Finding child care (21)
Children categories
For families with children with special needs, working non-standard schedules or living in rural/remote communities, finding affordable high quality child care may be especially difficult.
Many parents know that regulated child care is especially hard to find in rural, remote and northern communities. These are likely to have low population density, large geographic distances and many parents working non-standard schedules.
Until 2021, Canadian governments at all levels have mostly taken a hands-off approach to ensuring that child care services are available in all communities. As a result, setting up and maintaining child care in rural and remote communities has been largely unsustainable and regulated services have been limited.
Today the child care situation is undergoing significant changes, as the federal government and provinces/territories have committed to the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) plan to make child care affordable, accessible, high quality, inclusive and flexible. See Who's responsible? for details of policy changes in process.
But although provinces and territories have committed to improve the availability of regulated child care in all communities, regulated child care options remain very limited in many communities in all regions of Canada.
A report titled Child care can't wait till the cows come home: rural child care in the Canadian context provides an overview of the state of rural child care across Canada. (Executive summary is available in EN and FR).
The report Child care can't wait til the cows come home: rural child care in the Canadian context found that the following affect child care provision in rural and remote areas:
- Large geographic distances make it difficult for parents to access child care and for providers to serve spread-out populations.
- Many rural families work seasonally – long hours for part of the year and then minimal or irregular hours for other parts of the year.
- In farm families, one parent may be working off the farm.
- Child safety issues on farms and other rural workplaces make the lack of child care a pressing concern.
- Finding and retaining qualified staff is significantly harder in rural, remote and northern areas due to low wages and limited career options.
- Some provincial/ territorial governments and employers have experimented with options or special funding for models of regulated child care suited to the needs of families living in rural communities but too often, these were not sustained.
Options for parents in rural, remote or northern communities
- Although regulated child care is more limited in rural communities, it is not nonexistent. Parents in rural communities should be aware that some regulated child care may be available, so it’s important to check out your specific province/territory and local community using the child care search tools in each provincial/territorial section of this website.
- As the child care situation is in the process of changing Canada-wide, parents living in rural and remote communities should connect with child care groups in their area or province/territory to make sure the needs of their community are not left out. See the How to get involved in the child care community section of this website for contact information.
As parents know, standard child care operating hours usually don’t meet the needs of parents who work early morning, evenings, overnight shifts, rotating and split shifts, casual/on-call jobs, weekends, other irregular shifts or the child care needs of seasonal workers. Most regulated child care, especially centres, operate on a “standard” work day basis - roughly 8:00 am to 6 pm.
Experience and research show that Canada’s traditional child care funding arrangements made it financially difficult or impossible for child care services to meet out-of-the-ordinary parent schedules.
Today the public funding situation for child care is in the process of changing, as the federal government and provinces/territories have committed to the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) plan to make child care affordable, accessible, high quality, inclusive and flexible. See Who's responsible? for details about the policy changes.
Non-standard work and child care in Canada: A challenge for parents, policy makers, and child care provision, a report funded by the federal government and published by the Childcare Resource and Research Unit in 2021, provides detailed information about child care policy and programmes for non-standard workers across Canada. The executive summary is available in EN and FR.
But although provinces and territories have committed to improve the availability of non-standard hours child care, regulated child care options for parents who work non-standard hours remain very limited in all regions of Canada.
A 2021 report on non-standard hours child care, written before changes under CWELCC began, found the following:
- The need for non-standard hours child care has been identified in all regions of Canada.
- There are very few non-standard hours options anywhere in Canada, especially outside “slightly” non-standard hours.
- “Non-standard” hours include a wide variety of child care possibilities – from slightly extended hours (from as early as 6:00 AM or until 8:00 PM) to late night, full overnights, weekends and “on demand”.
- The approach to non-standard hours child care is very variable by province and territory.
- Provision of non-standard child care is extremely costly for the service provider both in dollars and in human resources.
Why is non-standard hours child care so scarce?
Some provincial/ territorial governments have experimented with options or provided special funding to facilitate non-standard hours child care, while some service providers have developed programs on their own. But non-standard hours child care is especially costly to provide and operate. Research and analysis show that public funding and public policy are needed to ensure that more adequate options for parents are in place.
Options for parents working shift work or non-standard hours
Identifying non-standard child care in your province/territory
- All provinces and territories provide lists of their regulated child care programmes on their websites, some searchable. Some of these identify regulated centres and family child care offering non-standard hours. See each provincial/territorial section on this website.
- See Table 22 in Comparative tables, Definitions and regulations/policies for non-standard hours child care in Canada. Provinces/territories (2022) from Early childhood education and care in Canada 2021 (Childcare Resource and Research Unit, 2022).
- Among regulated child care possibilities, both centres and regulated family child care may be able to accommodate non-standard hours.
- A limited number of workplaces with many non-standard workers such as hospitals facilitate or provide extended hours child care. These may allow some use by families in the surrounding community. If these exist in your community, it may be useful to contact them.
- A provincial government may help with extra support for extended hours care.
Does an employer have a duty to accommodate shift-working parents?
A decision at the Human Rights Tribunal is relevant to the issue of parents working non-standard hours. With little or no access to appropriate child care options, in 2004, a shift-working parent with three young children requested that her employer, the Canada Border Services Agency, provide her with a stable shift to accommodate her family situation.
Fiona Johnstone’s human rights case won at the Human Rights Tribunal. Her employer, the Government of Canada, appealed the ruling but in February 2013, the federal appeals court ruled that the employer had discriminated against her on the basis of her family status. The court found that Johnstone was unfairly denied a full-time stable shift, stating that accommodating family obligations should be considered a legitimate need by the employer. Other human rights rulings have had the same result: employers have a duty to accommodate family status, along with religion and other considerations.
A Guide to Balancing Work and Caregiving Obligations: Collaborative Approaches for a Supportive and Well-performing Workplace, a booklet prepared by the Canadian Human Rights Commission is a good resource for parents about employers’ responsibilities to accommodate family status.
Who’s responsible?
Who to contact
- Department of Education
- Website
- (867) 975-5600
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
In Nunavut, the Department of Education is responsible for child care programs (up to age twelve) and kindergarten.
The Division of Early Learning and Child Care, in the Department of Education, licenses and funds non-profit child care centres and family day homes that abide by the Nunavut Child Day Care Act.
The Department of Family Services provides Daycare Subsidy (DS) to families that require assistance paying fees when enrolled in education or training opportunities.
Finding child care
Facts and figures
- There is a regulated space for 11.8% of children aged 0 – 12 yrs. (2019)
- There is a regulated full or part-time centre-based space for 22% of children aged 0 – 5 yrs. (2019)
- All regulated child care is non-profit.
Parents are responsible for finding and obtaining a child care space for their child(ren); there is no universal entitlement to a child care space in Nunavut.
Parents must contact child care centres directly to register their child or put their name on a waiting list.
Paying for child care
Parents are responsible for paying child care fees.
According to a 2019 Child Care Fee Survey the median monthly fees in Iqaluit for infants is $1300 and $1213 for toddlers and preschoolers. See the report for median monthly child care costs in 37 other major Canadian cities
The Daycare Subsidy (DS) Program, which is administered by Income Assistance, may provide families with a partial subsidy based on a territory-wide needs test. Parents must be attending school or work outside the home to be eligible for a subsidy or have a child with a disability for whom child care is recommended by a recognised health care professional.
Fee subsidies can be used in both regulated and unregulated child care settings as well as full and part-time spots. Subsidies are paid directly to regulated service providers on behalf of families. For unregulated care, the subsidy is paid to the parent based on an invoice signed by the child care provider. An unregulated provider may be a relative of the child being subsidized.
Please contact your community Income Assistance Worker or local licensed childcare centre to receive the Daycare Subsidy application form.
Regulated child care
In Nunavut, day care centres, nursery schools, after-school care and regulated family day homes must operate in accordance with the Nunavut Child Day Care Act (legislation or law), and the Regulations (explanation of legislation). Their purpose is to set minimum standards that ensure the quality care, instruction and supervision of children.
Regulations address a wide range of standards - from window size to attendance taking to outdoor time. A number of regulations related to program quality are highlighted below.
There are no minimum training requirements in any child care settings in Nunavut.
Caregivers in all regulated settings must be at least 19 years of age and have a first-aid certificate and a clear criminal record with regard to offences respecting a child.
In regulated family child care, providers are not required to have any training but should have an awareness of early childhood development theory.
- Staff:child ratios address the number of staff required per number of children.
- Group size is the number of children, usually of one age group, that stay together throughout the day in a defined group – often a room.
- Family child care homes have a specified number of children by age.
Staff child ratios address how many staff there must be for a group of children in any given room.
The maximum group size is the number of children of one age group that stay together throughout the day in a defined group – often a room.
Child care centres
| Age group | Staff:child ratio | Max group size |
|---|---|---|
| 0-12 mos | 1:3 | 6 |
| 13-24 mos | 1:4 | 8 |
| 25-35 mos | 1:6 | 12 |
| 3 years | 1:8 | 16 |
| 4 years | 1:9 | 18 |
| 5 years | 1:10 | 20 |
| Mixed age group 0-24mos | 1:4 | 8 |
| Mixed age group 2-5years | 1:8 | 16 |
| Mixed age group 5-11 yrs | 1:10 | 20 |
Family child care
Regulated family child care homes can have a maximum of eight children under 12 years, including the provider’s own children with the following restrictions: No more than six of the children may be younger than five years old, no more than three children may be younger than three years, and no more than two children may be younger than two years.
Regulated centres are not required to provide meals. When meals are provided they must be in accordance with the Canada Food Guide to Healthy Eating.
Every operator shall provide daily outdoor play activities for each child and provide safe outdoor play space.
Where the outdoor play space is adjacent to the child care facility, the operator shall ensure: a minimum of 5 m² of play space is provided for each child; and the space is fenced if the surrounding environment is potentially hazardous to children.
Every operator must develop, post and circulate to staff and to parents/guardians a written discipline policy. An operator shall ensure that no child is subject to any form of physical punishment, verbal or emotional abuse, and/or the denial of any physical necessity.
The legislation requires non-profit programs to have boards of directors with at least 51% parent members. If there are for-profit programs, they are required to establish and confirm in writing with the Director of Child Day Care Services a plan for involving the parents or guardians of children attending the centre in the operation of the program.
The regulations require some basic health and safety precautions to be met. Some examples include: a written procedure for emergency evacuation, daily written record summarizing incidents affecting health, safety, or well-being of staff or children, available first aid kit and first aid manual, medications stored in a locked place, written permission obtained before staff can administer medications to children, and a centre-specific written policy and procedure regarding serious occurrences (i.e., injury, death) must be provided.
There is currently no curriculum framework in Nunavut. A framework and action plan for early childhood development is in development.
The regulations do not address all aspects of quality. For example, there are no regulations or standards addressing curriculum or pedagogy in child care in Nunavut.
Unregulated child care
Family home day care facilities (care provided within the private residence of the operator) are not required to be regulated if they have four or fewer children, including the operator’s own children up to 12-years-old. It is not legal to operate a nursery school or child care facility without a license.
Children with disabilities
Families in Nunavut are eligible for the child care subsidy if their child has a disability and child care is recommended by a recognized health care professional.
Regulated and unregulated child care providers may also apply to receive funding from the Healthy Children Initiative under Supportive Child Services. Supportive Child Services provides extra support on an individual basis for children requiring intensive support or specific assistance. This may include supported childcare or enable children to attend centre-based early childhood programs.
See Do you have a child with a disability or special need? for more information on provincial/territorial supports for children with disabilities in child care.
Who’s responsible?
Who to contact
Child Care Services, in the Early Childhood Branch of the Department of Health and Social Services, is responsible for licensing, monitoring, and providing operating funding to licensed child care centres and family day care homes.
The Department of Education is responsible for kindergarten and supports the Learning Together program which is available for children aged birth - five years with their caregivers.
Child Care Services is also responsible for the Child Care Subsidy Program. Subsidy assists families pay child care fees at a licensed child care centre, family day home or school-aged program. Eligibility is based on an income test.
Finding child care
Facts and figures
- There is a regulated space for 24.9% of children ages 0 - 12 years. (2019)
- There is a regulated full or part-time centre-based space for 40.7% of children aged 0 – 5 yrs. (2019)
- Private, for-profit organizations operate 70% of centre-based child care spaces. There is no publically delivered child care. (2019)
Parents are responsible for finding and obtaining a child care space for their child(ren); there is no universal entitlement to a child care space in the Yukon.
There is a list of licensed child care centres and family day home programs. Parents must contact centres directly to register their child or put their name on a waiting list.
The Department of Health and Social Services has a Choosing Child Care page to help parents make an informed decision between a licensed child care centre and family day home. The page also provides information on unlicensed day homes.
Paying for child care
Parents are responsible for paying child care fees. According to the most recent available territorial government data, the median monthly parent fee for full-time centre-based care is, $802 for infants (0 - 17 months), $749 for toddlers (18 months - 3 years), $723 for preschoolers (3 - 5 years), and $371 for school-aged children (6 - 12 years). Average monthly fees in regulated family day homes are approximately the same as in centre-based care.
Subsidies
The Child Care Subsidy Program, which is administered by the Child Care Service Unit, may provide eligible families with a subsidy to cover part or all of their child care costs based on a territory-wide income test. In Yukon, subsidies may be used in any licensed for-profit or nonprofit licensed program, both full and part time programs are eligible.
Fee subsidies are paid directly to service providers on behalf of eligible parents. If costs are above the maximum subsidy rate, the subsidized parents will be charged the difference.
It is the responsibility of subsidized parents to find a space in a child care centre or family home day care for your child and let the Child Care Service Unit know when your child will be starting and the program’s daily fees.
Accessing subsidies
A subsidy application form and further information about eligibility is available online.
Regulated child care
In the Yukon, child care centres, family day homes and school-age child care centres must operate in accordance with the regulations set out in the The Child Care Act, 1990 and the appropriate program regulations (i.e. child care, family day home, or school-age program). There Yukon has appointed the Yukon Child Care Board as a community advisory board. The Board releases an annual report on a regulat basis.
A government Child Care Inspector is required to conduct an annual inspection and two to four unannounced visits per year to each child care centre.
Territorial regulations address a wide range of standards - from space requirements to attendance taking to outdoor time. A number of regulations related to program quality are highlighted below.
In child care centres in the Yukon, 20% of the staff working with children must have two or more years of training in early childhood development (ECD). An additional 30% of staff must have at least one year of training in ECD, and the remaining staff must have a minimum 60-hour introductory ECD course.
The care provider in a regulated family day care home must complete a 60 hour introductory early childhood development course, and a specific family day home course or equivalent within the first year they provide care for children. Family day care home providers must be 18 years of age, have a first-aid certificate and a criminal records check.
- Staff:child ratios address the number of staff required per number of children.
- Group size is the number of children, usually of one age group, that stay together throughout the day in a defined group – often a room.
- Family child care homes have a specified number of children by age.
Child care centres
Yukon child care centres have a maximum of 64 spaces overall.
| Age of child | Staff:child ratio | Max group size |
|---|---|---|
| 0-18 mos | 1:4 | 8 |
| 18 mos – 2 yrs | 1:6 | 12 |
| 3 yrs – 6 yrs | 1:8 | 16 |
| 6-12 yrs | 1:12 | 24 |
Family day homes
The maximum capacity in a regulated family day home with one caregiver is no more than four infants; or six children with no more than three children under 18 months; or eight children over 18 months. Providers’ children that are school- aged, are not included in the maximum number of children. If there is an additional caregiver, there may be four additional school-age children.
Regulated programs are not required to provide meals but to supplement meals if a parent does not supply enough food. When meals are provided they must be in accordance with Canada Food Guide to Health Eating and Native Food Guide.
Programs must ensure that the following meals/snacks are served:
- A morning meal, a midday meal, or an evening meal including at least four food groups;
- A mid morning, mid afternoon, or mid evening snack including at least two food groups.
Child care providers must provide access to outdoor playground space, either on the premises or off, of no less than five square metres of play area per child for each child using the outdoor space. The outdoor play space does not have to accommodate all children enrolled in the program at one point in time.
The daily schedule must include time to play outdoors every day, except in inclement weather.
Centres and family child care providers are required to have a behavior guidance/discipline policy and are responsible for familiarizing staff and parents with the policy.
Disciplinary action should take the form of positive guidance, redirection, and establishment of well defined limits, according to established guidelines.
Children must not be punished by putting them in isolation in a closed, separate room.
The operator must not permit, practice, or inflict any form of physical punishment, verbal or emotional abuse of, or denial of physical necessities to, any child in attendance.
The operator of the centre must ensure that open communication is maintained with parents and guardians on all matters affecting their child. Parents and guardians must also have reasonable access to the program, inspection reports, written policies, menus, log of injuries, The Child Care Act, Regulation and Guidelines, and the Child Care Subsidy Regulation.
The regulations require some basic health and safety precautions to be met. For example, service providers are required to:
- Have a written procedure for emergency evacuation.
- Have a daily written record summarizing incidents affecting health, safety, or well-being of staff or children.
- Have a first aid kit and first aid manual available.
- Have medications stored in a locked place and written permission obtained before staff can administer medications to children.
- Have a service-specific written policy and procedure regarding serious occurrences (i.e., injury, death).
The Yukon’s Early Learning Curriculum was expected to be available to Early Childhood Educators in 2020. It is currently under territorial review and when approved, will move into an implementation stage.
The regulations do not address all aspects of quality. For example, there are no regulations or standards addressing curriculum or pedagogy in child care in the Yukon. The Yukon’s Early Learning Curriculum is in the process of being developed.
Unregulated child care
A family day care home is not required to be regulated if it has three or fewer children of any age. This does not include the caregiver’s own children.
Preschool programs for children aged 3-6 years that operate for less than three consecutive hours are not required to be licensed.
A program for children that has a primary purpose other than providing child care and operates for a period of 12 consecutive weeks or less is exempt from the Child Care Act.
School-age programs provided to seven or fewer children when school is not in session are not required to be licensed.
Children with disabilities
Families in Yukon are eligible for a fee subsidy if child care is recommended as a child protection service, approved by the director on the basis of special needs of the family or child, for a child with a disability, due to a short-term family crisis, or for parental respite.
Funding may be provided for adaptive equipment, transportation, programming support and additional staff based on the individual needs of the child through the Supported Child Care Program.
See Do you have a child with a disability or special need? for more information on provincial/territorial supports for children with disabilities in child care.
Who’s responsible?
Who to contact
- Department of Education, Culture and Employment
- Website
- (867) 767-9351
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is responsible for child care overall and for kindergarten. The department administers the legislation and is responsible for monitoring and licensing programs.
The child care assistance program is administered by the Northwest Territories Income Security Division and is accessed through application for income security.
Questions or concerns regarding licensing in child care centres and family child care homes can be directed to regional early childhood consultants.
Finding child care
Facts and figures
- There is a regulated space for 23.3% of children aged 0 – 12 yrs. (2019)
- There is a regulated full or part-time centre-based space for 21% of children aged 0 – 5 yrs. (2019)
- All regulated child care is non-profit with several part-day programs operated by school boards (public).
Parents are responsible for finding and obtaining a child care space for their child(ren); there is no universal entitlement to a child care space in the Northwest Territories.
Paying for child care
Parents are responsible for paying child care fees. According to the territorial government, the average monthly parent fee for full-time centre-based care is $1093 for an infant and $990 for a toddler and $890 for a preschooler. In regulated family day homes the average monthly parent fee is $1000 for an infant and $900 for a preschooler.
There is no stand alone child care subsidy program. Parents must qualify for the territorial Income Assistance Program (IA) under the Department of Education, Culture, and Employment. Fee subsidies can be used in both license and unlicensed child care.
Subsidies are paid directly to the parents unless the parent requests that the regulated child care service is paid directly. Parents must be attending school or work outside the home.
Accessing subsidies
In order to access child care subsidies, families/individuals must apply for the income security program. During the in-person application process (visit your local Education, Culture and Employment Centre) individuals can select whether they require a child care subsidy.
Regulated child care
In the Northwest Territories, day care centres, nursery schools, after-school care and regulated family day homes operate in accordance with the regulations set out in the Child Day Care Act, RSNWT (Nu) 2011, c C-5.
Regulations address a wide range of standards - from window size to attendance taking to outdoor time. A number of regulations related to program quality are highlighted below.
There are no minimum training requirements in any child care settings in the NWT.
Caregivers in all regulated settings must be at least 19 years of age and have a first-aid certificate and a clear criminal record with regard to offences respecting a child.
- Staff:child ratios address the number of staff required per number of children.
- Group size is the number of children, usually of one age group, that stay together throughout the day in a defined group – often a room.
- Family child care homes have a specified number of children by age.
Child care centres
Maximum ratios and group sizes in regulated centre-based care
| Age of child | Staff:child ratio | Max group size |
|---|---|---|
| 0-12 mos | 1:3 | 6 |
| 13-24 mos | 1:4 | 8 |
| 25-35 mos | 1:6 | 12 |
| 3 years | 1:8 | 16 |
| 4 years | 1:9 | 18 |
| 5 years | 1:10 | 30 |
| Mixed age group 0-24mos | 1:4 | 8 |
| Mixed age group 2-5years | 1:8 | 16 |
| Mixed age group 5-11 yrs | 1:10 | 30 |
Family child care homes
Regulated family child care homes can have a maximum of eight children under 12 years, including the provider’s own children with the following restrictions: No more than six of the eight children may be under six years of age, maximum of three children three years and under, and no more than two children may be under two years.
Regulated centres are not required to provide meals. When meals are provided they must be in accordance with the Canada Food Guide to Healthy Eating.
Every operator shall provide daily outdoor play activities for each child and provide safe outdoor play space.
When the outdoor play space is adjacent to the child day care facility, the operator shall ensure: a minimum of 5 m² of play space is provided for each child; and the space is fenced if the surrounding environment is potentially hazardous to children.
Every operator must develop, post and circulate to staff and to parents/guardians a written discipline policy. An operator shall ensure that no child is subject to any form of physical punishment, verbal or emotional abuse, and/or the denial of any physical necessity.
The legislation requires non-profit programs to have a board of directors with parent involvement.
If there are for-profit programs, they are required to establish and confirm in writing with the Director of Child Day Care Services a plan for involving the parents or guardians of children attending the centre in the operation of the program.
The regulations require that basic health and safety precautions are met. For example, operators are required to:
- Have a written procedure for emergency evacuation.
- Have a daily written record summarizing incidents affecting health, safety, or well-being of staff or children.
- Have a first aid kit and first aid manual available.
- Have medications stored in a locked place and written permission obtained before staff can administer medications to children.
- Have a centre-specific written policy and procedure regarding serious occurrences (i.e., injury, death) must be provided.
Northwest Territories uses the Framework for Early Childhood Development in the Northwest Territories. Although, the curriculum framework is not mandatory in child care centres.
The regulations do not address all aspects of quality. For example, there are no regulations addressing curriculum or pedagogy in child care in the Northwest Territories.
Unregulated child care
A family child care home is not required to be regulated if it has four or fewer children including the provider’s own children up to 12 years old. It is not legal to operate a nursery school or child care centre without a license.
Children with disabilities
Families in Northwest Territories are eligible for fee subsidy if their child is considered “at risk” and has a referral from a social worker, doctor, or other health professional.
Care providers are funded to provide extra support for children with special needs, through higher operating grants, funded at the infant rate.
See Do you have a child with a disability or special need? for more information on provincial/territorial supports for children with disabilities in child care.
Who’s responsible?
Who to contact
In British Columbia, the Ministry of Children and Family Development is responsible for child care. Kindergarten is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and is a full school-day.
The Ministry of Children and Family Development is responsible for administering child care fee subsidies and funding for service providers, registering early childhood educators and funding local child care resource and referral programs. Unique to British Columbia, monitoring and licensing regulated child care is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health.
Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) programs provide support, resources and referral services for parents and child care providers in communities across British Columbia.
Finding child care
Facts and figures
- There is a regulated space for 19.8% of children age 0-12. (2019).
- There is a regulated full or part-time centre-based space for 27% of children age 0-5 years. (2019)
- Full-day child care programs are approximately 53% for-profit. (2014)
There is a small amount of services offered through public government including First Nations governments. The Ministry of Children and Family Development has established a child care map that allows parents to search ministry-funded licensed child care by city, address and licence type.
In BC, the term "license not required" refers to a family child care home that is not regulated but is permitted.There are two types of license-not-required child care: license not required (LNR) and registered license not required (RLNR), which is registered with a Child Care Resource and Referral Agency.
Parents may contact their local CCRR service for referrals to local child care providers including RLNR homes, and for free consultation, support and access to professional help.
If the licensee is an early childhood educator, he/she may operate an in home multi-age child care.
A booklet called Parents’ guide to selecting and monitoring child care in BC describes the different types of child care in BC and provides information for parents.
A child care help line is available across the province at 1 888 338-6622; in Victoria, call 250 356-6501.
Paying for child care
Parents are responsible for paying child care fees. According to British Columbia’s Child Care Provider Profile Survey, median monthly fees were $900 for an infant, $850 for a toddler, $780 for a preschooler (2019). Though these fees can be much higher in some locales.
See 2019 data on child care fees from the 37 largest cities in Canada for a more detailed look at the breakdown of child care costs nationally. This data includes the cities of Vancouver, Burnaby, Kelowna, Richmond, and Surrey. The median full time toddler fee in Vancouver is $1,112/month.
Subsidies
The Ministry of Children and Family Development administers child care subsidies under the Affordable Child Care Benefit (ACCB). ACCB are paid directly to service providers on behalf of parents and may be used in for-profit or non-profit, licensed or unlicensed child care.
The Ministry of Children and Family Development also offers Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative as well as Universal Child Care Prototypes that do not cost more than $200 a month per child.
Child care providers may (and often do) charge parents more than the maximum subsidy rate.
BC is unique in that it offers subsidy funding to parents who hire a non-familial caregiver to care for the child in their own home.
Parents must secure a child care space before applying for a subsidy.
Eligibility is based on income, family size, age of children and type of care.
Accessing subsidies
The Ministry of Children and Family Development provides information on eligibility for a child care subsidy as well as a funding estimator tool. There is an online Affordable Child Care Benefit application form.
Depending on the net income of a family, some BC parents may have to pay substantial fees. The ACCB is provided for families whose income is up to $111,000, with maximum subsidies being provided for families that have an income of up to $45,000. The maximum subsidy is then reduced per dollar depending on the age group of the child and net income of the family.
Regulated child care
In BC, child care centres (referred to as “group child care”), preschools, and family child care must operate in accordance with the regulations set out in the Community Care and Assisted Living Act. This document is not specific to child care, though there are certain regulations only relevant to child care (i.e., certification of educators of young children) and to child care subsidies. Many of the regulations apply to other community care venues also (i.e., nursing homes).
Licensing and monitoring of child care facilities is the responsibility of the Ministry of Heath. A Medical Health Officer oversees the issuing of licenses, inspecting licensed facilities and investigating complaints that an unlicensed facility is being operated. These duties are carried out by licensing officers on a daily basis.
Licenses must be placed in a prominent place in the centre or home.
The Community Care and Assisted Living Act and its child care regulations address a range of standards. A number of regulations related to program quality are highlighted below.
British Columbia has four categories or levels of certification for Early Childhood Educators (ECE).
Standard ECE training requires over 900 hours of instruction and 500 of supervised work experience. Staff may also hold an early childhood educator assistance (ECA) certificate. ECA training is the same as above except it excludes the 500 hours of work experience.
There are additional categories for Infant and Toddler ECEs and Special Needs ECEs. Both of these specializations require 250 hours of additional training and 200 hours of practicum pertaining to their specialization.
The regulations also specify that all staff must be of “good character” and in cases where there is no formal ECE training, specify the presence of a “responsible adult”. A “responsible adult” is defined as a person over 19 years of age who is able to provide care and mature guidance to children and completed a 20-hour course relevant to early childhood development.
Staff training requirements are complex and depend on the number of children in a group, the age of the children and the type of care.
For example, regulations stipulate that there must always be an Infant and Toddler Educator with a group of children under three years old in a child care centre. If there are between 5-8 children in this group, the additional staff must be an ECE. Finally, if there are 9-12 children in the group, the next additional staff must have ECA training. In contrast, children ages 2.5 – 5 years must have one ECE with additional staff being ECAs.
Children in multi-age groupings (home or centre) must always have at least one ECE and there may be no more than three children under 3 years old and/or one child under 12 months.
There are no staff training requirements for school-age child care providers and occasional child care providers.
Family child care providers must hold a valid first aid certificate and complete a course or combination of courses of at least 20 hours in child development, guidance, health and safety or nutrition and have relevant work experience.
An in-home multi-age child care provider must be an early childhood educator.
More information about BC’s child care training requirements can be found through the Early Childhood Educator Registry.
- Staff:child ratios address the number of staff required per number of children.
- Group size is the number of children, usually of one age group, that stay together throughout the day in a defined group – often a room.
- Family child care homes have a specified number of children by age.
Child care centres
Maximum staff:child ratios and group sizes
| Age of child | Staff:child ratio | Max group size |
|---|---|---|
| 0-3 years | 1:4 | 12 |
| 30 months–school-age | 1:8 | 25 |
| Preschool | 1:10 | 20 |
| School-age | 1:12 or 1:15 | 24-30 |
| Occasional | 1:4 or 1:8 | 16-20 |
| Multi-age | 1:8 | 8 |
Family child care
Regular family child care
Maximum capacity is seven children, 0 – 12 years including the provider’s own children.
If any child younger than 12 months old is present, no more than three children younger than 48 months old and, of those three, no more than one child younger than 12 months.
If no child younger than 12 months old is present, no more than four children younger than 48 months old, and of those four, no more than two children younger than 24 months old.
In home multi-age child care
Maximum capacity is eight children, and no more than three of those children may be younger than 36 months old. No more than one child may be younger than 12 months old.
It is not required to provide meals in regulated child care in British Columbia. If they are provided they must be in accordance with the Canada Food Guide.
Children in child care must be provided with daily outdoor play periods, weather permitting. The duration of these play periods is not specified.
Licensees must have an outdoor play space that is safe, developmentally appropriate and provide 6 metres-squared of outdoor space per child.
Licensees must provide a written policy to parents and staff regarding behavior management in addition to the regulations included in the act itself.
Regulations state that a child is not subjected to “emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect”, and/or “corporal punishment, confinement, verbal, physical or emotional degradation”. Deprivation of rest, meals and/or toileting not permitted as punishment. Finally, restraint is permitted but “only by a person who is trained in the use of, and alternatives to the use of, restraints”.
Every child care program must have a parent handbook that outlines policies and procedures. If the child care centre requires a volunteer, parents may volunteer with the centre as long as they have a valid criminal reference check.
The regulations require some basic health and safety precautions to be met. For example, operators are required to:
- Accessible emergency contact information, an evacuation plan and reporting of critical accidents or illnesses to licensing authorities.
- Procedures for accommodating and/or sending home sick children.
- Guidelines for diapering and handwashing.
- Protocol for the storage and administration of prescription medication to children.
British Columbia’s curriculum framework, Early Learning Framework, is available online.This framework is not mandatory but can be used as a resource for early childhood education and care professionals.
The regulations do not address all aspects of quality. For example, there are no regulations addressing curriculum or pedagogy in child care in BC.
Unregulated child care
There are two categories of legal unregulated home child care in BC; “license-not-required” (LNR) and “registered license-not-required” (RLNR). The maximum capacity in a legal unregulated (LNR and RLNR) home is two children or one sibling group of any age, not including children related to the caregiver.
RLNRs must be registered with a CCRR and meet registration requirement criteria established by the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
A RLNR provider must complete 20 hours of child care related training, relevant work experience, a valid first aid certificate and a clear criminal record check.
Child care providers caring for more than two children (or one sibling group) are required to have a license.
Child minding is care offered to children whose parent(s) are engaged in activities or classes for a total of less than 2 hours each day, are on the same premise as the child-minding service and are immediately accessible at all times to attend to the child’s needs. Maximum group size: 24, with each child younger than 12 months counted as 2.5 children, each child younger than 36 months but 12 months or older is counted as two children, and each child 36 months or older is counted as one child.
Children with disabilities
BC has established the Supported Child Development (SCD) program for children 0-12 with disabilities. This program is free of charge and assists families and child care providers to fully include children needing extra support in typical child care settings.
Services include individualized planning, training, information and resources, referrals to other specialized services and when required, staffing supports. SCDP programs have Local Advisory Committees (LACs) that involve parents and other key community and government partners in program planning, decision-making, and service delivery.
The program has to apply for this extra funding. Parents are still required to pay regular child care fees or get a subsidy.
See Do you have a child with a disability or special need? for more information on provincial/territorial supports for children with disabilities in child care.
Who’s responsible?
Who to contact
- Child and Family Services Authorities (CFSAs) offices
- Website
- Children services offices
- Ministry of Education (early childhood services and kindergarten)
- Website
- (780) 427-7219
In Alberta, responsibility for early learning and child care and kindergarten falls under the Ministry of Education and Alberta Children’s Services.
Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) offer many programs including parent-child development activities and temporary or occasional parent relief. Find the nearest FCSS office to see what services may be offered in your area.
First Nation, Métis, and Inuit children and families receive services from 17 Delegated First Nation Agencies (DFNAs) who have been given delegated authority to deliver services as per the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act.
The Ministry of Children's Services provides subsidies for child care services.
Finding child care
Facts and figures
- There is a regulated space for 19.9% of children aged 0 – 12 yrs. (2019)
- There is a regulated full or part-time centre-based space for 22% of children aged 0 – 5 yrs. (2019)
- 59% of childcare is owned by private, for-profit organizations. (2019)
- There is a small number of municipally run child care centres. (2019)
Families are responsible for finding and obtaining a child care space for their child(ren); there is no universal entitlement to a child care space in Alberta.
The Alberta government has developed an online Child Care Look-up tool, which provides the location, age group served, program capacity and recent inspection results of all regulated child care services. Users are able to search by program name and city or postal code, age group and type of care.
This tool provides detailed inspection reports citing not only the number and date of inspections, but also the number and type of non-compliances, complaints and follow-up inspections. This information may be helpful for parents, who can compare different services.
The Alberta government has also created a guide to help parents identify quality in child care, Choosing child care: A guide to licensed and approved child care in Alberta. This guide takes parents through the process of finding and choosing childcare, from defining different types of care to contacting providers to a checklist of questions to ask prospective providers.
Paying for child care
Families are responsible for paying child care fees.
The 2019 Child Care Fee Survey found the full-day, full-time median monthly infant fee in Calgary was $1,300, and $1,100 for toddlers, and $1075 for preschoolers (including both child care centre and regulated home child care data). See the report for median monthly child care costs in 37 other Canadian cities including Edmonton and Lethbridge.
Subsidies
Alberta’s child care fee subsidy program supplements fees for low income parents. Children enrolled in licensed non-profit and for-profit centres, facility-based or home-based care are eligible. The subsidy is paid from the provincial government to the service provider.
The maximum fee subsidy is dependent on the income of the family. Up to $741 of the fee subsidy is provided to families that make $0 to $49,000. The subsidy eligibility is capped at an income of $74,999. An online fee subsidy estimator can help parents get an idea of the amount of subsidy they may be eligible for.
There is a two step eligibility process. First parents must demonstrate the need for care (i.e., employment and/or schooling) and then a province-wide income test is applied.
Alberta runs $25/ per day child care pilot at 100 federally funded child care centres across the province.The pilot began in 2018 and is set to end on March 31, 2021.
Accessing subsidies
In Alberta, parents must secure a space before applying for a subsidy. Application forms may be submitted online, by mail or in person (to your local Child and Family Service Authority office).
Regulated child care
In Alberta facility-based (daycare, preschool, and out-of-school care) and home-based childcare will operate in accordance with the regulations set out by the Early Learning and Child Care Act and Regulations.
Licensed programs are required to post their license in a place where parents and staff can easily see it.
Another child care option available to parents in Alberta is referred to as the Approved Family Day Home (FDH) program. Contracted family day home agencies and approved providers are required to operate according to ministry standards.
Alberta’s child care licensing regulations address a wide range of standards – from licensing fees to location of the washrooms to discipline procedures. A number of regulations key to program quality are highlighted below.
- Alberta has three certification levels:
Early Childhood Educator Level 1: One specified high school or college course or government-sponsored orientation course or approved family day home provider training course.
Early Childhood Educator Level 2: Completion of a one year Early Learning and Child Care certificate program at an Alberta public college or equivalent level of training (see Educational Equivalencies) and at least one college/university-level English/French course (e.g. communication, composition) or completion of the Life Experience Equivalency Process (LEEP).
Early Childhood Educator Level 3: Completion of a two year Early Learning and Child Care diploma program offered by an Alberta public college, or has completed an equivalent level of training (see Child Care Staff Certification for details) and completed at least one college/university-level English/French course (e.g. communication, composition). - In child care centres, one of every three primary staff must hold a ELCC certificate or equivalent. All other primary staff working directly with children at any time of day must hold at least a Child Development Assistant certificate.
- Program supervisor must hold an Early Childhood Educator Level 3 certification. In the extended absence of the Program Supervisor, a person with certification as at least an Early Childhood Educator Level 2 must be designated to assume the responsibilities of the program supervisor.
- In preschool programs, all staff working directly with children must hold at least a Child Development Assistant certificate.
- Staff have 6 months to obtain this certificate, until then the staff person must not have unsupervised access to children
- In out-of-school care, staff working directly with children must hold at least Early Childhood Educator Level 1 certification.
- In approved home-based, no formal child development training is required for providers but home-based agencies must develop appropriate training in described areas.
- In licensed group family child care homes, the licensee must complete an one year ECE certificate. Assistants must complete 45 hr post-secondary ECE course or other training programs offered by the province and Family Day Home agencies
- Staff:child ratios address the number of staff required per number of children.
- Group size is the number of children, usually of one age group, that stay together throughout the day in a defined group – often a room.
- Family child care homes have a specified number of children by age.
Child care centres
Staff:child ratios and maximum group sizes in centres
| Age of child | Staff:child ratio | Max group size |
|---|---|---|
| < 12 mos | 1:3 | 6 |
| 12 mos - <19 mos | 1:4 | 8 |
| 19 mos - <3 years | 1:6 | 12 |
| 3 years and - < 4 year | 1:8 | 16 |
| 4 years + | 1:10 | 20 |
| 6 years + | 1:15 | 30 |
Preschools have no maximum group size. In a preschool, children 19 months to less than three years require a staff: child ratio of 1:6. If children are older than three years, the staff:child ratio is 1:12.
Family child care homes
A family day home (one provider) can have a maximum of six children, not including the provider’s own children. A day home can have no more than three children under 3 years and two children under 2 years (the provider's own children are count in this ratio).
Group family child care (two providers) can have a maximum of 10 children and minimum of two staff, one of whom is the license holder. No more than three may be under 3 years of age, and no more than two may be under 2 years.
Child care settings are not required to provide meals. If meals are provided, they must meet Canada Food Guide nutrition standards.
There needs to be 2 metres squared space for children under 19 months of age and 4.5 metres squared space for children over 19 months of age.
There is no requirement that children spend time outdoors.
Regulations require that child discipline approaches used by the provider are communicated to staff, parents, and children. Discipline must be “appropriate in circumstances and not: “Inflict physical punishment, verbal or physical degradation or emotional deprivation, “use or permit the use of any form of physical restraint, confinement or isolation”, and/or “deny or threaten to deny any basic necessity”.
An applicant for a license to operate a child care program must describe how parents are to be involved in their program.
Alberta’s regulations require that some basic health and safety precautions be met. Some examples include:
- Emergency contact information available in the form of a portable record.
- Clear evacuation plan.
- Procedures for accommodating and/or sending home sick children.
- Protocol for reporting critical accidents or illness to licensing authorities.
- The safe storage and administration of prescription medication to children.
- Sanitary diapering and hand washing procedures.
Alberta has developed a child care curriculum framework called Flight: Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework. This curriculum framework is not mandatory but can be used by early learning and child care professionals as a resource. It is required to be used in the $25/day pilot program sites.
The regulations do not address all aspects of quality. For example, there are no regulations or standards addressing curriculum or pedagogy in child care in Alberta.
Unregulated child care
People who offer child care out of their homes, that have not been approved to operate under the provincial family day home category, are considered private babysitters. These programs can offer private babysitting to up to six children under 13 years of age, not including their own, at any given time. These programs are not monitored to help ensure the safety and well-being of the children.
Children with disabilities
Family support for children with disabilities (FSCD) may provide parents with additional funding for child care. An application form and additional information about FSCD are available online.
The Inclusive Child Care Program provides funds to service providers to facilitate the inclusion of children with diverse needs. Programs must apply directly for these funds.
See Do you have a child with a disability or special need? for more information on provincial/territorial supports for children with disabilities in child care.
Who’s responsible?
Who to contact
- Ministry of Education, Early Years and Child Care Branch
- Website
- (306) 787-4980
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
In Saskatchewan, the Ministry of Education is responsible for child care, kindergarten and pre-kindergarten services overall.
The Early Years and Child Care Branch of the Ministry of Education is responsible for child care services and pre-kindergarten. The Branch administers the legislation, coordinates service delivery and provides grants to assist developing or operating non-profit centres.
Eleven child care regional offices throughout Saskatchewan help to monitor, license, and provide information to parents.
The Early Years and Child Care Branch is also responsible for the Child Care Subsidy program.
Finding child care
Facts and figures
- There is a regulated space for 9.5% of children aged 0-12 years. (2019)
- There is a centre-based space for 17% of children aged 0-5 years. (2019)
- Several communities offer municipally-delivered or supported child care.
- 2% of regulated child care is for-profit and the rest are non-profit. (2019)
- For-profit centres are not eligible for funding and do not provide subsidized child care.
Families are responsible for finding and obtaining a child care space for their child(ren); there is no universal entitlement to a child care space in Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan has an online licensed directory of child care homes and centres, which provides contact information for licensed centres and family child care providers in all 12 regions.
The province has created an online page called How Child Care Works In Saskatchewan to answer frequently asked questions. This page explains the difference between licensed and unlicensed childcare, describes the government’s role in regulating child care, and offers information about child care subsidy (CCS).
For more information, contact the Child Care Regional Office closest to you (contact information can be found at the bottom of the How Child Care Works In Saskatchewan page).
Paying for child care
Families are responsible for paying child care fees.
A 2019 child care fee survey found the full-time, median monthly fees in Regina were $850 for infants, $680 for toddlers, and $620 for preschoolers. In Saskatoon the median monthly fees were $995 for infants, $800 for toddlers, and $740 for preschoolers. The report also includes full-time, median infant and preschooler fees, as well as a breakdown of child care costs in the other 37 largest Canadian cities.
Subsidies
A child care subsidy may be available through the Ministry of Social Services to reduce the fees charged to eligible parents.
Subsidies are paid directly to service providers; they vary on a sliding scale with income — the lower the income, the higher the subsidy. Subsidy rates also vary by age of the child, the type of care provided and by region.
Maximum full-time fee subsidy rates vary from $315 to $570 per month. These usually do not cover the full fee: subsidized parents are responsible for the difference. Parents, even those with a full subsidy, are always required to pay a minimum of 10% of child care fees.
Parents must be employed, enrolled in education or have special health needs to qualify for subsidy.
If parents are on social assistance and involved in employment, training or rehabilitation, the parent portion of regulated care or the community average cost of unregulated care may be subsidized.
Subsidies are available in regulated non-profit child care centres and licensed family child care homes. Parents must secure a child care space before applying for a subsidy.
Accessing subsidies
More information about the child care subsidy program is available online. To apply, complete the form online and mail to Child Care Subsidy, P.O. Box 2405 Station Main, Regina, SK S4P 4L7 or contact the Saskatchewan Ministry of Social Services, Child Care Subsidy Office at: 306-787-4114 or 1-800-667-7155.
Regulated child care
In Saskatchewan, only not-for-profit centres are eligible for public funding of any kind. This means parents using a child care subsidy cannot access for-profit centres. However, there are usually no (or very few) for-profit centres, although they are permitted to operate.
In Saskatchewan, child care centres, regulated family child care, school-age child care programs, and teen student support centres/homes (which provide care to parents attending high school) must operate in accordance with the regulations set out in the C-7.3 - Child Care Act (2014) and Chapter C-7.31 Reg. 1 - Child Care Regulations, 2015.
Part-time (operating less than 3 hours a day) centre-based early childhood programs, or preschools (called nursery schools in some regions of Canada) are not required to be licensed in Saskatchewan.
Provincial program consultants, who are required to have an ECE background, work for the Early Learning and Child Care Branch of the Ministry of Education. They develop, license, monitor and consult with both centres and family child care homes. Licensed centres and regulated family child care homes (which are individually licensed in Saskatchewan) are inspected twice a year.
The Saskatchewan Child Care Act and Regulations address a wide range of standards - from mandating parent involvement to the number of hours care may be provided.
A number of regulations related to program quality are highlighted below.
- In Saskatchewan, there are three levels of staff training:
Level I - a 120 hour introductory course provided through a recognized post-secondary educational institution
Level II – a one year early childhood certificate
Level III - a two year early childhood diploma - All staff employed at least 65 hours/month must have the 120 hour introductory course
- 30% of staff a required to be ECE Level II and 20% are required to be ECE Level III in a centre
- Centre directors must have a two year early childhood diploma
- All staff members in each centre must have completed a first aid and CPR course
Regulated family child care
- All providers are required to complete an online information session which provides an overview of licensing requirements, processes and expectations.
- All providers must complete first aid/CPR training, plus six hours of professional development workshops each licensing year.
- Must submit the results of a criminal records search with respect to the applicant and each adult who resides in the premises in which the home will be operated.
- Providers in regular family child care homes must complete a 40 hour introductory early childhood education course within the first year of licensing.
- Providers in group family child care homes have three years to complete the 120 hour orientation course. Assistants require first aid and CPR training plus six hours of professional development each licensing year.
Group family child care (maximum of 12 children with two providers)
- Within three years, providers must complete the 120 hour introductory course (level 1).
- Assistants must have first-aid and CPR training plus six hours of professional development each licensing year.
- Staff:child ratios address the number of staff required per number of children.
- Group size is the number of children, usually of one age group, that stay together throughout the day in a defined group – often a room.
- Family child care homes have a specified number of children by age.
Child care centres may have a maximum of 90 spaces overall, with a maximum of 12 spaces (two groups) for infants.
Child care centres
| Age of child | Staff:child ratio | Max group size |
|---|---|---|
| Infants (6wks – 17mos) | 1:3 | 6 |
| Toddlers (18 - 29mos) | 1:5 | 10 |
| Preschool (30mos - 6yrs) | 1:10 | 20 |
| School age (gr 1-12) | 1:15 | 30 |
- Family child care homes may have a maximum of eight children including provider’s own children under 13 years. There may only be five children under six years and two children under 2.5 years.
- Group family child care homes, which have two providers, may have a maximum of 12 children including the provider’s and assistant’s own children under 13 years. Of the 12 children, only 10 may be younger than six years, of these 10, only five may be younger than 30 months and only three younger than 18 months.
- Teen student support family child care homes (one provider), may have a maximum of six children including the provider’s own children under 13 years.There may be a maximum of four children under six years; or a maximum of three children under 2.5 years of age. If three of the attending children are infants or toddlers, there are no attending children who are preschool children (30 months - under 6 years).
- Service providers in all types of regulated child care in Saskatchewan are required to provide meals that meet “the nutritional needs of the children attending the facility” for children 6 months and older. Parents provide baby food and formula for infants.
- Teen student support centres or teen student support family child care homes are required to provide baby food, but not infant formula.
- Service providers are not required to provide “meals and snacks for a child who requires a special diet or whose parent requests a special diet”.
- Centres must provide a “safe” outdoor play area of seven metres-squared per licensed child care space. At least half the outdoor play area must be adjacent to the centre, and the remainder must be within walking distance of the centre.
- There are no requirements for amount of time spent outdoors.
- The following practices are not permitted in any child care centre or regulated home: corporal punishment, physical, emotional or verbal abuse, denial of necessities, isolation, and inappropriate physical or mechanical restraint.
- Centres and regulated providers are required to develop a written policy with respect to child management and must ensure that all employees and volunteers who provide child care services comply with behavior management policy.
The regulations require some basic health and safety precautions to be met. For example, service providers are required to:
- Have accessible emergency contact information.
- Have and practice an evacuation plan.
- Report “unusual occurrences” (i.e., accident or injury) to the ministry consultant.
- Enforce hygienic diapering procedures and ensure the safe storage and administration of prescription medication.
A curriculum framework, Play and Exploration: Early Learning Program Guide is provided but it is not mandatory for services.
Saskatchewan is unique in that all child care centres are required to have parents involved on a parent advisory committee.
The regulations do not address all aspects of quality. For example, there are no regulations or standards addressing curriculum or pedagogy in child care in Saskatchewan.
Unregulated child care
A family child care home is not required to be regulated if it has eight or fewer children under 13 years, including the caregiver’s own school-aged children. Of the eight children, five may be younger than six years and of these five, only two may be younger than 30 months. In the How Child Care Works In Saskatchewan, all possible combinations are listed in a table.
Part-time preschools (called nursery schools in some regions of Canada) that operate less than 3 hours a day are not required to be licensed in Saskatchewan.
School-age child care programs (solely for children up to, but not including, 16 years of age who have completed kindergarten) located in schools are not required to be regulated.
Children with disabilities
Saskatchewan’s child care Inclusion Program provides various grants to child care facilities to include children with diverse special needs.
The Individual Inclusion Grants are provided to a centre based on the enrolment of an individual child with special needs. A maximum monthly grant of $300 is available to licensed providers in homes or centres.
Enhanced Accessibility Grants are provided monthly to assist with additional costs of including a child with exceptionally high needs, up to $2000/year. Children categorized as having “special needs” must have a referral but not necessarily a diagnosis.
Parents of children with special needs pay the full cost of child care, though having a child with special needs is considered in the subsidy selection process.
See Do you have a child with a disability or special need? for more information on provincial/territorial supports for children with disabilities in child care.
Who’s responsible?
Who to contact
- Ministry of Education, Early Years Division
- Website
- (416) 325 - 2929
- 1 800-387-5514
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Child Care
The Early Years Division of the Ministry of Education is responsible for licensing and monitoring child care centres and home child care under the Child Care and Early Years Act and regulations. Licensed home child care agencies oversee regulated home child care.
Unlike other jurisdictions, parent fee subsidies in Ontario are administered at the local level.
Kindergarten
The Ministry of Education is also responsible for kindergarten under the Education Act. Junior kindergarten and kindergarten are full-school day programs.
Two years of full-school-day kindergarten is available to every child in Ontario in rural and urban communities with each school board responsible for its delivery. A child must be four years of age by December 31 of the school year to attend junior kindergarten and five years of age by December 31 of the school year to attend senior kindergarten. Attendance is not compulsory but most children attend.
The maximum enrolment in a kindergarten class is 29, with the school-board average 26. A junior or senior kindergarten class has a team of two– a teacher, with an Ontario teaching certificate and a Registered Early Childhood Educator. The curriculum framework for a kindergarten is The Kindergarten Program, 2016.
Ontario is unique in Canada in the role played by local municipal or regional governments.
In Ontario, 47 local governments are designated Consolidated Municipal Service Managers and District Social Services Administration Boards (CMSMs and DSSABs), responsible for planning and managing child care services, administering fee subsidies and allocating additional resources to families and centres providing care to children with a disability. In addition, some of these also provide municipal/regionally-operated (public) child care in centres or through family child care agencies.
Regulated child care
Families are responsible for finding and obtaining a child care space for their child(ren); there is no universal entitlement to a child care space for children in Ontario.
A licensed child care search tool is available through the Ministry of Education. This tool allows users to find licensed child care providers by city, postal code, type of program (i.e., centre vs. home care), age group and/or name of centre. It also provides some information about the centre's compliance with provincial regulation. In most of Ontario, parents are required to contact the program directly to place their child on the waiting list.
Facts and figures
- There is a regulated space for 25% of children aged 0 – 12 years. (2021)
- There is a regulated full- or part-time centre-based space for 21.3% of children aged 0 – 5 years. (2021)
- 21% of childcare spaces are operated by for-profit organizations. (2021)
- Ontario municipal and regional governments operate about 2% of regulated spaces. (2021)
Some municipalities, including Hamilton, Kingston, Ottawa, Sudbury, Toronto, Thunder Bay and Wellington County and others have their own tools to help families find child care, and, in some cases, operate centralized waiting lists. Municipalities, or Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSM) or District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSAB) are likely to have their own local information including lists of child care services and—in some instances—quality assessment information. Contact information for your local CMSM/DSSAB can be found online.
Toronto's Child Care Finder also provides information about the quality of programs based on ratings derived from the Assessment for Quality Improvement (AQI) tool developed by the City of Toronto. All centres in the City of Toronto with service contracts to provide subsidized child care are part of the City’s quality rating program; this comprises about 80% of licensed spaces.
Paying for child care
Families are responsible for paying child care fees.
Based on the Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada 2021 report, parent fees in Ontario are not set or regulated by the government, as they are established by individual child care operators. (2023)
According to the Measuring matters: Assessing Canada’s progress toward $10-a-day child care for all report, median monthly fees were $771 for an infant, $621 for a toddler and $555.50 for a preschooler. See the report for a breakdown of child care fees in 37 cities across Canada, including 12 cities in Ontario.
Fee subsidies
Ontario’s child care fee subsidy is managed and administered by 47 Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSM) and District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSAB). Fee subsidies may be used in any regulated non-profit or for-profit centre or family child care home, provided the operator has a purchase of service agreement with the CMSM or DSSAB. It is important for parents to confirm that a child care program is accept families using subsidies.
School board operated before- and after-school programs, authorized recreational and skill building programs, and camps that meet criteria set out under the CCEYA and regulations are also eligible to receive children with fee subsidies unless the CMSM or DSSAB specifies otherwise.
Parents must make a separate application for a licensed space (usually to the centre or agency) and a fee subsidy (the CMSM or DDSAB). There are often long municipal waiting lists for subsidies, so parents should apply early. A regulated space does not have to be secured to apply for a subsidy but the parents cannot use the subsidy without having secured regulated space.
Do not hesitate — put your name on the waiting list for a subsidy when you put your name on a waiting list for a child care space. It is important to do both of these long before child care is actually needed. Thus, you should consider putting your name on the subsidy waiting list as soon as you learn you are pregnant as well as on centre waiting lists. It may be easier to secure a space in regulated home child care than a centre, especially for an infant.
Accessing fee subsidies
Contact your local Consolidated Municipal Service Manager (CMSM) or District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB) to find out how to apply for a subsidy or get on a subsidy waitlist.
Although subsidies are managed at the municipal level, eligibility requirements are set by the province. While the CMSMs and DSSABs may consider social criteria related to the parent, such as employment or enrollment in an educational or training program, eligibility is largely based on an income test. Subsidy amounts are determined on a sliding scale. Parents with an adjusted income lower than $20,000/year pay nothing.
As has been noted elsewhere, in Ontario eligibility for a fee subsidy does not guarantee that it will be available. It is very important to put yourself on the subsidy waiting list as soon as possible.
Regulated child care
In Ontario, licensed child care programs, including child care centres, nursery schools, before/after school programs and regulated family child care, must operate in accordance with the regulations set out in the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014.
A licensed centre is required to post its licence in a place where parents and staff can easily see it. Provincial government personnel, referred to as program advisors, monitor licensed child care centres on an annual basis.
Centres and licensed family child care agencies need to have a parent handbook to outline policies and procedures, including how parent’s issues and concerns are to be addressed and a program statement, reviewed annually, describing the goals for children.
Family child care (“supervised private home day care” or “home child care”) in Ontario is provided to children under age 13 in a caregiver’s private residence. Child care homes are monitored by licensed agencies responsible for multiple family child care homes that operate under the regulations. Ontario family child care agency personnel (home visitors) make regular visits to the homes they are responsible for and may provide caregiver training, equipment and backup.
In addition, there are in-home services which refer to child care provided under the aegis of a home child care agency for a child at her/his home, or at another place where residential care is provided for the child. There is an agreement between a home child care agency and the child care provider that ensures the agency’s oversight of the provision of care
The Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 and its regulations address a wide range of standards, including window sizes, child to staff ratios, and outdoor time. A number of regulations related to program quality are highlighted below.
- Registered Early Childhood Educator is Ontario’s only certification. An RECE is registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators. There are no levels within an RECE designation. To be eligible for registration and considered qualified, a person must complete either a two-year ECE diploma or an equivalent approved by the College of Early Childhood Educators, as well as other requirements.
- Centre supervisors must be a Registered Early Childhood Educator in good standing with the College of Early Childhood Educators, and must have two years’ experience in a licensed child care setting.
- Staff qualification requirements are at the room level. All rooms for children younger than kindergarten must have at least one qualified staff member, with the exception of preschool-age rooms licensed for 24 children, which must have at least two. There is no training specified for other staff in the room.
- Home child care providers are not required under the CCEYA to have specific training or educational qualifications. Providers are required to have valid certification in standard first aid, including infant and child CPR. As well, agencies may provide other training.
- Staff:child ratios address the number of staff required per number of children.
- Group size is the number of children, usually of one age group, that stay together throughout the day in a defined group – often a room.
- Family child care homes have a specified number of children by age.
Child care centres
| Age of child | Staff:child ratio | Max group size |
|---|---|---|
| Infants (up to 18 months) | 1:3 | 10 |
| Toddlers (18 – 30 months) | 1:5 | 15 |
| Preschool-age (30 – 6 years) | 1:8 | 24 |
| Kindergarten (44 mos – 7 years) | 1:13 | 26 |
| Primary and Junior School-age (68 months – 13 years) | 1:15 | 30 |
Regulated family child care homes
A home child care provider may care for up to six children under 13 years of age, including their own children under four. No more than three children may be younger than two years old.
Child care centres are required to provide meals that meet specified nutritional standards. The names of children in the child care centre who have allergies or food restrictions and their respective restrictions must be posted in cooking, serving and play areas.
Menus must be posted in an accessible place for parents to see.
- Children in full day child care (six hours or more) are required to have at least two hours outdoor time per day (weather permitting) unless a physician or parent of the child advises otherwise in writing.
- In child care centres, the play area is required to be at ground level, adjacent to the premises, have “appropriate fencing” and allot 5.6 square metres per child.
Centres and family child care providers are required to have their own written policies and procedures outlining the expectations of staff as they implement goals of the program with children.
In all regulated child care settings, “corporal punishment”, “physical restraint for the purposes of discipline or in lieu of supervision”, “use of harsh or degrading measures or threats”, or “deprivation of a child of basic needs including food, shelter, clothing or bedding” is prohibited.
Every child care program must have a parent handbook that outlines policies and procedures, including a written statement that sets out how parent’s issues and concerns are to be addressed.
The regulations require some basic health and safety precautions to be met. For example, service providers are required to:
- Have a written procedure for emergency evacuation.
- Daily written record summarizing incidents affecting health, safety, or well-being of staff or children.
- Have a written anaphylactic policy.
- Have medications stored in a locked place, written permission obtained before staff can administer medications to children.
- Have a centre-specific written policy and procedure regarding serious occurrences (i.e., injury, death).
How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy For The Early Years has been Ontario’s official framework to guide programming and pedagogy in licensed child care since June 2015. Licensed child care settings are required to have a program statement consistent with the frameworks of children, foundations, and approaches. Additional regulations under the Child Care and Early Years Act are in place to support implementation of How Does Learning Happen? in licensed child care settings. EarlyON Child and Family Centres as well as school board operated before and after school programs are also required, through guidelines, to use How Does Learning Happen? to support programming.
Early Learning For Every Child Today, released in 2007 and updated in 2014 is an additional resource about learning and development that includes guiding principles and a continuum of development for children from birth to eight years of age. Use of Early Learning For Every Child Today is not a provincial requirement for licensed child care programs.
Unregulated child care
According to the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, unregulated family child care homes can care for a maximum of five children under the age of 13. Unregulated (and regulated) caregivers must include their own children in the number of children under four years. No more than two children under two years (including the caregivers’ children) may be cared for.
It is not legal to operate a nursery school or child care centre without a license.
Authorized recreational and skill building programs that both provide child care outside school hours for 6 – 12 year olds and also include, activities that promote recreational, artistic, musical, or athletic skills or provide religious, culture or linguistic instruction may be termed “approved” but are not licensed.
Children with disabilities
It is a matter of ‘provincial interest’ that Ontario child care programs respect equity, inclusiveness and diversity in communities and the particular qualities of children with disabilities.
Children with special needs up to the age of 18 who are in a regulated child care program (either family child care or a child care centre) may be eligible for a subsidy. For a child with additional needs who receives child care, an up-to-date individualized support plan must be in place.
The local Consolidated Municipal Service Manager (CMSM) or District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB) may also provide additional funds to providers to help support the inclusion of children with special needs in their program. Providers are responsible for applying for this extra support.
See Do you have a child with a disability or special need? for more information on provincial/territorial supports for children with disabilities in child care.
More...
Who’s responsible?
Who to contact
- Ministère de la Famille et des Aînés (regulated child care)
- Website
- 1 855 336-8568 (French only)
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Ministère de l’Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur (services for school-age children and kindergarten)
- Website
- (866) 747-6626
- Email contact form
Child care
Two ministries regulate, oversee and administer child care programs.
The Ministère de la Famille is primarily responsible for child care for preschool-aged children (0 - 4 years), while Ministère de l’Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur has responsibility for before- and after-school child care (4 - 12 years).
Programs for preschool-aged children are licensed under the Educational Childcare Act and the Educational Childcare Regulation. Before-and after-school child care falls under the Education Act and is not required to be licensed,
Programs are delivered by non-profit and for-profit operators. Centres de la petite enfance are non-profit and are publicly funded, while garderies may be publicly funded or unfunded and are usually for-profit. Other than Indigenous child care on reserves and Inuit lands, there is no publicly delivered child care.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten for five-year-olds is a full school-day. Four-year-old kindergarten is being phased in. Children are not required to be enrolled in either kindergarten year.
Finding child care
Facts and figures
- There is a regulated space for 57.4% of children aged 0 – 12 yrs. (2019)
- There is a full-time centre-based space for 42% of children aged 0 – 5 yrs. (2019)
- 20% of regulated child care spaces for 0-12 year olds are in for-profit centres. (2019)
- All school-age centres are publicly-operated (by school boards); there are no publicly-operated centres for 0-4 year olds.
Quebec provides several types of centre-based and family child care programs for 0-12 year olds:
Non-profit full-day centres for 0-4 year olds are called centres de la petite enfance (CPEs). All CPEs are publicly funded to provide reduced contribution fee child care. Fees are set by the provincial government, .
Garderies are full-day for-profit centres for 0-4 year olds.
- There are two types of garderies: some garderies are publicly funded to provide reduced contribution fee child care at the same set fee as CPEs.
- There are also garderies that are not publicly funded to provide reduced contribution fees. Parents can recieve a tax credit for their fees in these centres.
Before-and after-school child care is operated by school authorities to provide child care outside regular school hours for children from age 4 to 12 years. Before- and after-school child care is publicly funded, has set fees and is not licensed.
Family child care provided by recognized home child care providers are overseen by Family Child Care Coordinating Offices (CCCO). CCCOs issues permits (licences) to family child care providers. They are responsible for monitoring individual homes under the regulations on behalf of the MFA. They also coordinate the providers, provide training and equipment, and maintain information for current and prospective parents.Some family child care homes have two caregivers—also managed by CCCOs. .
The Childcare Establishment Locator allows parents to search for regulated child care by region, name, and proximity to home or work address. Search results display whether or not the child care centre or home offers the reduced contribution fee program, spaces for infants, as well as provides a link to inspection reports.
Finding educational child care for your child provides a list of questions for parents to ask prospective providers over the telephone as well as guidelines for what to look for when visiting a centre.
Paying for child care
Quebec has two tiers of child care centres for children younger than kindergarten-age. These are called “reduced contribution spaces” or “subsidized spaces” and “non-reduced contribution spaces. Reduced contribution spaces include centres de a petit enfance (CPEs), which are al non-profit (sometimes called “child care” in Quebec) and garderies, which are mostly for-profit (sometimes called “day care” in Quebec).
The Quebec government sets parent fees at CPEs and funded garderies; non-funded, or non-reduced contribution garderies set their own fees. Parents using non-reduced fee garderoes may apply for a tac credit from the Quebec government.
The flat fee for children at CPEs and funded garderies, regulated family child care homes and child care outside regular school hours for aged 4 - 12 was $8.85 in 2023; the set fee is adjusted for inflation January 1 of each year.
Some parents using reduced contribution child care are exempt from paying the set fee. This applies to parents of children under 5 years of age (September 30) who are beneficiaries under
the Social Assistance program, the Social Solidarity program, the Youth Alternative Program, the Aim for Employment Program, or the Income Security Program for Cree Hunters and Trappers.
Regulated child care
In Quebec, regulated child care centres and family child care must operate in accordance with the regulations set out in the Educational Child Care Act R.S.Q. cC-8.2. Child care provided through school boards must operate in accordance with the Education Act. R.S.Q., c.1-13.3.
License holders in Quebec are inspected once every five years.
Both sets of regulations address a wide range of standards. Several regulations related to program quality are highlighted below.
- In centres, two-thirds of staff are required to have a college or university early childhood education credential. The credential may be a three year Diplôme d’études collégiales (DEC) or a one year Attestation d’études collégiales combined with three years experience.
- Specific training or credentials are not required for centre directors.
- Family child care providers must hold an early childhood first aid certificate and complete a training program of at least 45 hours pertaining to child development, health, safety and diet issues, organization and leadership in a “life environment”. Providers are also required to take a six hour proficiency course once a year.
- The regulations relevant to school-age child care does not stipulate any training requirements. Some school boards may require the lead staff to have an early childhood education diploma.
- Staff:child ratios address the number of staff required per number of children.
- Group size is the number of children, usually of one age group, that stay together throughout the day in a defined group – often a room.
- Family child care homes have a specified number of children by age.
Child care centres (CPEs and garderies)
Each centre may have a maximum of 80 spaces overall.
| Age of child | Staff:child ratio |
|---|---|
| 0-17 mos | 1:5 |
| 18 mos - < 4 yrs | 1:8 |
| 4 yrs - < 5 yrs | 1:10 |
| 5 yrs + | 1:20 |
Family child care
- Providers are permitted to care for up to six children (including the provider’s own children) under 9 years with no more than two under 18 months.
- If the provider is assisted by another adult (group family child care), they may care for nine children (including provider’s own children), with no more than four children under 18 months.
Regulated centres are not required to provide meals. If meals are provided they must be in accordance with the Canada Food Guide to Healthy Eating.
Children in child care centres must be provided with an outdoor play space of 4 metres squared per child no more than 500m from the facility and accessible during operating hours. At least 1/3 of the maximum capacity of the centre must be able to play in the outdoor space at any time and adequate fencing must be in place.
Programs are required to provide outdoor play opportunities on a daily basis.
“Childcare providers may not apply degrading or abusive measures, use exaggerated punishment, denigration or threats, or employ abusive or disparaging language that could humiliate or frighten a child or undermine the child’s dignity or self-esteem.” - Educational Childcare Act.
A non-profit child care centre’s board of directors must be made up of at least seven members, 2/3 of whom (minimum of five) are parent-users or future parent-users of the centre. At least one board member must come from the business, institutional, social, education or community sectors, and no more than two shall be staff at the centre.
A garderie’s licence holder must set up an advisory committee made up of five parents and consult with the parent committee on all aspects of the care the children receive in the centre, particularly with respect to implementation of the educational program, services provided and how complaints are processed.
The composition of the boards of directors of family child care coordinating offices are determined by the type of organization.
The regulations require some basic health and safety precautions to be met.
- In case of a serious illness/accident, necessary medical assistance and parents must immediately be called and the child must be isolated from the group (under supervision of an adult).
- Service providers must ensure they have written authorization by a parent before administering medication to a child, medication must be labeled and stored in a reserved place.
- A first aid kit must be available at all times.
A curriculum framework is available for providers: Accueillir la petite enfance: Le programme éducatif des services de garde du Québec. The curriculum framework is only provided in French. The curriculum framework is not compulsory but all CPEs and garderies and recognized home childcare must provide an educational program.
Unregulated child care
Home child care service that is not recognized by a Child Care Coordinating Office (CCCO) may care for no more than six children, including the provider’s own children under 9 years of age, with no more than two children under the age of 18 months.
School-age child care provided in public schools may be exempt from licensing.
As of May 1, 2018, persons who are not recognized by a CCCO or who do not hold a permit issued by the Ministère who provide or wish to provide child care services in a family setting must meet certain conditions other than the number of children such as to obtain an attestation stipulating the absence of any impediment for the person providing child care services and for each person living in the home where child care services are provided.
Jardins d’enfants (nursery schools) operating before October 25, 2005 may be exempted from licensing. After that date, day care permit is required.
Haltes-garderie (stop-over centres) providing occasional or temporary child care for parents who are on site are not required to be licensed.
Children with disabilities
The Quebec objectives strongly favour inclusion though admission to a program is at the discretion of the centre or provider.
Admission for a child with special needs to a regular child care program is at the discretion of the CPE, subsidized garderie, or home child care provider.
To support this initiative, the government provides a one-time grant of $2,200 and an additional $43.19/day/child in addition to the regular operating grants for centres including children with a disability. There is also an additional assistance measure put in place for the inclusion of children with a significant disability.
Non publicly funded garderies do not receive funds to support children with disabilities.
For more information visit Childcare services accessible to disabled children.
See Do you have a child with a disability or special need? for more information on provincial/territorial supports for children with disabilities in child care.
Who’s responsible?
Who to contact
- Department of Education, Early Learning and Lifelong Learning
- Website
- (902) 438-4130
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
In Prince Edward Island, the Early Childhood Development division of the Department of Education, Early Learning and Lifelong Learning is responsible for licensing and monitoring early learning and child care programs, administering government funding, and providing family support programs. The Schools in PEI division of the Department is responsible for kindergarten.
The Department of Social Development and Housing is responsible for the Child Care Subsidy Program.
Finding child care
Facts and figures
- There is a regulated space for 26.6% of children aged 0–12 years. (2019)
- There is a regulated full or part-time centre-based space for 41% of children aged 0–5 yrs. (2019)
- 65% of child care is owned by private, for-profit organizations. There is no publically delivered child care. (2019)
Families are responsible for finding and obtaining a child care space for their child(ren); there is no universal entitlement to a child care space for children in PEI.
The province offers several resources to support families locate licensed early learning and child care programs in their community.
The Directory of Licensed Early Learning and Child Care Centres includes descriptions of different types of care available and information about programs locations, hours, and age groups served.
The Early Learning and Child Care Registry also helps families locate licensed early learning and child care centres in their community and allows families to join waitlists online.
A guide to quality child care is available to provide tips on what to look for and questions to ask.
Paying for child care
Families are responsible for paying child care fees.
In 2019, a national survey of child care fees found the full-time, monthly median parent fee in Charlottetown (including centre-based and home child care) was $738/mo for infants, $608/mo for toddlers, and $586/mo for preschoolers.
See In Progress: Child care fees in Canada 2019 for a breakdown of child care fees in 37 cities across Canada.
Subsidies
The Child Care Subsidy Program, administered by the Supports and Services division of the Department of Social Development and Housing, provides eligible families with a partial or full subsidy based on a province-wide income test. Find more information, including specific eligibility criteria, in the Child Care Subsidy Policies.
In Prince Edward Island, subsidies can be used in either non-profit or for-profit regulated centres, and family child care. In non- Early Years Centres where the fees are not capped families are responsible for paying a share of the fee.
Accessing subsidies
To apply for subsidy, contact the child care subsidy office at 1-877-569-0546 for more information or to set up an appointment.
An online subsidy calculator is available for families to estimate subsidy amounts.
Note: You must find a child care centre or family home day care for your child before a subsidy can be applied. Applications for the above program are not available online.
Regulated child care
On Prince Edward Island, early childhood centres, school-age child care centres and regulated family child care must operate in accordance with the regulations set out in the Early Learning and Child Care Act and Regulations.
Regulations address a wide range of standards: including window sizes, child to staff ratios, and outdoor time. Selected regulations related to program quality are highlighted below.
- PEI has three categories or levels of certification for Early Childhood Educators.
- In full and part day child care centres, centre supervisors and one full-time staff member in each program must have at least a one-year Early Childhood Development diploma or university Child Study degree.
- A child care supervisor must have either a two year diploma or degree program in early childhood education and care or a degree in child and family studies as well as 3,900 hours of experience working with children while holding a certificate.
- 45 hours of approved ongoing training is required every 3 years for all certified staff, not including family home child care providers or school age child care providers.
- In school-age centres, at least one staff person must have completed a 30 hour course related to the care and education of school-age children. If more than one staff person is required, at least one more staff person must meet this requirement.
- In family child care homes, providers must have completed a 30 hour course related to the care and education of infants and preschoolers.
- Staff:child ratios address the number of staff required per number of children.
- Group size is the number of children, usually of one age group, that stay together throughout the day in a defined group – often a room.
- Family child care homes have a specified number of children by age.
Child care centres
Each centre may have a maximum of 80 spaces overall.
| Age of child | Indoor staff:child ratios | Outdoor staff:child ratios | Max group size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-under 22 months | 1:3 | 1:3 | 6 |
| 22 months-3 years | 1:5 | 1:7 | not specified |
| 3 years-school entry | 1:10 | 1:15 | not specified |
| School-age | 1:15 | 1:22 | not specified |
Family child care
The maximum capacity for a regulated family child care home (Family Home Centre) is eight children, aged infant to school age, including the provider’s own children as long as the following ratio is met: One staff person for three infants (under 22 months); one staff for every five toddlers (22 months to three years old); one staff for every ten preschoolers (three to five years old); and one staff person for every 15 school-aged children (six years old or older).
Regulated centres are not required to provide meals (if they’re not provided, children bring them from home). Designated Early Years Centres are required to provide meals. If meals are provided, they must be in accordance with the Canada Food Guide to Health Eating.
There is no minimum outdoor time requirement. A child care centre must provide a minimum of seven square metres of outdoor space for each child enrolled; exceptions may be made to this requirement if adjacent outdoor space is not available.
Child care providers may share outdoor space with another licensed centre as long as the outdoor space is used by one operator at a time.
The supervisor is required to develop and post behavior management policies. The supervisor must also instruct all staff and program volunteers as to the behaviour management policies in effect at the program. Policies must indicate a positive approach to discipline and prohibit any form of physical punishment, verbal or emotional abuse or denial of necessities.
In Early Years Centres operators are required to implement a parent advisory committee.
The regulations require that basic health and safety precautions are met. For example, providers are required to:
- Have accessible emergency contact information
- Have and practice an evacuation plan
- Report “unusual occurrences” (i.e., accident or injury) to the ministry consultant
- Enforce hygienic diapering procedures
- Ensure the safe storage and administration of prescription medication.
PEI adopted a play-based curriculum framework, Relationships, environments, experiences for regulated child care programs in 2012; it is mandatory for Early Years Centres (but not other child care centres) to use it.
The regulations do not address all aspects of quality. For example, the regulations do not address levels of, or strategies for parental involvement.
Unregulated child care
A person may operate a centre without a license if any of the following apply:
- Serving up to five children, including those of the operator, where two may be infants;
- Serving up to six children, including those of the operator, where there are only preschool children or preschool and school-age children;
- Serving up to seven children all in the school-age range, including those of the operator.
Children with disabilities
A child with a diagnosed disability may be eligible for childcare subsidy, regardless of parental employment or education/training enrolment. Find eligibility criteria in the Child Care Subsidy Policies.
Licensed child care centres may apply for a Special Needs Grant to cover the cost of additional staff required to support children with disabilities. The Special Needs Grant helps lower the child to staff ratio in environments with children requiring additional or specific care.
See Do you have a child with a disability or special need? for more information on provincial/territorial supports for children with disabilities in child care.
Once you have decided which child care centres or caregivers’ homes you are interested in, ask to make appointments to visit them. (Note that some programs may not schedule a visit until a space becomes available).
- Visits can be time consuming, and it may be hard to gauge the quality of a centre or home in one visit. The checklist (What to look for - a checklist) can help you prepare for, and get the most out of your visits. You can use it to help you observe or ask questions during child care visits.
- Don’t be shy about asking questions. Child care is vital to your child’s well-being, safety and development, and you have a right to expect that it meets a high standard. Whether the child care is in a centre or a private home (even if it isn’t regulated) you still need to—and have the right to—ask questions.
- A good program with competent and professional staff or caregiver will be happy to answer your questions, will be prepared for your visit, and will have resource materials to help you understand the program.
- Quality child care has many common features whether it’s provided in a home or a centre. At the same time, there are also differences, and things to look for that are specific to the setting.
- Although regulated child care is required to meet provincial or territorial standards, it’s still important to remember that these are considered to be minimums. Therefore, you should know what to look for and ask about—no matter what the child care setting.
- Keep in mind that in unregulated child care, parents have the sole responsibility for assessing the quality of the child care and managing the relationship with the caregiver. Although there is no public oversight, unregulated family child care has characteristics in common with regulated family child care. With this in mind, being aware of the provinces’/territories’ requirements for regulated family child care may be useful as a guideline.
Who’s responsible?
Who to contact
- Early Learning and Child Care Program
- Website
- (204) 945-0776
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Through the Department of Families, the Early Learning and Child Care Program monitors and licenses early learning and child care centres in the province. Manitoba’s Department of Education and Training is responsible for kindergarten.
The Early Learning and Child Care program is also responsible for administering child care subsidy to families.
Finding child care
Facts and figures
- There is a regulated space for 18.7% of children aged 0-12 years. (2019)
- There is a regulated full or part-time space for 25% of children aged 0 – 5 years. (2019)
- 95% regulated child care is operated by non-profit organizations. (2019)
- There is no publicly delivered child care.
- Most child care services in Manitoba charge fees set by the provincial government; there are a few regulated centres that do not receive government funding and are free to set their own rates.
Parents are responsible for finding and obtaining a child care space for their child(ren); there is no entitlement.
The Early Learning and Child Care Program has an online licensed child care search tool that allows parents to search for child care centres and family child care by type of care, location and age of child(ren). Parents are also able to limit the search to centres with vacancies. This search tool is designed to allow parents to browse potential child care options without registering or actively placing their child’s name on a waiting list.
Manitoba has established an online child care registry which serves as a centralized waiting list. The registry provides information about child care services to parents and places child(ren) on waiting lists of centres and family child care that meet the individual family’s needs. Parents are able to update and/or change their information at any point.
In December 2020, the government of Manitoba introduced a new Manitoba Child Care Search tool to connect Manitoba families directly with licensed child care facilities. Using this tool, families can search for facilities that meet their needs based on location, hours and availability. Once families find a facility that has an open space and meets their needs, they can contact the facility directly to arrange their child care service.
The Department of Families has put together A Guide to Child Care in Manitoba to help families choose the right licensed child care setting for their family, highlight the importance of play-based programs, and provide information on health and safety, including maximum group sizes and staff to child ratios.
Paying for child care
Families are responsible for paying child care fees.
However, the province has set maximum child care fees - that vary by age group - for all child care services receiving funding from the province. Services usually set fees at the maximum amount allowed. (Note that provincially-mandated maximum fees only apply to funded child care centres. There is a limited number of unfunded regulated child care services (ordinarily for-profit centres) where these fees do not apply.)
The 2017 Child Care Fee Survey found the full-day, full-time median monthly infant fee in Winnipeg was $651, and $451 for both toddlers and preschoolers (including both child care centre and regulated home child care data). See the report for median monthly child care costs in 27 other Canadian cities.
Subsidies
Some parents may be eligible for a partial or full subsidy through the child care fee subsidy program. Eligibility for a subsidy is determined through a province-wide income test and parental employment/schooling status.
Families may be eligible for subsidy regardless of whether they are using regulated non-profit or for-profit centres or family child care providers. There are no fee subsidies for children in unregulated child care.
Although financial criteria must be met, families can receive subsidy for nursery school service without employment or enrolment in education/training (including a stay-at-home parent).
Accessing subsidies
The Subsidy Eligibility Estimator (SEE) is available online for parents to estimate whether, and how much fee subsidy would be available to them. Fully-subsidized parents are required to pay a non-subsidized fee of $2/day.
Eligible families must apply online. To apply for subsidy, parents must register at Child Care Online. Once registered, a username and password will be provided and families will have 30 days to complete their application.
For more information about applying for subsidy, contact the Child Care Subsidy Program at 204-945-8195 (in Winnipeg), Toll-free at 1-877-587-6224, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Regulated child care
In Manitoba, child care centres, nursery schools (half-day centre-based programs or full days less than three days/week), family child care homes, and occasional child care centres (care on a casual basis for more than 4 children) are regulated by The Community Child Care Standards Act and regulations. This act defines the types of child care that need regulating and sets out licensing standards.
Manitoba makes licensing order histories available online. These provide details about specific child care services such as what regulation(s) were violated, and description of the circumstances.
A number of regulations related to program quality are highlighted below.
- In full-time child care centres, two thirds of the staff must have a diploma in early childhood education or an approved degree.
- In school-age centres and nursery schools, half the staff must have a diploma in early childhood education or an approved degree.
- In full-time preschool centre, the director must have one year experience working with children in child care or in a related field and an approved degree from a recognized university or an approved diploma in early childhood education plus a recognized certificate program.
- In a school-age centre or nursery school, the director must have an approved diploma in early childhood education and at least one year of experience working with children in a related setting, or an ECE III.
- Family child care providers are required to have successfully completed an approved post secondary 40 hour course relevant to early childhood education or family child care within their first year of operating. They must also have a valid first-aid certificate that includes CPR training and background checks including a criminal record, child abuse registry, and prior contact with a Child and Family Services Agency checks.
- Staff:child ratios address the number of staff required per number of children.
- Group size is the number of children, usually of one age group, that stay together throughout the day in a defined group – often a room.
- Family child care homes have a specified number of children by age.
Child care centres
Centres can have a maximum of two groups of children per room.
| Age of child | Staff:child ratio | Max group size |
|---|---|---|
| Child care centres | ||
| 12 weeks – 1year | 1:3 | 6 |
| 1-2 years | 1:4 | 8 |
| 2-3 years | 1:6 | 12 |
| 3-4 years | 1:8 | 16 |
| 4-5 years | 1:9 | 18 |
| 5-6 years | 1:10 | 20 |
| 6-12 years | 1:15 | 30 |
| Centre-based mixed-age centres | ||
| 12 weeks – 2 years | 1:4 | 8 |
| 2-6 years | 1:8 | 16 |
| 6-12 years | 1:15 | 30 |
| Nursery school | ||
| 12 weeks – 2 years | 1:4 | 8 |
| 2-6 years | 1:10 | 20 |
Family child care
- Regulated family child care (one provider) can have a maximum of eight children under 12 years (including provider’s own children) with no more than five children under six years, of whom no more than three children may be under two years.
- Group child care homes (two providers) can have a maximum of twelve children under 12 years (including provider’s own children) with no more than three children under two years.
- Snacks must be provided if the child attends the centre for at least a three-hour period.
- If a child attends a facility for more than six hours a day, a nutritious meal (as outlined in the Canada Food Guide) and two nutritious snacks must be provided. Menus must be posted in an easy-to-see place.
Child care centres are required to have an outdoor play space within 350 metres of the centre for full time centres or nursery school, or within 700 meters for school age centres. Children must be provided the opportunity to play outdoors on a “daily basis”, though a specific time period is not specified.
Centres and family child care providers are required to have their own written behavioural management policies and procedures with respect to discipline, punishment and isolation. The regulations prohibit child care providers from inflicting any form of physical punishment, verbal degradation, emotional deprivation, and/or denial of basic necessities.
All licensed non-profit centres are required to have boards of directors where parents constitute a minimum of 20% of the board members. For-profit centres are required to have parent advisory committees.
The regulations require some basic health and safety precautions to be met. For example, service providers are required to:
- Have clearly articulated emergency procedures (i.e., emergency contacts, evacuation plan, etc…).
- Have protocol for reporting serious occurrences to licensing authorities.
- Have an anaphylaxis policy.
- Have protocol for accommodating and/or sending home sick children, sanitary diapering and handwashing procedures and guidelines for the storage and administration of prescription medication to children.
- A curriculum framework in two documents, which is optional, has been developed.
- Early Returns: Manitoba’s Early Learning and Child Care Curriculum Framework for Infant Programs helps staff recognize that infant curriculum is based on interactions and relationships during caregiving routines, and during exploration and play.
- Early Returns: Manitoba's Early Learning and Child Care Curriculum Framework for Preschool Centres and Nursery Schools describes how to create and provide positive interactions and relationships between children and staff, enriching learning environments, and balance planned and spontaneous experiences.
- Regulations require a curriculum statement for both infant and preschool programs. Both Early Returns documents provide an outline of what is needed to create a curriculum statement for each type of program.
The regulations do not address all aspects of quality. For example, there are no regulations or standards addressing curriculum or pedagogy in child care in Manitoba.
Unregulated child care
A child care provider in a private home can legally care for a maximum of four children, including their own children under 12 years. No more than two children may be less than two years of age.
The provincial government does not monitor unlicensed private home child care. Please see Manitoba’s unlicensed private home child care fact sheet for parents for more information.
School-age child care provided in public schools may be exempt from licensing.
Children with disabilities
The Child Care Inclusion Support Program provides funds to non-profit child care centres, nursery schools, and family and group child care homes to provide the additional support necessary to include children with disabilities into the program. Providers are responsible for applying for this program.
Please refer to A Guide to the Inclusion Support Program for more information.
Parents are required to pay the same cost of child care as other families but not the additional support costs.
See Do you have a child with a disability or special need? for more information on provincial/territorial supports for children with disabilities in child care.