LICENSED HOME CHILDCARE.
IT’S THE BETTER CHOICE.
WHAT DOES BEING A LICENSED AGENCY MEAN?
Licensed childcare agencies are regulated and monitored by the province. They must meet and maintain specific provincial standards set out by the Ministry of Education. Agencies must apply to be licensed and pass annual inspections by the Ministry Of Education (MOE) to maintain their license status.
Being licensed means we must adhere to strict standards and guidelines as set by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in the Child Care & Early Years Act (CCEYA). The CCEYA was launched by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to further promote the benefits of licensed childcare. With close to 100 standards in the CCEYA, the goal was to strengthen compliance and health and safety in childcare settings. These standards apply to ratios of children allowed in a home, educational program requirements, nutrition, and home safety compliance.
FAQ
WE’RE HERE TO HELP YOU MAKE AN
INFORMED CHILDCARE DECISION.
The Child Care and Early Years Act, (CCEYA) governs child care in Ontario. The CCEYA came into effect in August 2015, with many of the new provisions strengthening compliance and health and safety in child care settings. The Act increases the government’s oversight of caregivers, and helps parents make informed choices about their options.
Home Childcare Agencies must develop and implement policies that are aligned with the requirements in the CCEYA for things like, the number of children in care, nutrition, health and safety (ie cleaning protocols, storage of food and medicine) equipment, and professional development. It also includes standards for educational programming, prohibited practices, emergency incident reporting, supervision and administration. The requirements are very comprehensive and are focused on both the provision of safe care and the development of children.
Providers that work privately (i.e. not with a licensed agency) must comply with some of the regulations in this act, such as they can have no more than 5 children in care, must give parents a tax receipt and must inform parents they are not affiliated with a licensed agency. The Ministry of Education enforces compliance with the standards but there is no guarantee that anyone is supervising or regularly visiting these homes. With a Provider working with a licensed agency, parents have peace of mind knowing that a Registered Early Childhood Educator is visiting the home regularly to observe that all standards are being met. The Ministry requires this visit quarterly to every Provider home, at Wee Watch we do these visits monthly because we believe it is of the utmost importance.
Providers working with a licensed agency can care for 6 children under 13, with no more than 3 children under the age of 2. A Provider’s own children over the age of 4 do not count in the ratios of allowable children. Providers not affiliated with a licensed agency can have no more than 5 children at a time in their care.
Childcare Providers in Ontario cannot be licensed, only a childcare Agency can be licensed. Providers partner or contract with an agency to deliver childcare in compliance with the standards set out in the CCEYA. The Agency provides the training, equipment, supervision and support for the Provider to deliver the standard of care to families.
All licensed home childcare agencies have a license that is displayed in their office. They also received a decal from the Ministry of Education that is displayed in their office as well as in each home of the Providers that are affiliated with them. Additionally, there is a Provincial website where you can search for all licensed agencies.