Home Child Care

What are the benefits of licensed home child care?

• A family-like setting where siblings can be cared for together, often in your community
• Greater flexibility in child care arrangements and can be adapted to suit individual needs (part time or extended hours may be available)
• Smaller numbers of children
• Receipts for child care fees for income tax purposes
• Programming may be less structured
• Care providers may have access to training and community support groups

What does licensed home child offer?

Licensed home child care agencies recruit, screen, approve and supervise providers/caregivers who provide child care in their own homes for children from infancy to 13 years of age. Agencies regularly monitor the homes through regular home visits and safety checks. Agencies also provide training opportunities, support, resources and guidance on a variety of topics such as planning activities for children, nutrition and safe and appropriate toys and equipment for children.

Eligible families that use licensed child care, including home-based care, can benefit from supports such as the Child Care Fee Subsidy program, a first-come first-serve program that reduces the amount of money that families have to pay licensed child care providers to care for child(ren) under the age of 13.

Does York Region work with licensed home child care agencies?

Yes, York Region works with licensed home child care agencies and provides funding to support quality licensed Early Learning and Child Care programs. Please visit the agencies websites to learn more about what they offer families:

1. Better Than Home
2. Bright Minds Care Inc.
3. Building Opportunities
4. Circles in the Sun
5. Daycare Consulting Services Inc.
6. Equia Licensed Home Childcare 
7. Family Day Care Services
8. Hand-in-Hand Home Child Care Services Inc.
9. Happy Kids Family Daycare Agency
10. Hopscotch Home Daycare Agency
11. L’Agence Francophone de Garderie Familiale
12. Learning Happens Child Care Inc.
13. Magic Tree Childcare Inc
14. Wee Watch – Quality Licensed Home Child Care
    1. Aurora Day Care Services Inc. (Aurora/King)
    2. Main Street Day Care Services Inc. (Newmarket)
    3. Terrace Woods Day Care Services Inc. (Vaughan)
    4. The York Region Day Care Hotline Inc. (Markham/Stouffville/Unionville)
    5. Trothen Circle Day Care Services Inc. (Richmond Hill/Thornhill)
15. YMCA of Greater Toronto (Licensed Home Child care)
16. York Home Childcare Agency Inc.

As of February 2023, York Region works with 22 licensed home child care agencies and currently 112 homes are actively offering licensed home child care services to families.

What resources are available to help you select quality child care?

For information on selecting quality licensed child care, read our resource packages which can help you identify your family’s needs and select a quality child care program that is right for you and your child. The packages include information about child care options, child care needs, a child care checklist and how to help your child adjust to child care.

• Selecting Quality Child Care in a Home-Based Program
• Selecting Quality Child Care in a Centre-Based Program

If you’re interested in providing child care services in your home, consider working with a licensed home child care agency. The Ministry of Education licenses home child care agencies that contract individual providers/caregivers who offer child care out of their own homes. Home child care agencies recruit, screen, approve and supervise caregivers who provide child care in their own homes for children from birth to age 13.

What are the benefits of becoming a licensed home child care provider?

Licensed home child care agencies provide many financial, administrative and support benefits to their providers such as professional development opportunities, support and monitoring, funding and Child Care Fee Subsidy among others. Agencies remove many burdens associated with running a home child care business, allowing providers to prioritize delivering quality child care, spending more time with their children and concentrating on building relationships with families.

Licensed home child care providers can access funding from York Region through their home child care agencies such as the Home Child Care Enhancement Grant, Special Purpose Funding and General Operating Grant. Learn more at york.ca/childcareoperators.

For more information about these benefits and more, check out the benefits of licensed home child care for providers handout.

Who are home visitors and what do they do?

Home visitors work for home child care agencies and they screen, approve and monitor licensed home child care providers. Home visitors are trained in early childhood education, child development and/or family studies. They check all homes to make sure they are safe for children before children are enrolled. They also check in routinely to make sure caregivers are following the provincial requirements and the agency's policies and procedures.

Home visitors help providers in a number of ways, such as:

• 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 children

Does York Region work with licensed home child care agencies?

Yes, York Region works with licensed home child care agencies and provides funding to support quality licensed Early Learning and Child Care programs. Please visit the agencies websites and contact them for more information about becoming a home child care provider:

1. Better Than Home
2. Bright Minds Care Inc.
3. Building Opportunities
4. Circles in the Sun
5. Daycare Consulting Services Inc.
6. Equia Licensed Home Childcare 
7. Family Day Care Services
8. Hand-in-Hand Home Child Care Services Inc.
9. Happy Kids Family Daycare Agency
10. Hopscotch Home Daycare Agency
11. L’Agence Francophone de Garderie Familiale
12. Learning Happens Child Care Inc.
13. Magic Tree Childcare Inc
14. Wee Watch – Quality Licensed Home Child Care
    1. Aurora Day Care Services Inc. (Aurora/King)
    2. Main Street Day Care Services Inc. (Newmarket)
    3. Terrace Woods Day Care Services Inc. (Vaughan)
    4. The York Region Day Care Hotline Inc. (Markham/Stouffville/Unionville)
    5. Trothen Circle Day Care Services Inc. (Richmond Hill/Thornhill)
15. YMCA of Greater Toronto (Licensed Home Child care)
16. York Home Childcare Agency Inc.
17. York Professional Care and Education Inc.
18. Pinocchio

As of February 2023, York Region works with 22 licensed home child care agencies and currently 112 homes are actively offering licensed home child care services to families.

What steps can I take to become a licensed home child care provider?

1. Research and contact licensed home child care agencies 
   Research the agencies that you would like to work with thoroughly. Check out their websites, send inquiry emails and call and ask questions about their screening and registration processes.

2. Gather the requirements for agency screening
   After researching and talking to the agency of your choice, gather the requirements you need to become a licensed home child care provider as per their screening processes. Some may include:

   • A police vulnerable sector check (this process may take seven to 10 business days)
   • A current certificate in Standard Aid with Child and Infant CPR
   • Child care liability insurance and automobile liability insurance
   • Health assessments and immunizations recommended by a local medical officer of health for residents and private children in the home

   Requirements and screening processes vary among agencies.

3. Get informed about regulations, health and safety, business planning and financing 
   Check out Online Resources for websites filled with information about laws and regulations, health and safety and business planning and financing. This information will help you better prepare yourself as a home child care provider and what this entails.
4. Build your toolkit and deliver quality child care
   Now that you have completed your research, identified the licensed home child care agency that you want to work with and submitted all the documents required for the screening process, you are ready to start your successful home child care business. It’s time to build your toolkit and get prepared to deliver quality child care in your home.

York Region is here to support you in providing quality child care. Learn about York Region programs and services that can help you deliver quality child care and help you create an accessible, high-quality and inclusive early learning environment.

What are some of the Frequently Asked Questions providers have?

Providers who are interested in working with a licensed home child care agency may have many questions such as how many children you can care for and whether to count your own children. Check out the Frequently Asked Questions document for more information.

Here is a list of helpful questions to ask home child care agencies when considering becoming a licensed home child care provider.