Licensing Process

LICENSING PROCESS

In the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a day care center & group child care homes, before and after school programs may provide care to children age two years (twenty-four months) and older. A family child care homes may provide care for no more than six children at the same time. An infant and toddler child care center shall provide care to children age six weeks and under twenty-four months. All of the above classifications of care must be licensed by the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs’ Child Care Licensing Program.

A center is issued a license to operate after having met all the requirements of the Child Care Licensing Program’s Administrative Code inclusive of an initial inspection for new applicants and renewal inspection for ongoing applicants. The application to obtain a child care license to operate shall be made on forms supplied by the licensing office.

New applicants must settle all appropriate application fees before submission to the Office of the Child Care Licensing Program with the application for a child care license at least sixty calendar days prior to the opening date of the facility.

Ongoing applicants must settle the same annually at least sixty calendar days prior to the expiration date of the license. The licenses issued to the centers are renewed annually and must be posted in a prominent location at the center.  The following is a detailed application checklist:

Facility Requirements:
1. CNMI Business License
2. Fire Permit
3. Sanitary Permit
4. Occupancy Permit
5. Floor Plan
6. Liability Insurance
7. Center Rate
8. Police or Parent Handbook
9. Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Plan (EPRRP)
10. Staff Schedule
11. Daily Activity Schedule
12. Children’s Roster

Staffing Requirements:
1. Consent for Release of Information
2. Official Photo Identification
3. Police Clearance
4. Health Certificate
5. Health or Food Handler Certificate
6. First Aid & Pediatric CPR
7. Comprehensive Background Check
8. SORNA Clearance
9. Diploma/Degree
10. Official Academic Transcript
11. Resume

MONITORING PROCESS
Once a center is issued a license to operate as a child care provider, the Child Care Licensing Program conducts one announced and one unannounced inspection annually followed by a monitoring inspection for the former and the latter respectively. This is done to follow up on whether or not violation(s) if any, have been corrected pursuant to the Child Care Licensing Safety Inspector’s recommendation on any and all code violations. Shortly thereafter, the Safety Inspector will generate his or her report which will eventually be uploaded to the Child Care Licensing Program and the Child Care & Development Fund website.