Overview

The Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA) establishes the rules for child care and early years programs and services in Ontario to:

  • support the health and safety of children
  • provide for oversight of providers
  • help parents make informed choices about child care options

There are different types of child care available in Ontario, including licensed and unlicensed child care.

The act applies to:

  • licensed child care centres (day cares)
  • licensed home child care agencies
  • before and after school care
  • unlicensed child care providers
  • home child care providers that are overseen by a licensed agency
  • providers of in-home services that are overseen by a licensed agency
  • authorized recreational and skill building programs

This act does not apply to:

  • camps that only care for children 4 years old and older
  • nannies or babysitters that provide care to children from 1 family in the children's home
  • relatives that provide care for children
  • programs with a primary purpose of academic study or skill-based recreation
  • private schools that only care for children 4 years old and older

For questions about planning, funding and operating child care services in your area, contact your service system manager.

Licensing

If your child care program provides care to more than 5 children under the age of 13, you must have a child care licence and follow provincial rules and requirements.

Apply for or renew your child care licence

Learn how to get a child care licence in Ontario, including how to apply, information on fees and required approvals.

Access the Child Care Licensing System

Register for and use the Child Care Licensing System (CCLS) as a new applicant, existing applicant, licensee or service system manager.

Child care centre licensing manual

Find information about operating a licensed child care centre following our laws.

Home child care licensing manual

Find information about operating a licensed home child care agency following our laws. This manual also provides information for licensed home child care providers.

Licensing guideline for before and after school programs

Find information on opening a licensed before and after school program for kindergarten and school-aged children.

Get funding to provide affordable child care

The Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Agreement is helping Ontario lower fees for families and increase spaces available for children under the age of 6.

If you operate a licensed child care program, you could be eligible for financial support to provide affordable child care in your community.

Find out if you are eligible and estimate how much funding your program might receive.

Child care rules

Learn the rules for different types of child care.

Rules for child care

You must follow the rules set out for licensed and unlicensed child care to ensure the health and safety of children and child care providers.

How many children are allowed in home and unlicensed child care

Find out how many children licensed home child care and unlicensed child care providers are allowed to care for.

Consequences for breaking child care rules

If licensed or unlicensed child care providers don’t follow our rules, laws and standards, we use different tools to support them to become compliant.

Child care violations registry

Child care providers with confirmed violations under the law are listed in the child care violations registry and can be searched by the public.

Programming that supports child development

As a child care provider, you must nurture, form relationships with, and support children so they thrive, learn and develop by following our research-based pedagogy.

How does learning happen? Ontario's pedagogy for the early years

All licensed child care settings must have a program statement that aligns with our framework. Learn about our goals for children and expectations for child care programs based on the 4 foundations of belonging, wellbeing, engagement and expression.

Think, feel, act: lessons from research about young children

Learn about the connection between early years education and the learning, development, health and well-being of children.

Think, feel, act: empowering children in the middle years

Find strategies for educators working with elementary school age children.

School, recreation and day camp programs

Learn the rules for different types of children's programs.

Before and after school programs

Learn about requirements under the Education Act and its regulations for before and after school programs operated by or in agreement with a school board for children in kindergarten to Grade 6.

Early years accommodations in schools

Get information about early years programs operating in schools, including accommodation costs, agreements and partnerships.

Recreation programs

Learn about the rules for recreation programs for children, including authorized recreational and skill building programs.

Day camps

Learn about the rules for day camps and the penalties if camp providers don't follow the rules.

Types of fees 

As a licensed child care provider, there are different types of fees that you can charge parents.

A base fee includes:

  • parent fees for anything you need to provide by law (per the CCEYA), such as:
    • number of staff required to meet ratio requirements)
    • play materials
    • bedding
    • development of individualized plans
    • food where it is mandatory for parents and required by regulation for children under 44 months
  • mandatory fees, such as registration fee or deposits

If you are in the CWELCC system, service system managers provide funding to help you run your program while charging parents reduced base fees for eligible children.

Non-base fees are for optional items or services, such as:

  • transportation (where it is an optional service)
  • field trips
  • late fees
  • non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees

Forms

Here are some of the forms you might need when operating a child care program.

Immunizations

Immunizations are mandatory for all children, staff , providers and other individuals who are present in licensed child care programs, such as volunteers.

If someone objects to immunization or has a medical reason they cannot be immunized, they must complete one of the following forms:

Declare an offence

Child care licensees can use this form to meet provincial requirements for offence declarations for anyone who needs to provide the licensee with a police record check.

Download the sample offence declaration form.

Child care licensees can use this form to meet provincial requirements for offence declarations for people who provide care and are:

  • employed or contracted by an outside organization, for example, a special needs resource consultation or bus driver
  • employed or contracted by an individual, such as a speech and language pathologist contracted with a parent

Download a sample offence declaration for other persons providing child care or services to a child in a child care centre.

Attestation

Child care licensees can use this form to meet provincial requirements for attestations for people who provide care and are:

  • employed or contracted by an outside organization, for example, a special needs resource consultation or bus driver
  • employed or contracted by an individual, for example, a psychiatrist contracted with a parent

Download a sample attestation for other persons providing child care or services to a child in a child care centre.

Annual reports

These reports describe the early years and child care system in Ontario, including key data and measures for licensed child care and EarlyON Child and Family Centres.