If you’re researching child modeling New Jersey options because your toddler is expressive, photogenic, and loves people, you’re not alone. The good news is there are legitimate child acting agencies NYC and NJ-area agencies that represent toddlers for commercial print, TV, and national ads. The key is submitting the right way, and avoiding anyone who’s trying to sell you a “guaranteed” shortcut. The FTC is clear on what those shortcuts actually are: scams.

This guide covers where to submit, what photos to send, how to verify an agency before you reach out, and what red flags to watch for.

Can a 2-Year-Old Be a Model or Actor?

At this age, most of the available work is commercial. Lifestyle advertising, toy brands, baby product campaigns, background roles on television, national commercials. Casting directors and agencies are not expecting a toddler to deliver a monologue.

What they are looking for is something harder to manufacture: genuine personality.

The children who get signed and book work tend to share a few traits. They’re comfortable around strangers. They’re expressive without being coached. And their parents come into the process with realistic expectations and a professional attitude.

That last part matters more than most people realize. Agencies in the child modeling New Jersey and NYC market work with hundreds of families. A parent who shows up prepared, communicates clearly, and understands how the industry works makes the whole process easier, and that reputation follows you.

Reputable Child Acting Agencies NYC and New Jersey

The rule here is simple: avoid anyone who requires payment to be considered for representation or promises guaranteed work. That aligns directly with FTC guidance on modeling scams and is the clearest line between legitimate agencies and predatory ones.

Below are established agencies in the NYC and New Jersey market with active youth divisions. This is not a complete list, submission policies change frequently, and agency rosters vary by season. Always review guidelines directly on each agency’s current website before applying.

Stewart Talent: A well-established NYC agency with a strong youth division representing children for commercials, television, film, and print. Submissions are handled online.

CESD Talent Agency: Well known for commercial and voiceover representation with a dedicated youth department in New York. Review current submission guidelines before applying.

Take 3 Talent Agency: Represents children and teens for print, commercials, and TV work. Their FAQ notes that photos don’t need to be professionally taken and provides a realistic response window, useful to know before you submit.

DDO Artists Agency: A national commercial agency with a NYC office and youth division. Check their current website for submission instructions.

Zuri Agency: A boutique agency specifically focused on youth representation for print and commercial work. Their submission page includes location and availability requirements relevant to NJ and NYC families.

Clear Talent Group: Bi-coastal representation including youth talent in New York and Los Angeles. Current submission info here.

These are established agencies in the child acting agencies NYC market, not endorsements or guarantees of representation. Do your own research, read current reviews from families, and confirm submission requirements before applying.

How to Verify an Agency Before You Submit

Before you send photos anywhere, cross-check the agency on SAG-AFTRA’s Franchised Agents List at sagaftra.org. It’s one of the fastest ways to confirm you’re dealing with a legitimate professional representative. That said, some legitimate youth agencies are not franchised, so use this as a helpful verification tool, not a pass/fail test.

What Photos Should You Send?

Agencies reviewing submissions for toddlers are not looking for studio glamour shots. What they want is to see your child clearly and naturally.

For a submission package, you want three images:

• A clean headshot showing your child’s face and expression
• A full body photo with nothing distracting in the background
• A candid personality shot (a real laugh, a moment of curiosity, something that shows who your child is when no one’s coaching them)

For all three images:

• Natural light, simple background (white wall, clean outdoor setting)
• Clean face, no filters
• No hats, sunglasses, or heavy accessories
• Solid colors, no large logos
• No heavy retouching

Personality matters far more than technical perfection at this age. The goal is for whoever reviews the submission to feel like they already know your child a little.

How to Submit to Child Acting Agencies NYC and New Jersey

Most legitimate agencies, including those listed above, now handle submissions entirely online. The typical process involves an online submission form, two to four uploaded photos, basic measurements (height, weight, clothing sizes), and parent contact information.

A few things to never do: don’t pay registration fees, don’t agree to pay for an “agency-required photographer” as a condition of being considered, and don’t attend open calls that charge money to attend. Legitimate agents earn commission when your child books work. That’s the model.

Avoiding Child Modeling Scams

This is worth taking seriously. The FTC warns parents to walk away from guarantees, pressure tactics, and pay-to-play promises. Real representation is never guaranteed, and legitimate opportunities don’t require you to pay upfront to be “accepted.”

Specific red flags to watch for: any request for upfront fees to be registered or submitted, high-pressure tactics designed to make you decide immediately, promises of guaranteed representation or guaranteed work, and expensive mandatory training or workshops presented as requirements before your child can be considered.

A real agency reviews your child’s photos and either wants to represent them or doesn’t. They don’t need your money to make that decision.

If Your Child Is Hired: What to Know About Permits

Parents don’t need a law degree here, but a few basics are worth knowing before you get to that stage.

In New York, a child performer permit is required before work begins. Current information is available through the NY Department of Labor at dol.ny.gov. In New Jersey, the production company obtains a NJ child labor permit after the minor is hired. There’s no fee for the permit, and out-of-state working papers are not valid for NJ productions. Current regulations are available through the NJ Motion Picture & Television Commission at nj.gov/njfilm.

Professional Photos vs. Phone Photos: The Honest Answer

You can submit with clean phone photos. Many children get signed that way, and Take 3 Talent’s own FAQ says as much.

That said, professionally taken images (clean background, natural light, no retouching, letting personality come through) do carry more credibility when a casting director is reviewing dozens of submissions back to back.

If you’re in Northern New Jersey or the NYC area and want to see an example of professional headshot, I’m happy to walk you through what a child session looks like and whether it makes sense for your situation.

Not every child who submits will get signed. That’s not a reflection of your child’s value, it’s the reality of a market driven by specific looks, timing, and fit at any given moment.

What you can control is how you present your child. Submit professionally. Use clean, natural images. Approach the child modeling New Jersey and child acting agencies NYC process with realistic expectations. And be the kind of parent an agency actually wants to work with: organized, communicative, and patient.

The opportunity is real. Going in prepared is how you make the most of it.

Want to talk through agencies, photos, or next steps? Visit my Contact page and tell me your child’s age and what kind of work you’re aiming for.

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About Alex Kaplan Alex Kaplan is a professional photographer based in New Jersey with over 30 years of experience photographing corporate headshots, child actor headshots, and events across Northern New Jersey and the NYC metro area. View his professional headshots for kids in New Jersey and NYC or get in touch to discuss your session.