CHILD CARE QUALITY ASSURANCE INSPECTOR APPRENTICE
Child Care Quality Assurance Inspector Apprentice is a non-competitive state civil service title, so there is no ranked exam. You qualify by meeting the stated education and experience.
You can qualify with a bachelor's degree or, if you do not have one, by piling up more experience instead. Pay on the FY 2027 schedule runs $63,663 to $92,953, and state payroll currently lists about 12 people in the title, most of them at Children and Families.
How to apply
This title is not filled by examination — agencies appoint directly.
See every real route in, and where to apply. One agency employs it. We don't track live vacancies.
See where to apply for this title →Who employs this title
Child Care Quality Assurance Inspector Apprentice appears on the State payroll at one department, Department of Children and Families.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Department of Children and Families | 12 |
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 12 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $64,340. The agencies employing the most are:
- Children and Families (12)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Under the close supervision of a supervisory official in the Department of Children and Families, as an apprentice and productive worker, receives on the job training in administering the licensure and enforcement provisions of the Child Care Licensing Act (NJSA 30:5-1) and the Resource Family Parent Licensing Act (NJSA 30:4C-27.3); learns to conduct inspections and evaluations of physical facilities and residential treatment center programs, pregnant and parenting adolescent programs, children's residential adventure programs, juvenile sex offender programs, partial care programs, youth case management programs, children's shelters and shelter homes, children's group homes, supervised transitional living homes, treatment homes, teaching family homes, psychiatric community residences for youth, resource family homes and parents, child care centers, registered family care homes, sponsoring organizations, and adoption agencies to ensure their compliance with State and federal statutes and regulations and with department standards; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
Under close supervision, as an apprentice and productive worker: Learns to conduct field inspections and evaluations of child care facilities and resource family homes/parents to determine and ensure compliance with the physical facility and programmatic criteria of appropriate State law and applicable regulations governing child care and residential facilities and homes. Learns to conduct onsite inspections of child care facilities, homes, and agencies for initial and renewal licenses. Learns to investigate complaints about the physical condition, program, and operation of licensed or certified child care facilities, homes, and agencies to ensure that conditions do not exist which present a potentially dangerous hazard to the health, safety, and proper development of enrolled children; takes appropriate follow-up action to ensure immediate compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Learns to conduct on-site programmatic inspections of family day care sponsoring organizations and child placement agencies to evaluate their compliance with appropriate State laws and applicable regulations. Learns to investigate complaints against unlicensed or uncertified facilities, homes, and agencies that may be operating contrary to State law; takes appropriate follow-up action to ensure compliance with the law. Learns to evaluate measures taken by child care facilities, homes, and agencies to abate violations of applicable laws and regulations; recommends enforcement action in keeping with due process of law when proper child care or safety is at risk. Learns to review and evaluate existing and proposed child education, development, and related programmatic components of child care facilities, homes, and agencies to ensure that they effectively meet the social, cognitive, and developmental, and treatment needs of the children served. Receives training in the review and evaluation of the qualifications of staff responsible for setting and conducting educational, developmental, social service treatment programs, and policies at child care facilities, homes, and agencies, including the evaluation of official transcripts, academic credentials, and experience qualifications; provides recommendations to supervisor concerning the appropriateness of those qualifications. Learns to monitor the safety, health, and well-being of children served in resource families through risk prevention; works in partnership with licensing constituents, child advocates, and community organizations. Learns to conduct annual inspections and triennial renewal inspections of existing licenses to ensure the continued safety and well-being of the children in placement and may enforce revocation, denial, or suspension when safety is compromised. Learns to prepare written inspection/violation reports following inspections, re-inspections, and complaint investigations. Maintains extensive records and files. Learns to use automated technologies to record and report the results of inspections of child care facilities, homes, and agencies. Reports unusual and critical situations to a supervisor or other appropriate authority. Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of the methods used to conduct inspections and investigations. Knowledge of problem solving techniques and procedures. Knowledge of automated technologies. Knowledge of approved safety devices, including fire alarm, signal, and sprinkler systems, after a period of training. Knowledge of the methods used to operate child care centers, infant and toddler programs, before and after school child care programs, childcare programs for mildly ill children, or related programs for children, after a period of training. Knowledge of the methods used to operate child placement agencies, residential child care facilities, group homes, shelters, foster homes and other residential services and programs for children, after a period of training. Knowledge of the educational, nutritional, health, safety, developmental, social service, and other treatment needs of children enrolled in all categories of programs defined under the law, after a period of training. Knowledge of child care and development concepts, practices, and activities, after a period of training. Ability to learn the methods used to maintain proper ventilation and room temperature, and fire escape and firefighting equipment laws of New Jersey. Ability to learn to schedule and complete field assignments within the time frames established by applicable laws and regulations. Ability to learn to recognize and identify conditions at child care facilities, homes, and agencies that constitute violations of applicable laws and regulations, and to identify measures to abate the violations. Ability to learn to evaluate and recommend the effective use of space, staff, schedules, materials, and equipment for children at the facilities or homes. Ability to learn to recognize, analyze, and develop solutions to problems encountered in the development and implementation of programs and activities in child care facilities, homes, and agencies for the health, well-being, and proper development of the children, and to provide technical assistance in the implementation of those solutions. Ability to keep current with trends and issues in child care and development. Ability to learn to evaluate educational credentials and certification requirements for managerial and professional staff in child care facilities, homes, and agencies. Ability to learn to conduct inspections and investigations. Ability to comprehend, analyze, and interpret laws, rules, and regulations and apply them to specific situations. Ability to prepare reports. Ability to prepare correspondence. Ability to establish and maintain records and files. Ability to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible if they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible. ADVANCEMENT: Appointees who successfully complete the twenty-four (24) month apprenticeship will be eligible for advancement to the Child Care Quality Assurance Inspector 1 title, in accordance with the New Jersey Civil Service Commission procedures. The inability of an employee in this apprentice title to attain a level of performance warranting advancement to the Child Care Quality Assurance Inspector 1 title shall be considered as cause for separation.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience. Four (4) years of professional experience in the licensing, regulation, inspection, or evaluation of child care centers, family day care homes, child placement agencies, residential or shelter facilities, group homes, resource family homes, or other facilities or homes for children or, as a manager, director, administrator, supervisor, or comparable position in a child care placement agency, child care center, residential facility, shelter, group home, or other facility/home for children. OR Four (4) years of professional experience in social work, direct support counseling, guidance and/or casework involving high risk child abuse and neglect or other problematic socioeconomic situations involving counseling services to clients with social, emotional, psychological, or behavioral problems including gathering and analyzing information, determining needs, and planning and supporting and/or carrying out treatment plans. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. "Professional experience" refers to work that is analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range of basic knowledge of the profession's concepts and practices; and is performed with the authority to act and make accurate and informed decisions.