Operating a Child Care Centre
Health Department inspection information and resources for licensed child care operators can be viewed at the bottom of this page.
Early Learning and Child Care for Operators
The Children’s Services Division is the service system manager for early learning and child care in Durham Region. We work with the Durham Region Health Department and the Ministry of Education to ensure the safe operation of licensed child care. We continue to provide operators with helpful information and resources on sector specific guidance to support healthy and safe workplaces, including COVID-19 Guidance and Advice for Businesses and Organizations.
New Licensee Canada Wide Child Care and Early Learning system expansion
As announced in December 2022, the Ministry of Education is committing funds to support the expansion of child care across the province as part of the federal/provincial Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement.
The Ministry of Education has shifted child care expansion from open enrolment to a directed growth plan to create new child care spaces. A directed growth approach will ensure funding is available to support new spaces in communities most in need of access to high-quality, affordable child care.
As the service system manager, the Region of Durham has developed a directed growth plan that aligns with provincial directives and space targets while meeting the needs of communities across the region. This plan will be updated annually to best reflect the changing needs of our communities.
The Ministry of Education has provided municipalities with space targets for CWELCC-funded growth. Durham Region received the mandate to expand the CWELCC system by 2,029 spaces in schools and community-based locations between 2022-2026.
For 2022 and 2023, space targets were met. Approvals were provided to operators by the Children's Services Division in alignment with our growth plans and space targets and in accordance with the Ministry of Education CWELCC guidelines for directed growth.
There are a limited number of CWELCC-funded expansion spaces that can be approved in 2024 based on the space targets allocated to the Region of Durham. Details on the approval of future CWELCC expansion spaces will be announced following the release of the 2024 funding guidelines.
Please watch our website for updates. Thank you for your interest in opening a child care centre in the Region of Durham.
Children's Services Early Learning Updates
The Children’s Services Division is committed to keeping licensed child care operators apprised of changes impacting licensed child care services in Durham Region. See below for the most recent Early Learning updates. Current licenses can access previous editions in the Operator Portal.
- Early learning update - December 16th, 2024
- Early learning update - November 25, 2024
- Early learning update - October 25, 2024
- Early learning update - September 18, 2024
- Early learning update - August 22, 2024
Operating licensed child care
| Opening a child care centre | ||||||||||||
| The Ministry of Education looks after licensing new child care centres. You can find information about licensing a new child care centre on the Ministry of Education website.
The Region of Durham Children's Services Division (CSD) is the service system manager for child care in Durham Region. We look after system planning to make sure families have access to affordable, quality child care spaces across Durham Region. This includes oversight of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) System and Fee Subsidy (subsidized) child care spaces. Licensed child care operators are eligible to apply for enrolment into the CWELCC system. Approval for CWELCC funding is granted based on alignment with the Region of Durham, Children's Services expansion plan for directed growth and the availability of funding supporting annual space targets for expansion as outlined by the Ministry of Education. To be able to offer fee subsidy spaces, licensed child care operators must enter into a purchase of service agreement with CSD by completing the Purchase of Service - Fee Subsidy application process. All staff working in licensed child care in Durham Region may access professional learning opportunities through Resources for Child Care Professionals. Licensed child care centres are able to seek access to Special Needs Resourcing agency support to help create inclusive child care environments for children with special needs and concerns in child care. All child care operators may apply for Wage Enhancement funding for their staff after they have been in operation for at least two months. For more information, please email ChildCareOperators@Durham.ca. |
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| Wage Enhancement | ||||||||||||
| On December 15, 2016, the Ministry of Education gave direction to The Regional Municipality of Durham to roll out the Wage Enhancement Program in Durham Region.
To get more information, go to the Ministry of Education website. The Ministry of Education's wage enhancement goals and focus are to:
These were essential considerations used to develop the process and expectations set out by the Region of Durham.
We will support operators with the application process. Operators must apply every year to get this funding. If an operator does not complete the application the operator's organization will not receive an allocation. All operators must submit a Wage Enhancement Attestation form in December to continue to receive monthly payments to pay employees. New operators wanting to apply for funding can contact the Wage Enhancement Team by email WageEnhancement@durham.ca and request an application. If you need help, you can contact the Wage Enhancement Team by email WageEnhancement@durham.ca. Please note: individuals may not apply. Individuals asking about their share of wage enhancement must fill in the Wage Enhancement Inquiry form. |
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| Purchase of Service- Fee Subsidy application process | ||||||||||||
| The Children's Services Division approves or denies new Fee Subsidy Purchase of Service Agreement applications in Durham based on quality and strong community need. This allows the Children's Services Division to make sure that growth of the child care system is well planned, ensuring equitable access to fee subsidy spaces and supporting a stable child care sector. The most important thing is that children and families in Durham have good quality, safe, child care and early learning programs.
Currently, the Region of Durham Children's Services Division has a moratorium on new Purchase of Service agreements during the transition to the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system and to support a stable COVID-19 pandemic recovery. Exceptions to this moratorium occur only when a strong community need for spaces in a neighbourhood has been identified. As the child care sector recovers from the impacts of the pandemic, and as the first phase of the CWELCC system implementation nears completion, the moratorium will be reviewed and lifted as appropriate. Operators can contact the Children's Services Division, Early Learning Team to indicate interest in obtaining a Fee Subsidy Purchase of Service. Should community need arise, those operators who indicated an interest will be contacted according to the date of contact. Please email the Early Learning Team at ChildCareOperators@Durham.ca for more information on expression of interest. Once community need is established, the Fee Subsidy Purchase of Service application process requires a child care operator to have a clear license with the Ministry of Education for at least six months. If these factors are met, an application will be forwarded to the operator. Once the application is received, a budget check and Quality Assurance inspection of the site will occur and a full review will take place to determine if a Purchase of Service Agreement will be granted. The full process can take up to one year to complete. A letter will be sent to the operator with the result.
The Durham Region Fee Subsidy Payment Policy and Procedure Manual is available for more information. |
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| General Operating Program (GOP) | ||||||||||||
Licensed child care centres and home child care agencies, that are approved for a Purchase of Service Fee Subsidy Service Agreement in Durham, qualify for the General Operating Program. |
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| Durham Region's Operating Criteria (DROC) | ||||||||||||
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| Special Purpose Funding opportunities | ||||||||||||
| Forms and fee subsidy payment policy | ||||||||||||
Health Department information
The Health Department inspects all licensed child care centres in Durham Region to prevent the spread of illness. We provide information, control outbreaks and respond to complaints.
Infection prevention and control (IPAC) online learning course
We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with the online Child Care IPAC Course, which may interfere with your ability to complete certain modules and the final quiz to receive your certificate of completion.
We are working diligently to resolve these issues; in the meantime, you may wish to delay any attempts to take the course until further notice. We will advise once these issues have been resolved.
We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.
| Animals in child care centres |
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Animals can offer a valuable learning experience, but can also expose children and staff to infections and injuries, and are a source of allergens. Children can develop infections from animals. Younger children, under age five, are at a higher risk. |
| Application package for child care centres (new or altered spaces) |
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You can fill out and submit an application for new programs or altered spaces in your child care centre. |
| Cleaning and disinfection |
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You can reduce the spread of germs and illness in your centre with regular cleaning and disinfection. Use the resources below to make sure you are cleaning and disinfecting correctly:
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| Infection control practices |
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Use these guides for preventing the spread of germs in your centre and to help your staff follow correct infection control practices:
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| Keeping hands clean |
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You can stop the spread of germs and reduce your risk of getting sick by keeping your hands clean. Handwashing steps Hand sanitizing steps |
| Online inspection results |
| Outbreak management and reporting in child care settings |
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Outbreaks or suspected outbreaks must be reported to the Health Department immediately. Report an outbreak in a child care setting If this online reporting form is not available, please contact the Durham Health Connection Line. For after-hours public health emergencies, please call 905-576-9991 and ask to speak to the public health inspector on call. Use the following resources to prevent outbreaks and to detect when they occur: |
| Wee Care newsletter |
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The Wee Care newsletter is designed specifically for operators and staff of licensed child care centres in Durham Region, to provide information and resource material to help in their daily operation. This newsletter is published twice a year. |
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Wee Care manual |
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The Wee Care manual is an educational resource provided by the Health Department to all licensed child care centres for all of your centre's day-to-day needs. If your centre doesn't have a manual, please contact your area public health inspector. The manual has information about:
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Other resources |
Financial Supports
The Children's Services Division encourages licensed child care operators and providers to visit Invest Durham for updated financial support information. This website includes a variety of government and non-government funding programs, as well as links to funding, calculators, financial resources, and business supports.
Contact Us
Environmental Health Line
101 Consumers Dr.
Whitby, ON L1N 1C4
T.: 905-723-3818
Toll Free:: 1-888-777-9613
F.: 905-666-1887
Email Health Department