district board of education, contracted private provider, or local Head Start agency shall participate for all preschool children.

2. If not accepted into one or more of the programs, for any reason, the district board of education shall ensure that the dietary requirements listed at (d) below are followed.

(d) District boards of education offering targeted preschool shall ensure that all at-risk children in all settings are offered breakfast, lunch, and one snack per day conforming to the 2020-2025 United States Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans located, at http://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/ regarding meal pattern requirements and nutrition standards.

N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:13A-4.5

Administrative correction.
See: 40 N.J.R. 4790(a).
Amended by R.2009 d.334, effective 11/2/2009.
See: 41 N.J.R. 2530(a), 41 N.J.R. 4077(a).
In the introductory paragraph of (a), inserted "contracted" and "and described in the school district's five-year preschool program plan as required and approved by the Department"; rewrote the introductory paragraph of (c); in (c)1, deleted ", as applicable" from the end; and in (d), substituted " http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/default.htm" for " www.nal.usda.gov/childcare/Cacfp/index.html".

Amended by 54 N.J.R. 1595(b), effective 8/15/2022