Finding child care (21)
Children categories
Who’s responsible?
Who to contact
- Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
- Website
- (506) 453-3678
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Child care
The Early Learning and Development Branch of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is responsible for licensing and monitoring early learning and child care facilities, and the programs that support them.
Designated centres, which are the majority of licensed child care centres in New Brunswick have additional requirements and processes beyond those for non-designated centres.
The Parent Subsidy program provides parent fee subsidies for children registered in a designated New Brunswick Early Learning Centre.
The Day Care Assistance Program provides fee subsidies for non-designated centres for eligible families with children aged 0 to 12 years.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten is also the responsibility of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. It is a full-school day program delivered in parallel in English and French schools. . Access is a legislated entitlement for all children who will be five years old by December 31 of that year. Attendance is compulsory, though parents may defer for one year if their child was born between September 1 and December 31.
Finding child care
Facts and figures
- There is a regulated space for 34% of children aged 0 – 12. (2021).
- There is a regulated full- or part-time centre-based space for 38% of children aged 0 – 5. (2021).
- For-profit owners operate 68% of the centres and 66% of the centre-based spaces. Most of the remainder is operated by non-profit organizations, but there are also eight publicly operated programs in the province, three by municipalities and five by First Nations (2021).
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 New Brunswick.
There is a child care facility search tool that helps parents find licensed child care centres in New Brunswick. This search tool allows users to find licensed child care providers by region, and provides location and contact information. Parents are required to contact the program directly to register or place their child on the waiting list.
A Parent's guide to Quality Child Care in New Brunswick is available online as well.
Paying for child care
Families are responsible for paying child care fees.
Designated programs are required to set their fees according to the Market Fee Threshold. As part of the implementation of the Canada-New Brunswick CWELCC agreement, fees at designated early learning centres and family child care homes were reduced by an average of 50% on June 1, 2022.
Fee subsidies
Fee subsidies are available to eligible parents using designated and non-designated child care programs. Parents with children in designated centres may access the Parent Subsidy Program, while those with children in non-designated centres including before- and after-school programs may be subsidized through the Day Care Assistance Program. Both programs determine eligibility based on social criteria and household income. Visit their pages for more specific information.
Fee subsidies are paid directly to service providers on behalf of eligible parents, and may be used at for-profit, non-public and public centres or family child care homes.
The Designated Centre – Parent Subsidy Calculator is available for families accessing care at designated centres, and the Day Care Assistance Rate Table for Licensed Care and a Daycare Assistance Program Calculator are available for families accessing care at non-designated centres.
Families who can demonstrate that they do not have reasonable access to a licensed child care facility within 5km of their home or workplace may be eligible to use their subsidy with an Alternative Child Care provider.
Whether you are applying to the Day Care Assistance program or Designated Centre – Parent Subsidy please contact your regional social development office to determine your eligibility.
Regulated child care
Child care centres, nursery schools, school-age child care centres and approved community day care homes are licensed under the Early Childhood Services Act (Chapter E-0.5) and must operate in accordance with the Licensing Regulations.
- In child care centres, the director or designate and 50% of staff are required to hold a one-year ECE certificate or equivalent training.
- Staff in designated centres are required to participate in 10 hours of professional learning annually. There are no professional learning requirements for educators at non-designated centres.
- All staff must be at least 16 years of age and must be supervised by one primary staff who is at least 19 years of age.
- Child care centre staff and early learning and childcare home providers who do not hold at least a one-year early childhood certificate must successfully complete the Introduction to Early Learning and Child Care 30-hour curriculum course, and the Orientation to Early Childhood Education 60-hour course.
- All staff counted in the staff:child ratio must have first aid training, a CPR certificate, and a criminal record check/vulnerable sector check.
- There are no ECE certification requirements for staff working only with school-age children.
- 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 child care centre may have a maximum of 60 spaces overall (unless established prior to 1983 and grand parented under new regulations).
| Age of child | Staff:child ratio | Max group size |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | 1:3 | 6 |
| 2-3 years | 1:5 | 10 |
| 3-4 years | 1:8 | 16 |
| 4 years and older (not in school) | 1:10 | 20 |
| School age | 1:15 | 30 |
Family child care
The maximum number of children a licensed home provider may care for is determined by age group and must include the operator’s own children under 12 years.
| Age of children | Max group size |
| Infant (0-2 years) | 3 |
| Pre-school (2-5 years) | 5 |
| School-age (6 years and up) | 9 |
A family child care provider may care for a mixed-age group, as long as at least one child is school-age and no more than two are infants.
A part-time family child care provider caring for preschool-age children may operate two four-hour sessions per day, each for a different group of children. A part-time family child care provider caring for school-age children may operate before school in the morning, after school in the afternoon, and when schools are closed per the regular school year calendar or otherwise.
Regulated centres and homes must serve a snack at least every three hours, a meal at each recognized meal period, and must have access to water throughout the day.
Food supplied by the family may be served as long as it is labelled with the child’s name. Where food brought from home falls short of nutritional or safety requirements, an operator is required to discuss the concern with the parent.
Meals must be planned in accordance with Canada’s Food Guide and a menu with notes regarding substitutions must be made available to parents in advance and kept on file.
The outdoor play area must be within 350m of the indoor play area in full-time centres and 700m in part-time centres.
The play area itself must be large enough for at least half the centre’s licensed capacity to be outside at the same time, have a fence of at least 1.22m, and must consist of more than one type of surface and include a shaded area that is at least 10% of the total area.
There must be a separate play area for infants, or they must use the area separately from all other groups.
The daily routine must include at least one hour of outdoor play in every four hour block of time , except in extreme weather or when it is unsafe to do so.
A facility operator must ensure staff use behaviour guidance strategies that are positive, that celebrate and encourage effort and recognize accomplishments. Operators must ensure that no child is subjected to any form of physical punishment, deprivation of physical necessity, or verbal or emotional abuse. They must also develop procedures for dealing with staff who are suspected of having abused a child.
If a child care centre is a non-profit organization, its board of directors must consist of at least five elected members, of which 20% or at least one must be a parent or guardian of a currently enrolled child.
The provincial regulations require basic health and safety precautions to be met. For example, service providers are required to:
- Ensure that medication is locked away at all times. Operators must ensure that prescription medicine provided by families is in the original container with the label showing the child’s name and dosage, and that consent to administer is provided.
- Require families to notify the centre of absences and develop and implement illness and exclusion policies.
- Develop an evacuation plan and complete fire drills monthly.
- Ensure staff adhere to diaper changing procedures.
- Permit no smoking on the premises. In the case of family child care homes, inform the parent or guardian of each child if someone in the household smokes outside of operating hours.
New Brunswick’s Curriculum Framework for Early Learning and Child Care and Le Curriculum éducatif pour la petite enfance francophone du Nouveau-Brunswick provide the foundation for an appropriate and stimulating curriculum for children from birth to five. Their use is mandatory at Designated New Brunswick Early Learning Centres and Homes.
Unregulated child care
A provider in a home setting who is caring for no more than five children (including her own children under 12 years) is not required to be licensed. An unregulated child care home’s group size is determined by the age of children as follows although these child care arrangements are not monitored by government.
| Age of children | Max group size |
| Infant (0 – 2 years) | 2 |
| Preschool (2 – 5 years) | 4 |
| School-age (6 years and up) | 5 |
It is not legal to operate a nursery school or child care centre without a license.
Children with disabilities
Children with special needs who are enrolled in a licensed child care programme may be eligible for the Inclusion Support Program (ISP). It provides funding to support wages of an Inclusion Support Worker and training and support to child care programmes. An Inclusion Support Worker may provide individualized or shared support, depending on a number of factors. For more information, see the Inclusion Support Program Guidelines, or contact the Early Childhood Services Early Learning Consultant for the ISP in your district at 1-833-453-6645 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
There are also specific services for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder.
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 and Early Childhood Development
- Website
- (902) 424-5168
The Early Years Branch at the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is responsible for licensing and monitoring child care centres, administering child care subsidies, and pre-primary and Grade Primary programs.
The Early Years Branch also offers the Inclusion Support Grant (ISG) and Early Childhood Development Intervention Services (NSECDIS).
Child care
Licensed child care includes full-day child care centres, nursery schools, family child care and school-age child care as well as before and after-school program, which are approved, not licensed. Regulated family child care providers work under family child care agencies.
Kindergarten
Grade Primary, or kindergarten is full-school day for all five-year-olds and pre-primary, or four-year-old kindergarten is full-school day for all four year olds.
Pre-primary is not a mandatory program but is available to all four year olds in their catchment areas. To register for Pre-primary, visit the Our Schools & Regional Centre for Education website.
Finding child care
Facts and figures
-
There is a regulated space for 14% of children aged 0 – 12. (2021)
- There is a regulated full- or part-time centre-base space for 25% of children aged 0 – 5. (2021)
- 55% of child care is owned by private, for-profit organizations, with the remainder run by non-profits. There is no publicly delivered child care. (2021)
Families are responsible for finding child care for their child(ren); there is no universal entitlement to child care.
A child care directory is available through the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. The directory provides a search of facilities by name and/or location, and shows whether a facility currently meets its licensing requirements. Parents need to contact centres directly to register their child or put their name on a waiting list.
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development also offers a guide to support parents in choosing licensed child care centres and approved family day care homes, finding available spaces, and applying for a child care subsidy.
Paying for child care
Families are responsible for paying child care fees.
As part of the implementation of the Canada-Nova Scotia CWELCC agreement, fees for all full-day regulated child care programs serving children 0 – 6 years old were reduced by 50% in 2022. The 50% reduction was to existing parent fees, so parents will find that fees vary across the province.
Subsidies
The Child Care Subsidy Program may provide families with a subsidy to cover a portion of their child care costs. Family income, financial assets, and special needs within the family determine subsidies.
Child care subsidies can be used in any licensed program and are paid directly to the child care centre or family home day care on behalf of eligible parents. A program may surcharge subsidized parents if costs are above the maximum subsidy rate.
Accessing subsidies
Forms and application instructions are available online. For further information you can contact your regional community services office.
Note: You must find a child care centre or family home day care for your child before a subsidy can be applied. You will need to let your Child Care Subsidy caseworker know when your child will be starting and the program’s daily fees.
Regulated child care
In Nova Scotia, child care centres and Family Home Daycare Agencies must operate in accordance with the regulations set out in the Early Learning and Child Care Act and Regulations.
Family child care is subject to similar regulations and is approved, managed and monitored by licensed family child care agencies.
The The Early Learning and Child Care Act and Regulations address a wide range of requirements, from space requirements to attendance taking. Selected regulations related to program quality are highlighted below.
- There are currently five levels of classification for educators in Nova Scotia, each with its own minimum requirement. They are:
- Entry level: completion of Orientation for Staff Working in Licensed Child Care Facilities or post-secondary courses equivalent to the Orientation
- Level 1: completion of the Orientation, as well as Level 1 course work and guided workplace experience
- Level 2: completion of a two-year diploma in ECE, or a successful completion of the Recognition of Prior Learning and Assessment Program
- Level 3: either a four-year degree in ECE or an area of study that qualifies a a person to plan and deliver early childhood programming, or a diploma in ECE and a four-year degree in any area
- School-age Approval: completion of the Orientation and a four-year degree, or a post-secondary program that qualifies a person to plan and deliver programming for school-age children
- In regulated child care centres with infant to preschool-age programs, 2/3 of the staff working directly with children must have at least a Level 1 classification and the director must have at least a Level 2 classification. School-age Approval is not applicable.
- In a regulated school-age program, 2/3 of the staff working directly with children must have at least Level 1 classification or Schoo-age Approval and the director must have at least Level 2 classification or School-age Approval.
- In either case, a director who began working as a director before May 1, 2012 may have a Level 1 Classification.
- All other staff must complete an orientation program. See Orientation for Staff Working in Licensed Child Care Facilities.
- All staff must provide proof that they have participated in 30 hours of professional development every three years.See the guide to classification and professional development for Early Childhood Educators for more information.
- A family child care provider must be- at least 18 years old, complete the 40-hour Family Home Child Care Training program within one year of opening, complete five hours of professional development training annually, and cooperate with a family child care consultant during the support and annual assessment processes.
- 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 | Staff:child ratios | Max. group size |
|---|---|---|
| FULL-DAY PROGRAM | ||
| Infant | 1:4 | 10 |
| Toddler | 1:6 | 18 |
| Preschooler and toddler older than 30 months |
1:7 | 24 |
| Pre-schooler | 1:8 | 24 |
| PART-DAY PROGRAM | ||
| Toddler older than 30 mos | 1:12 | 24 |
| Pre-schooler | 1:12 | 24 |
| SCHOOL-AGE PROGRAM | ||
| Pre-primary only | 1:12 | 30 |
| School-age only | 1:15 | 30 |
| School-age and fewer than 8 pre-primary children |
1:15 | 30 |
| School-age and 8 or more pre-primary children |
1:12 | 30 |
Regulated family child care homes
| Age | Staff:child ratios | Max. group size |
|---|---|---|
| FAMILY HOME DAY CARE PROGRAM | ||
| Any age* | 1:7 | 7 |
| Infants | 1:3 | 3 |
| School-age | 1:9 | 9 |
| *If a care provider is caring for 4 to 7 children, no more than 3 children may be under 3 years of age and of those 3 children no more than 2 children may be younger than 18 months. | ||
Each home may have a maximum of:
- Seven children of mixed ages including the provider’s own children; or
- Nine children all in school age, including the provider’s own school-age children (4-12 years old); or
- Three children all in the infant age (younger than 18 months), including the provider’s own children; or
- Four to seven children, no more than three may be under three years of age, and of those three children no more than two children may be infants.
Regulated centres are required to provide meals and snacks that are in accordance with the Manual for Food and Nutrition in Regulated Child Care Settings.
An outdoor play space used by a facility must be safe, age-appropriate, and accessible to all enrolled children, including those with diverse abilities. Children enrolled in a full-day or school-age program must be provided with either one or more outdoor play space located at the facility, or access to an outdoor play space that is within a reasonable distance of the facility.
A child care program must provide a minimum of 30 minutes of uninterrupted outdoor play in the morning and afternoon at a time when the majority of children are in attendance.
See Ministerial Requirements Standards for the Daily Program.
Child care centres and family home day care providers are required to have a behaviour guidance policy and are responsible to review the policy with staff, parents and volunteers on an annual basis.
“Corporal punishment”, “isolation”, “deliberate harsh or degrading measures”, and deprivation of basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, and bedding) are all specifically prohibited under the provincial regulations.
Child care centres and family home day care providers must establish a parent committee that is an open and accessible forum for parents to provide input and receive notice on matters that may be of interest or concern. The parent committee may be a sub-committee of a non-profit organization’s board. There are no longer specific requirements for the composition of the parent committee.
The regulations require basic health and safety precautions to be met. For example, service providers are required to:
- Have a daily written record summarizing incidents affecting health, safety, or well-being of staff or children.
- 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).
- Have a valid first aid certificate that includes infant CPR training.
- Follow provincial guidelines for promoting and maintaining health and safety and controlling communicable disease.
- If over the age of 18, complete a criminal record check. This applies to anyone over the age of 18 who may have contact with children, including volunteers and those who reside in a home where regulated childcare is offered.
- If over the age of 13, complete a child abuse register check. This applies to anyone over 13 years of age who may have contact with children, including volunteers and those who reside in a home where regulated childcare is offered.
- Child Abuse Protocol (CAP) Training is offered throughout the province for the staff of Child Care Facilities and Family Home Daycare Agency Consultants. CAP training is delivered by a registered Social Worker, and an Early Childhood Education Consultant, and is intended to provide licensees, child care staff and care providers with the information needed to respond to suspicions and/or allegations of child abuse.
The Government of Nova Scotia has developed the Capable, Confident and Curious curriculum framework. Although the curriculum framework is only mandatory in provincially funded child care centres and pre Primary programs it is used as a curriculum guide in licensed child care centres that access provincial funding.
Unregulated child care
A family child care home is not required to be regulated if it has six or fewer children of mixed ages on a regular basis, including any children of the person providing the care. If children in care are school-age (four years old as of December 31 and attending school or pre-primary), a care provider can have up to nine children, including their own. After-school programs for children in Grade Primary through Grade 6 do not require a license.
Children with disabilities
The Inclusion Support Grant is a grant provided to support inclusive programs. Funding can be used for specialized training and professional development for early childhood educators, additional staff to enhance ratios for the delivery of a facility’s inclusive program, and to purchase educational and resource materials directly related to inclusive programs.
Both the application process and use of ISG funding are the responsibility of the child care facility.
The Nova Scotia Early Childhood Development Intervention Services (NSECDIS) provides specialized services to families with children between birth and school entry who are either at risk for or have a diagnosis of developmental delay. These services are to support developmental outcomes for children through information sharing, support, consultation, and services to help both the child and their family.
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 and Early Childhood Development
- Website
- (709) 729-5097
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Child care
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is responsible for child care, early childhood learning and development, the K - 12 school system, and public libraries.
The Division of Early Learning and Child DevelopmentThe Division of Early Learning and Child Development within the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development monitors and licenses child care centres and family child care homes under the Child Care Act and regulations. It is also responsible for Family Resource Centres.
The Child Care Services Subsidy Program can cover the cost of child care for eligible families. It is administered through the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s regional offices.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten is the responsibility of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. It is a full-school day program for all children who will be five years old by December 31 of that year. Attendance is not compulsory.
Kindergarten is full-school for all five-year-olds and the province has begun phasing in year-round full-day pre-kindergarten program for all four-year-olds to be operated as non-profit child care staffed by early childhood educators.
Finding child care
Facts and figures
- There is a regulated space for 14% of children aged 0 – 12 years. (2021)
- There is a centre-based space for 20% of children aged 0 – 5 years. (2021)
- For-profit organizations operate 62% of the centres and 70% of the centre-based spaces. Most of the remainder are non-profits. (2021).
- New child care expansion will be exclusively not-for-profit and public.
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 Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Early Learning and Child Care Directory is a searchable database that provides the location and contact information of all regulated child care services, both centre-based and family child care, and family resource centres in Newfoundland and Labrador. Parents must contact centres directly to register their child or to put their child on a waiting list.
Newfoundland and Labrador has two models of regulated family child care: providers operating under the Family and Child Care Connections agency and those with individual licenses.
All regulated family child care providers in the St. John's/Metro area, and many in Corner Brook and surrounding areas are part of Family and Child Care Connections, a licensed family child care agency. The agency’s Family Child Care Agency Registry helps families find regulated family child care providers in St. Johns and surrounding areas.
Family child care homes elsewhere in the province are individually licensed by the province and are not included in this registry. Parents must find these family child care providers in their community through the province’s Early Learning and Child Care Directory .
Newfoundland and Labrador also has Family Resource Centres in parts of the province. Family Resource Centres can also be located through the Early Learning and Child Care Directory. Programs in these centres may include drop-in playgroups, parenting workshops, and pre-natal support programs. These centres may also be a source of information for families about child care and other children’s issues.
Paying for child care
As part of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador CWELCC agreement, fees for all full-day regulated child care participating in the province’s Operating Grant Program were reduced to $10/day on January 1, 2023. Centres not participating continue to set their own fees but most participate.
Fee Subsidies
Eligible families may receive financial assistance through the Child Care Services Subsidy Program, administered by regional child care service offices.
Families on income support, who have previously completed needs testing, are already considered eligible and do not require further testing.
Typically, parents must be working or attending school to receive a subsidy. However, a child referred to child care for developmental reasons may be considered eligible for subsidy whether or not the parent is in the paid labour force or training.
Subsidy applications are available online. Note: You must find a child care centre or regulated family home child care for your child before a subsidy can be applied. You will need to let your regional child care services office know when your child will be starting and the program’s daily fees.
Regulated child care
In Newfoundland and Labrador, child care centres must operate in accordance with the regulations set out in the Child Care Regulations, under the Child Care Act.
Regulated family child care is also subject to the provincial regulations, which determines the number and ages of children allowed in the provider's care. Family child care is monitored by either the licensing officials at the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development or by a licensed agency through regular home visits.
However, most family child care is not regulated.
Regulations address a wide range of standards, including space requirements, attendance taking, and outdoor time. A few regulations related to program quality are highlighted below. Child care services and family child care agencies are inspected by an inspector at least once a year.
- In child care centres, one staff person with each group of children is required to have a one-year post secondary certificate in early childhood education for the age group in which the staff is assigned
- All other staff who are included in the centre’s staff/child ratio must have Entry Level certification (30 – 60 hour course), with the exception of infant programs, where the minimum qualification is a one-year certificate in infant care.
- Regulated family child care providers are required to have a 30-60 hour entry level certification course and 30 hours of professional development every three years to keep certification valid.
- Centre supervisors must have a two-year diploma in early childhood education in the age groups for which the centre is licensed and two or more years experience working with children in those age groups.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 0-36 months | 1:3 | 6 |
|
18 months - 3 years |
1:5 | 10 |
| 24 months – 5 years 9 months | 1:7 | 14 |
| 2years 9 months - 5yrs 9 months | 1:8 | 16 |
| 3 years 1 month - 7 years | 1:8 |
16 |
| 4 years, 9 months – 7 years | 1:12 | 24 |
| 4 years, 9 months – 13 years | 1:15 | 30 |
| 6 years, 9 months – 13 years | 1:15 | 30 |
Family child care
- Each home may have a maximum of seven children in a mixed-age grouping if none are infants (0 – 2 years) and no more than two are toddlers (18 months – 3 years). They may have no more than three children if they are all infants, no more than five if two are infants and three are toddlers, and no more than six if two are infants and two are toddlers. The provider’s own child(ren) in the infant, toddler and preschool age range (up to 5 years 9 months old) must count toward the number of children.
- Under exceptional circumstances (and with directors’ approval), a family child care provider may add up to two of his/her own children in the younger or older school-age range (4 years 9 months up to 13 years old).
- With director’s approval, a seventh child may be added for a maximum of 1.5 hours per day, or for a maximum of 12 continuous hours once a week. Providers may care for three children under two years if there are no other children being cared for at the same time.
Providers in all types of regulated child care in Newfoundland and Labrador are not required to provide meals, although they may choose to rather than having parents send food from home for their child. They are, however, required to serve meals and snacks at specified times.
Behaviour guidance policies must be established and implemented by the child care service administrator. The policies must recognize the developmental abilities of children and set appropriate expectations, acknowledge diversity, and promote realistic play and behaviour limits. The policies must prohibit the use of corporal punishment, harsh or humiliating verbal or physical treatment, confinement, restraint or isolation of a child, and deprivation of basic needs.
Behaviour guidance policies must be posted in the same place as the service’s licence or approval certificate.
A child care service is required to have a policy regarding parental involvement but specific criteria for this are not specified other than parents having access to all policies and procedures of the child care.
-
Centres operating for more than four hours/ day must have access to an outdoor play area at least 7 square metres X the maximum number of children. It must be on-site, enclosed by a fence at least 1.2 metres tall with a locking gate. Play structures must have a protective surface underneath if they are fixed or have a fall height greater than 1.2 metres.
-
Centres operating for four or fewer hours per day may use a public play area if it is reasonably safe, age-appropriate, and within a reasonable distance of the facility.
The regulations require some basic health and safety precautions to be met. For example, providers are required to:
- Provide a healthy, safe, and appropriate environment;
- Ensure that food and time to rest are offered to children;
- Recognize and respond to signs and symptoms of illness in children;
- Update and have access to emergency contact information;
- Create and practice an evacuation plan
- Report serious incidents, including:
- Injury requiring emergency medical attention;
- Death of a child;
- Fire or other disaster at the facility;
- Risk to the health or safety of the children, including environmental or practice;
- Abuse or neglect, or an allegation of abuse or neglect of a child by a licensee, employee, student, or volunteer assisting in or providing care in the operation of the service while that child is participating.
- Enforce hygienic diapering procedures; and,
- Ensure the safe storage and administration of prescription medications.
Newfoundland and Labrador uses the curriculum framework Navigating the Early Years: An Early Childhood Learning Framework. Its use is mandatory in child care centres.
The regulations do not address all aspects of quality. For example, there are no regulations or standards addressing curriculum or pedagogy in child care, or parent involvement.
Newfoundland and Labrador has developed a number of manuals to guide quality in centre-based child care. The guidelines included in the following manuals are suggested but not regulated:
Unregulated child care
A child care service is not required to be licensed if any of the following apply:
- Operating for less than 10 hours/week;
- Serving up to three children all in the infant age range (2 years old or younger), or up to four children of which two may be infants. The provider’s child(ren) 13 years old or younger must count towards the number of children.
Children with disabilities
Families in Newfoundland and Labrador are eligible for the child care subsidy if their child has a disability and child care is recommended by a recognized health care professional (regardless of parents’ employment status).
The Inclusion Program is available to regulated service providers to help facilitate an inclusion (for example, hire another staff or purchase special equipment). The level of support depends on the specific needs of the child.
Each of the province’s four regional offices has a Child Care Services Inclusion Consultant available to advise and support licensees and providers on how to include children with disabilities.
A manual on inclusion, Child Care Services Inclusion of Children with Special Needs Policy Manual is available online.
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.
Do you have a child with a disability or special need?
Written by BillieWhether one views effective inclusion as an optional add-on to high quality programs or as a more recently recognized dimension of high quality child care, the two concepts are inextricably linked.
—Irwin, Lero & Brophy, 2000
Full inclusion of children with disabilities in non-specialized child care is considered a key part of high quality early learning and child care. However, although this is the generally accepted best practice, as parents know, it may not be the reality.
For parents, this may mean that accessing high quality child care is even more difficult than for a child without a disability. As a 2021 study found, only one in five Canadian child care centres offered high quality child care for children with disabilities. This Canada-wide study of inclusion quality found that although staff in many child care centres are committed to including children with disabilities, they often lack the appropriate support to do so.
As child care in Canada is undergoing significant change, commitment to inclusion is identified for action in the action plans agreed to by the federal government and provinces/territories. But at the present time, finding the high quality child care needed for children with disabilities is likely to continue to be a challenge for parents for some time to come.
Provincial/territorial support and policies
Policy by Province/territory
- Parents seeking information about inclusion in child care for a child with a disability should see the section in their province/territory page on this website.
- More detailed information can be found in each province/ territories chapter in the section "Children with special needs" in Early childhood education and care in Canada 2021.
- See Table 23 in Comparative tables from the same publication.
Like all aspects of regulated child care, determining how children with disabilities are included in regulated child care is mainly the responsibility of provinces and territories. All provinces/territories have policies covering inclusion, and all provide support including financing to help regulated child care providers include children with disabilities in their programs.
Canada-wide, there are many similarities and many differences among provinces’/territories’ inclusion supports. Overall:
- Provinces/territories use different terms for inclusion of children with disabilities, varying from “children with special needs”, “children in need of special support”, etc.
- Funds are generally paid directly to regulated child care programs to help with extra costs (for example, additional staffing, special equipment, a resource consultant).
- Parents must pay regular child care fees but usually do not pay for additional supports related to child care for a child with a disability.
- In some provinces/territories, parents with a child with a disability may be eligible for a fee subsidy to help cover their regular child care fees whether or not they are in the labour force.
- Today there are few regulated child care programmes that offer child care exclusively for children with disabilities; inclusion in non-specialized programmes is the preferred model.
- Most provinces/territories have written policies to guide inclusion of children with disabilities in regulated child care.
- In almost all provinces/territories, individual child care programmes have discretion in deciding how, and if, they will include a child with a disability. The programme’s finances, resources and inclination all play a role in determining whether full inclusion is provided or even whether a child with a disability is accepted at all.
Whether a child care service is able to care for children with disabilities may depend on finding the resources needed to facilitate inclusion. Parents may find that they have to advocate for their child and take the initiative to secure resources to help ensure full inclusion.
Challenges to inclusion
- Prince Edward Island is the only province that requires most regulated child care (the more publicly funded and publicly managed Early Years Centres) to accept children with disabilities. In every other jurisdiction across Canada, children can legally be turned away or be asked to leave a regulated programme.
- None of the provinces/territories require centre staff or family child care providers to have specialized training in working with children with disabilities.
- Centres are not normally required to be physically accessible for children with disabilities.
- Many centres do not have specialized in-house human or other resources for including children with disabilities.
- Some provinces/territories require that to qualify for funding earmarked for inclusion in child care, a diagnosis of the child’s disability by a recognized professional must be available.
Health and safety
- (In a centre or other regulated setting) - The license is posted in a visible place
- The centre/home is clean and in good repair.
- Doors to outside or to unsafe areas (e.g. a garage or parking area) are secure
- Balconies are locked and off limits, there are gates on stairwells and windows are securely fastened
- Staff/caregivers and children wash their hands before meals and after toileting or diapering
- Toys are disinfected on a regular basis (daily for infants and toddlers)
- There are clear routines in case of an emergency such as fire, evacuation or accident
- Procedures about children’s allergies (such as food) are clearly stated and observed
- There are clear routines for giving children needed medications at child care
- Cleaning products, medications or implements are stored safely
- If meals are provided, menus are posted, and the food is nutritious and appealing
- When children leave the premises (to go to the library or park, for example), they are well supervised
- Outdoor space is clean, well-maintained and available
- Cribs/ playpens and other equipment meet current safety standards
- Each child has his/her own crib (infants/toddlers), cot and/or bedding/pillow/blanket for sleeping
- Staff/caregiver has up-to-date first aid training (CPR is desirable)
- Parents are aware of the presence and roles of all adults on the child care premises (including family members)
- The number of children in the home/group/room (at a minimum) meets the provincial / territorial standard
Environment, materials and programming
- Parents are regularly provided with information about the daily schedule and programming, as well as about their child’s day and activities
- (If the child care setting is multi-age): There are activities, equipment and materials suited to children of different ages
- Children have access to a variety of kinds of age-appropriate equipment and materials
- Activities emphasize play and exploration through group and individual activities
- Children have considerable opportunity for active play, much of it outdoors.
- The child care environment is set up in a safe, accessible and interesting way (for example, children can use materials freely)
- Children are not overly controlled or programmed; at the same time, they are not wandering around aimlessly
- Children are engaged with the materials and environment, they look busy, content and relaxed.
- There are displays of children’s work and documentation of activities
- Diversity – racial, ethnic, gender, ability – is well represented in materials, visually and in programming.
- The space is organized to make transitions (from indoors to outdoors, or from active play to lunchtime) smooth
- There is a welcoming, warm atmosphere for parents
- There is at most limited use of TV or other passive technology
Staff/caregiver
- Staff/caregivers have education or training related to working with young children; at a minimum, provincial/territorial training requirements are met by the centre or home
- The staff/caregiver engages in professional development or information sharing with others in early childhood education on an ongoing basis
- Staff/caregivers can provide a police reference check. (this is likely to be a requirement in a centre or regulated home setting)
- In a home setting, caregivers can provide references
- Staff/caregivers have a clearly defined approach to education and caring
- Staff/caregivers treat children with respect, listen to them and respond to them sensitively
- Staff/caregivers encourage co-operation, problem-solving and independence in the children
- Staff/ caregiver welcomes parents into the child care environment at any time; there is an “open door” policy
- There is a plan for staff/caregiver replacement in the event of their illness or other absence
- (In a centre): Staff communicate with each other in a positive and respectful manner (the program seems to have a good working environment)
- (In a centre): All staff (and practicum students, if they are present) are acknowledged and introduced to visitors in a respectful way
Overall program
- A policy manual or policy document is available to parents
- Goals and objectives for children and parents are articulated
- Parents are involved or consulted about the program or other aspects of the child care
- If children with special needs are enrolled: Is the approach fully inclusive ?
Good to know...
- Is the child care centre a not-for-profit organization? For-profit? Publicly-operated? Who’s responsible for it – A parent board? A community board? A municipal government? An owner? A company? If there is a “head office”, where is it?
- How often, and how, are parents expected to participate in centre or home activities?
- What are the hours of operation?
- How much are the fees? When are fees due? Are receipts issued for payment of fees?
- Is there an extra charge for bringing a child early or arriving later than usual to pick up the child?
- Can the centre/home accept fee subsidies from the provincial/territorial government?
- What’s the policy about paying for holiday times (when the child is away)?
- Is there a deposit (to be on the waiting list?) ? If so, is it refundable?
- (In a family child care home): Is it supported by a family child care agency or regularly inspected by the provincial/territorial government (i.e. is the child care home regulated)?
Do...
Act as soon as possible
As soon as possible after finding out you are pregnant (or move, or decide to return to work or school):
- Check out the options in your area for regulated child care and put your name on multiple waiting lists. You may not be able to visit a centre at this point but make sure you’re on waiting lists.
- Look into public financial support (subsidy) for child care, as well as if, when and how you can apply for it. Find out if there’s a subsidy waiting list, and if there is, put your name on it if you think you may be eligible.
Become an expert
- Use multiple sources (government, academic, public, online) to find out about various types of child care and their benefits and drawbacks.
- Make sure that you are as well informed as possible about child care options in your province/territory, and in your local area.
Make visits to various child care options
- (When the time comes), make appointments to visit to observe interactions, programming and the indoor and outdoor physical environment to get an overall impression of how a centre or family child care home operates.
- Visit a number of different child care options – compare and contrast what you see and hear.
- Assess the educators’/caregivers’ responsiveness, warmth and knowledge. Ask about their specific training for working with young children.
- Assess health and safety carefully, as well as whether children are happy, well-occupied and engaged in the program.
- Ask about all elements of the child care service and the child care day.
Be well prepared
- Take a list of questions and things to look for to your child care visits.
- Look online at provincially/territorially-provided websites featuring regulated providers’ licensing records (or request them from the provincial government - these are usually public information but may not be publicly displayed).
- Talk to other parent-users of a child care option under consideration but make sure not to take anyone else’s opinion at face value.
Keep in mind....
- A license—although it’s a necessary starting point—does not guarantee high quality.
- Although in most of Canada you are more-or-less on your own when it comes to finding, assessing and paying for high-quality child care, it doesn’t have to be this way—and shouldn’t be.
The United Nations defines good quality child care as a child’s right, and a woman’s right. You’re one of many many parents in the same situation, so talk to others about changing the child care situation for Canadian families.
Don’t...
- Wait until you need child care to begin to look.
- Rely heavily on personal information found on the internet such as reviews, parent opinion or providers’ testimony or advertising. That is, use the internet, but use it judiciously, for example to access provincial licensing information online.
- Don’t take someone else’s word for it about a particular child care arrangement, and don’t rely solely on your own instincts. Get more than one perspective and be as widely informed as possible.
- Assume that a child care centre or family home setting is of high quality just because it is licensed.
- Assume that shiny new toys or an aesthetically pleasing environment necessarily means that the child care is high quality. Although equipment and physical environment are important, these are no substitute for well-trained staff and a good working environment.
- Hesitate to ask questions about policies, supervision, procedures, health and safety, staff training/education, group sizes, programming, curriculum and philosophy.
Child care by province or territory
This page provides information intended to help parents understand and find child care in each province and territory.
Below is an overview of the kinds of search and access tools that will be useful for parents.
By following the links to each province and territory, parents can find detailed information including who to contact, how to access subsidies, and information about quality factors such as staff training requirements, staff:child ratios, meals and curricula, and inclusion of children with disabilities.
Provincial / territorial tools
- Almost all provinces/territories provide lists of regulated child care centres, part-day and school-age programs and regulated family child care on their websites, usually providing the program’s address, phone number and website, if there is one.
- Several provinces/territories also provide licensing information about regulated programs online. This information is limited, but includes whether a centre or family child care home is regulated, has a “clear license” and has any current non-compliance issues. Alberta provides a fairly detailed licensing history.
- Parents can search for a space online in some locations, for example, in Manitoba and Ottawa, or register to search for child care in PEI.
- In some places, for example Manitoba, the City of Toronto and other Ontario municipalities, parents can also apply for a fee subsidy online.
- In Alberta, a child care centre accreditation process may provide further information.
Local tools
- In the province of Ontario, where local governments have an administrative role, some municipalities or regional governments provide search tools such as lists of regulated options, a central vacancy list, or results from locally-implemented quality assurance activities.
- Some provinces/territories have networks of local early childhood-linked organizations, for example BC’s Child Care Resource and Referral, to which family child care providers may be linked, Newfoundland’s Family Resource Centres or Ontario’s Early Years Centres. Family resource programs (FRPs) in most provinces and territories play a number of roles for families including support in their search for child care.
Tools to find unregulated child care are ad hoc: newspaper and bulletin board ads, word-of-mouth, and the internet. None of these tools are monitored in any way nor is there any oversight regarding the content of ads or notices, the care being offered, or the claims made.