Licensed home-based child care
The ministry licenses private-home day care agencies. Those agencies then contract individual caregivers who offer child care out of their own home.
These providers may care for infants, toddlers and pre-school-aged children. They may offer care for school-aged children before and after regular school hours, at lunch and on days when schools are closed.
What do home visitors do?
Caregivers are screened, approved and monitored by people called home visitors. These home visitors work for the private-home child care agency.
Home visitors have training in early childhood education, child development and/or family studies. They check that the home is safe for children before children are enrolled and check in routinely to make sure caregivers are following the provincial requirements and the agency's policies and procedures.
The home visitor also helps families find an agency caregiver that meets the needs of the child and family.
They may help caregivers by:
- Planning activities for children at different stages of their development.
- Giving advice about nutritious meal planning.
- Helping choose toys and equipment that are safe and suitable for the children.
The Ministry of Education inspects the agencies and some home child care locations at least once a year to ensure they meet the licensing standards. Please note that, as of November 1, 2011, all licensed child care operators are required to post information about serious occurrences in a visible area.