Best Start: Helping Young Children Get the Best Start in Life
We want the best for Ontario's babies and children. That means making sure they get the best possible start in life.
That's why we've launched Best Start. It's our plan for healthy development, early learning and child care during a child's first years. We want children in Ontario to be ready and eager to learn by the time they start Grade 1.
When fully implemented, Best Start will provide an integrated system of services that seamlessly support families with children from their birth right through their transition into Grade 1. These services include quality child care, public health and parenting programs, as well as newborn and infant screening programs, hearing programs and speech and language therapy programs to help identify supports for children who need extra attention for healthy early development.
Finding the right child care: About child care in Ontario
Ontario's child care system consists of both informal and licensed child care.
Informal child care
Informal or unlicensed child care may be provided by relatives, friends, neighbours, or nannies.
Licensed child care
There are two types of licensed child care programs: private-home day care agencies and day nurseries.
Private-home day care agencies provide home day care at more than one location. Care in each location is provided to five children or less, under 10 years of age of different parentage in a private residence other than the home of the parent/guardian of the child. Homes are supervised and monitored by the agency.
Day nurseries are centre-based programs and include nursery schools, full day care, extended day care, and before and after school programs.
Licensed facilities are subject to the Day Nurseries Act and its regulations (Day Nurseries Act, Regulation 262).
The legislation sets out very specific rules, regulations and minimum standards relating to the physical environment, staff/child ratios, program activities, staff training, health and safety, and nutrition. Operators of day nurseries and private-home day care agencies must meet these standards in order to get and maintain a licence.
To obtain a licence, child care operators must apply to be licensed as a day nursery or a private-home day care agency and must demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the Act and its Regulations (Day Nurseries Act, Regulation 262).
A licence may be issued for a one-year period if these requirements are met. Operators must apply for a licence renewal before the expiry date of the current licence.
A provisional licence for a period of up to six months may be issued. Provisional licenses allow an operator time to meet all the requirements of the Day Nurseries Act. In some instances a licence may also be issued with terms and conditions.
A provisional licence does not mean that the children are unsafe or that the centre or agency is about to close. In fact, if the inspection reveals a threat to a child's health, safety or welfare, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services will take immediate action to ensure the well-being of the children in care.
Staff of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (program advisers designated under Section 16 of the Day Nurseries Act) are responsible for inspecting day nurseries and private-home day care agencies to enforce licensing requirements.
Unannounced inspections are conducted for licence renewals on an annual basis. Program advisers also make unannounced inspections in response to complaints related to licensed child care programs and to monitor operators who have difficulty maintaining compliance with licensing standards.
The Ministry of Children and Youth Services also responds to complaints from the public pertaining to operators who are alleged to be caring for more than five unrelated children under 10 years of age without a licence.
For More Information
More information about child care in your community is available from:
- the Ontario Early Years Centres;
- local municipalities;
- local offices of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services;
- the yellow pages of the telephone directory under Child Care or Day Care;
- newspaper advertisements, bulletin boards;
- community information centres, child care resource centres, libraries, churches;
- the human resources department at work; and
- friends, neighbours, relatives or co-workers.
For more information on subsidies to cover child care costs, contact your local municipality:
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