Become a Licensed Home Child Care Provider

Every home child care agency in Ontario must be licensed by the Ministry of Education. All licensed home child care providers must follow the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (external link) requirements.

Licensed home child care providers must post a green decal on display at their home that says they are licensed to make it easier to recognize licensed child care.

Non-licensed home child care or informal care is not required to meet the same government requirements as a licensed home.

A home child care provider with a licensed agency can care for a maximum of six children under the age of 13. A home child care provider not with a licensed agency can care for a maximum of five children under the age of 13.

All home child care providers must count their own children under the age of six and cannot care for more than three children under the age of two.

Yes, the provider and all adults in the home must have a Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Screening before caring for children.

The provider must obtain their Standard First Aid with Infant-Child CPR.

The agency and provider are regulated to ensure specific standards are met and that they follow provincial and municipal requirements. Agencies support providers to have policies and procedures regarding health and safety. The agency monitors the home regularly and provides oversight to ensure safe and nurturing environments.

Program planning is informed by How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years (external PDF). Licensed home child care providers also participate in Halton Region’s quality initiative, Quality First. Quality First supports providers to offer a high-quality early learning program through coaching and consultation with a Quality First Consultant and setting goals to improve quality.

Agencies provide guidance, resources and access to training, workshops and professional development for providers.

A home visitor is a professional who works for a licensed agency and ensures licensed homes are meeting licensing requirements and standards while providing a safe and nurturing environment for the children in their care. Home visitors have a background in early childhood education and child development.

Home visitors come for an initial inspection of your home before children are enrolled and regularly visit to ensure homes continue to meet the provincial requirements and the agency’s policies and procedures.

They support providers by:

• Providing training and guidance to support providers with quality programming.
• Visiting regularly to answer questions and concerns.
• Offering support in planning activities for children at different stages of their development, nutritious meal planning and choosing materials and equipment that are safe and suitable for the children.

You do not need to be a registered early childhood educator (RECE) as a licensed home child care provider. Agencies have home visitors with a background in early childhood education to support providers. You should have a passion for working with children and be prepared for the challenges, as well as meaningful experiences in caring for young children.

If you are an RECE, licensed home child care may be a great opportunity to start your own business and offer high-quality child care in your home.