Licensing Checklist

Canadian Childcare Licensing Checklist (2026)

Use this checklist as a starting point. Requirements are set by your provincial government and can change. Always verify with your provincial licensing authority.

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Ontario: Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA)

Governing legislation:Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA)

Regulator:Ontario Ministry of Education

Helpdesk:childcare_ontario@ontario.ca

Staff-to-Child Ratios (Ontario, O. Reg. 137/15)

Age Group	Age Range	Min. Staff:Child Ratio	Max Group Size
Infants	0-18 months	1:3	10
Toddlers	18 months-2.5 years	1:5	15
Preschool	2.5-5 years	1:8	24
Kindergarten	44 months-7 years	1:13	26
Primary/Junior School Age	5.5-13 years	1:15	30

Important

Infant ratios cannot be reduced at any time. Reduced ratios for other age groups are permitted only in limited circumstances under the CCEYA.

Staff Qualifications

Program Supervisor: Must hold a 2-year ECE diploma (RECE), minimum 2 years of experience in licensed childcare, and have Ministry director approval
All staff counted in ratios: Must be a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) or have Ministry director approval as a qualified employee
First Aid/CPR: All staff counted in ratios must have valid Standard First Aid certification including infant and child CPR (WSIB-recognized program). New staff have up to 3 months to obtain certification
Criminal Reference Check: All staff, volunteers, and students must have a criminal reference check including vulnerable sector screening, renewed every 5 years
Offence Declarations: Required every year that a vulnerable sector check is not required

Physical Space Requirements

Minimum 2.8 m2 of unobstructed indoor play space per child
Outdoor play area proportional to licensed capacity
Separate play activity rooms required for infant, toddler, and preschool groups
Separate spaces for food preparation and storage
Age-appropriate equipment required in all areas

Licensing Checklist: Centre Application

Ongoing Compliance Requirements

Maintain required staff-to-child ratios at all times
Post licensing certificate visibly in the centre
Record for every child on file (section 72 of O. Reg. 137/15)
Daily attendance records
Staff training records and ongoing professional development policy
Annual review of policies and procedures
Renewal of vulnerable sector checks every 5 years per staff member
Annual offence declarations where vulnerable sector check is not renewed
Ministry inspection cooperation

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If Enrolled in CWELCC (Ontario)

Maintain fees at or below $22/day (as of January 1, 2025)
CWELCC funding agreement on file and available to program advisor
Parent handbook states CWELCC participation status
30-day fee change notice process documented
RECE and supervisor wage enhancement compliance tracked
Fee structure set per Ontario Regulation funding table

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British Columbia: Community Care and Assisted Living Act (CCALA)

Governing legislation:Community Care and Assisted Living Act; Child Care Licensing Regulation

Regulator:Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD)

Staff-to-Child Ratios (BC)

Age Group	Age Range	Min. Staff:Child Ratio	Max Group Size
Infants	Under 12 months	1:4	12
Toddlers	12-36 months	1:4	12
Preschool	3-5 years	1:8	25
School Age	5+ years	1:10	20

Licensing Checklist: BC Centre Application

Ongoing Compliance (BC)

Maintain CCALA Facility Licence (required for CCOF base funding)
Annual renewal of Child Care Operating Funding agreement (expires March 31)
Report changes to enrollment, hours, or programs via Change Notification Form
Maintain staff wage, benefit, and hours obligations if in fee reduction program
Ensure 9.5-hour minimum operating day if charging optional extended-hours fees (April 2026 onward)

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Alberta

Governing legislation:Child Care Licensing Act (2025); Child Care Licensing Regulation

Regulator:Alberta Ministry of Education

Key Requirements:

Director and lead staff: Level 3 Child Development Supervisor certificate or equivalent
Staff ratios: 1:4 (infants/toddlers), 1:8 (preschool), 1:10 (school age)
Criminal record and intervention checks for all staff
Annual licence renewal

Manitoba

Governing legislation:Community Child Care Standards Act

Regulator:Manitoba Families

Key Requirements:

Child Care Coordinator: ECE Level II or III
Ratios: 1:4 (infants), 1:4 (toddlers), 1:8 (preschool), 1:15 (school age)
Child Abuse Registry check and Criminal Record check for all staff
Annual licensing

Quebec: CPE and Subsidized Daycare System

Governing legislation:Act respecting educational childcare services

Regulator:Ministere de la Famille du Quebec

Why Quebec Is Different

Quebec is excluded from the federal CWELCC agreement because it already operates Canada's most established subsidized childcare system, one that predates CWELCC by decades. For operators in Quebec, compliance means understanding the Ministere de la Famille's framework, not CWELCC.

Types of Quebec Childcare

Type	French Name	Operator	Funding
Childcare centre	Centre de la petite enfance (CPE)	Non-profit, parent-governed	Subsidized
Subsidized daycare	Garderie subventionnee	Private	Subsidized
Non-subsidized daycare	Garderie non-subventionnee	Private	Market rate
Home childcare	Service de garde en milieu familial	Independent provider	Subsidized (if recognized)

Parent Fees (Contribution Reduite, Indexed Annually)

Year	Daily Reduced Contribution
2024	$9.10/day
2025	$9.35/day
2026	$9.65/day

CPE Governance

CPEs are non-profit corporations. Governance structure is legally required:

Parent-majority board: The majority of board members must be parents with children currently enrolled at the CPE
Community representative: At least one non-parent community member on the board
General Manager: Must be qualified, Ministere-approved, and reports to the board
Members elected at the general assembly

Staff Qualifications

2/3 of all direct-care staff must hold either a 3-year DEC (Diplome d'etudes collegiales) in early childhood education, or a 1-year AEC (Attestation d'etudes collegiales) plus 3 years of experience
Remaining 1/3: No required educational credential currently mandated
Background checks: Police background check required for all staff

Staff-to-Child Ratios (Quebec)

Age Group	Age Range	Staff:Child Ratio
Infants (poupons)	0-18 months	1:5
Children	18 months-5 years	1:8

Licensing Checklist: Quebec CPE/Garderie

How Sprout and Vine Care Supports Compliance

Sprout and Vine Care comes pre-loaded with:

Province-specific ratio tracking and real-time alerts when ratios are at risk
Attendance records formatted for provincial inspection requirements
CWELCC and CCFRI subsidy tracking built into billing
Staff certification tracking with expiry date reminders
Documentation storage for licensing records

Sources: Ontario Ministry of Education (ontario.ca), BC Ministry of Children and Family Development (gov.bc.ca), Alberta Ministry of Education, Manitoba Families, Ministere de la Famille du Quebec. Last reviewed May 2026.

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