First Aid Certification Required for Ontario Child Care Providers

The Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 coming into effect on August 31st, 2015 in Ontario, replacing the Day nurseries Act, includes a mandatory first aid requirement. The new act requires that all child-care supervisors, employees and home child-care providers have valid standard first aid certification, including infant and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation. 

Before enrolling in an Early Child Care certificate or diploma program at a college or career college, it is important to inquire as to whether First Aid and CPR are included in the program curriculum.

Some other changes to the Act include:

  • All staff, volunteers, and students at licensed child care centres and agencies require criminal reference checks. This includes vulnerable sector screening, which must be updated every five years. Offence declarations must be provided every year that Vulnerable Sector Checks are not required.
  • Parents must be notified when an accident/incident occurs that could affect the wellbeing, health or safety of their child, and be provided with a copy of the report.
  • All meals, snacks and beverages must meet the recommendations set out in “Canada’s Food Guide”.

Staff Qualification Changes

  • A home visitor, who is employed by a licensed home childcare agency to visit and monitor homes providing licensed home child care, must now be a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE), or otherwise have director approval.
  • Anyone who possesses an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) qualification, and is working within the scope of practice (planning, delivering and assessing inclusive play-based programs for children), must register with the College of ECEs.

How will Parents know if their child care provider is licensed?

Under this new legislation, all licensed child care centres, home child care agencies, and homes contracted with a home child care agency will be required to display decals that will identify them as licensed by the government of Ontario.

Career Colleges in Ontario that Offer Early Child Care programs:

More information about the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014