N.J. Admin. Code § 8:25-3.2

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

Section 8:25-3.2 - Staff

(a) Each youth camp shall employ a camp director that is at least 21 years of age and has one of the following qualifications.

1. At least two seasons of administrative experience in an organized certified camp;

2. Nine months verified experience in a youth program; or

3. One season of administrative experience in an organized certified camp and at least one year teaching experience with a teacher certification.

(b) The camp director shall develop and maintain a written statement of personnel policies and practices.

1. The camp director shall inform the camp staff of these policies and practices and of their specific duties by means of a written job description of each staff classification.

(c) The camp director shall conduct and document preseason orientation and training for the staff.

(d) The camp director shall include the following in the orientation:

1. Verbal discussion and printed materials on policies and procedures, which are required pursuant to this chapter, including, but not limited to:

i. Personnel policies and practices;

ii. Job descriptions;

iii. Disciplinary policies;

iv. Basic principles of emergency first aid, blood borne pathogens, infection control, and hand washing practices;

v. Emergency procedures;

vi. Daily health surveillance procedures;

vii. Lost camper policies;

viii. Lost swimmer policies; and

ix. Any other expectations of the camp director, as applicable.

2. The youth camp operator or camp director shall develop and implement a program of staff training on issues related to child abuse and neglect, such as, but not limited to, understanding the staff members' responsibilities, reporting, recognition, and observation of campers.

(e) The youth camp operator shall develop and follow written procedures for the review of the background of each staff member.

(f) The youth camp operator or camp director shall verify that each staff member has a background free of conduct that bears adversely upon his or her ability to provide for the safety and well-being of the campers.

(g) The youth camp operator or camp director shall determine whether each staff member's conduct, criminal or otherwise, disqualifies that person from employment at the camp by considering the factors set forth in (h) through (l) below.

(h) The youth camp operator or camp director shall conduct a review of prior employment history for each new staff member.

1. The prior employment history shall include, but not be limited to, the name, address and phone number of a contact person at each place of employment.

(i) The youth camp operator or camp director shall conduct three character reference checks for each new staff member by contacting references provided by the staff member that are not related to the staff member.

(j) The youth camp operator or camp director shall conduct a criminal history check for each adult staff member through either of the following methods:

1. Making a request for criminal history record information (CHRI) for noncriminal justice purposes in accordance with N.J.A.C. 13:59 and the procedures established by the New Jersey State Police at the following website, http://www.njsp.org/about/serv_chrc.html.

i. For adult staff members whose permanent residence is not New Jersey (out-of-State and international), the youth camp operator or camp director, where practical, shall also obtain from the staff member's place of residence, a criminal history check or its recognized equivalent; and

2. Using a vendor that provides information at least comparable to the information available through the New Jersey State Police as set forth in (j)1 above and is able to provide criminal history information from New Jersey for New Jersey residents.

(k) The youth camp operator or camp director shall conduct a criminal history check for each adult staff member according to the following schedule:

1. By June 15, 2010, the youth camp operator or camp director shall conduct a criminal history check for each existing adult staff member that has not had a lapse of employment greater than a continuous 12-month period.

i. The Department shall accept a criminal history check that the youth camp operator or camp director completed for an existing adult staff member on or after June 15, 2009, as satisfying the requirement in (k)1 above;

ii. If the youth camp operator or camp director completed a criminal history check for an existing adult staff member prior to June 15, 2009, then the operator or director shall require the staff member to complete and submit a notarized statement indicating whether or not there was a change to his or her criminal history status since completion of the criminal history check, in order to satisfy the requirement in (k)1 above; and

iii. If the existing adult staff member indicates that there has been a change in his or her criminal history status then the youth camp operator or director shall complete a new criminal history check and follow up with the staff member;

2. The youth camp operator or camp director shall require each existing adult staff member that has not had a lapse of employment greater than a continuous 12-month period, to complete a notarized statement, on an annual basis, indicating whether or not there was a change to his or her criminal history status.

i. If the existing adult staff member indicates that there has been a change in his or her criminal history status then the youth camp operator or director shall complete a new criminal history check and follow up with the staff member; and

3. The youth camp operator or camp director shall conduct a criminal history check for each new adult staff member hired on or after June 15, 2010, prior to the staff member's start date.

i. The youth camp operator or camp director shall treat an existing adult staff member that has had a lapse of employment at any point greater than a continuous 12-month period as a new adult staff member for the purposes of this section.

ii. The youth camp operator or director may allow an adult staff member to start work prior to receiving the results of a criminal history background check, but the operator or director shall ensure that the new staff member is supervised while working with campers until receipt of satisfactory results.

iii. Once a new staff member has been employed by the camp without a lapse of employment greater than 12 continuous months, the youth camp operator or director shall comply with the standards established at (k)2 above.

(l) The youth camp operator or director shall complete a sex offender registry check for each staff member annually through the following methods:

1. Family watchdog(R), a national sex offender registry, at http://www.familywatchdog.us/, or any national sex offender registry or a vendor that can retrieve national sex offender registry information; and

2. The New Jersey Sex Offender Internet Registry when New Jersey does not participate in the selected national sex offender registry or a vendor cannot obtain sex offender registry information from New Jersey.

(m) The youth camp operator or camp director shall:

1. Maintain written documentation verifying the background and character of each staff member, as set forth in (h) through (l) above, for as long as employment continues at the camp; and

2. Make such documentation available to the Department or local health authority upon request.

(n) High risk activities shall be conducted by a qualified adult activity specialist.

1. High risk activities shall be conducted in accordance with guidelines issued by an organization recognized in the specialized field, current as of the date of the activity.

i. The camp director shall maintain, on-site, a copy of the most recent guidelines for each high risk activity, which the youth camp offers.

(o) At a minimum, an adult, who is assisted by a counselor, shall be responsible for the care and supervision of each group of 20 campers, or portion thereof, for all camp activities, including off-site camp activities, for all campers five up to, and including, 17 years of age.

1. If a group exceeds 20 campers, then the camp director shall ensure that a supervision ratio is maintained at one additional staff for every additional 10 campers.

(p) At a minimum, an adult, who is assisted by a counselor, shall be responsible for the care and supervision of each group of 14 campers, or portion thereof, for all camp activities, including off-site camp activities, for all campers two-and-one-half years up to, and including, four years of age.

1. If a group exceeds 14 campers, then the camp director shall ensure that a supervision ratio is maintained at one additional staff member for every additional seven campers.

(q) At a minimum, an adult, who is assisted by a counselor, shall be responsible for the care and supervision of each group of eight campers, or portion thereof, for all camp activities, including off-site camp activities, for all campers who are less than two-and-one-half years of age.

1. If a group exceeds eight campers, then the camp director shall ensure that a supervision ratio is maintained at one additional staff member for every additional four campers.

(r) The camp director shall develop, implement, and document in writing a procedure to keep track of the location and safety of all campers during all camp activities.

(s) The camp director shall not be included in the required staff ratios set forth in (i), (j) and (k) above in camps serving over 50 children.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:25-3.2

Amended by R.2009 d.66, effective 3/2/2009.
See: 40 N.J.R. 4888(a), 41 N.J.R. 1026(a).
Rewrote the section.
Amended by R.2009 d.329, effective 11/2/2009.
See: 41 N.J.R. 935(a), 41 N.J.R. 4115(a).
Deleted former (e); recodified former (f) and (g) as (e) and (f); added new (g) through (m); and recodified former (h) through (m) as (n) through (s).