Overview

The purpose of Ontario’s Protecting Child Performers Act, 2015 (PCPA) is to promote the best interests, protection and well-being of paid child performers working in the live entertainment industry and recorded entertainment industry.

The PCPA sets out minimum requirements for employing or contracting the services of child performers in Ontario, including requirements for:

  • disclosure of information about role and other matters
  • hours of work
  • breaks
  • overtime hours
  • tutoring
  • travel
  • minimum age
  • adults in the workplace
  • orientation training
  • work refusals
  • healthy food

The PCPA requirements that apply depend on:

  • the age of the child performer
  • whether the child performer is in the live entertainment industry or recorded entertainment industry

Child performers are also covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations. The purpose of the OHSA is to protect workers, including child performers, from health and safety hazards on the job.

Visit the Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act for more information about the OHSA.

Visit the Child Performers Guideline to learn more about how to help child performers stay healthy and safe on the job.

Where the law applies

Industries

The PCPA applies to two industries: the live entertainment industry and the recorded entertainment industry,

The live entertainment industry is defined as performing arts that provide live entertainment in:

  • theatre
  • dance
  • music
  • opera
  • circus

The recorded entertainment industry is defined as producing visual or audio-visual recorded entertainment that is replayed:

  • in cinemas
  • on the internet
  • on radio or television broadcasts, including commercials
  • on a DVD player or similar device

People

The PCPA requirements apply to:

  • child performers
  • employers of child performers
  • parents and guardians of child performers

File a claim

You can file a PCPA claim if you believe an offence has been committed related to written agreements, travel, hours of work, breaks, split shifts, overtime hours, and tutoring of a child performer in Ontario.

Learn more about filing a PCPA Claim.