Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, S.O. 2014, c. 11, Sched. 1

• Jurisdiction: Ontario

Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014

S.o. 2014, chapter 11
Schedule 1

Consolidation Period: From October 19, 2021 to the e-Laws currency date.

Last amendment: 2019, c. 7, Sched. 17, s. 43.

CONTENTS

Part I
PurposeS and Interpretation

Purposes of Act

1 (1) The purposes of this Act are to foster the learning, development, health and well-being of children and to enhance their safety.

Same

(2) In order to fulfil the purposes set out in subsection (1), this Act,

(a) provides a framework for the regulation of,

(i) the provision of child care, and

(ii) the operation of child care and early years programs and services;

(b) establishes a licensing and compliance scheme relating to the provision of child care;

(c) sets out requirements in relation to the funding and resourcing of child care and early years programs and services;

(d) facilitates and supports the local planning and implementation of child care and early years programs and services by municipalities, district social services administration boards, First Nations and prescribed local authorities;

(e) provides access to information that,

(i) supports the ability of parents to evaluate and choose child care and early years programs and services, and

(ii) increases understanding about child development and improves the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of the child care and early years programs and services; and

(f) facilitates and supports the coordination of provincial planning and policy development.

Definitions

2 (1) In this Act,

“authorized recreational and skill building programs” means programs that meet the description set out in subsection 6 (4); (“programmes autorisés de loisirs et de développement des compétences”)

“child” means a person who is younger than 13 years old; (“enfant”)

“child care” has the meaning set out in section 3; (“garde d’enfants”, “services de garde”)

“child care and early years programs and services” means programs and services that,

(a) include the provision of child care, or

(b) are early years programs and services; (“programmes et services pour la garde d’enfants et la petite enfance”)

“child care and early years programs and services plan” means the plan established and approved under section 51; (“plan de programmes et de services pour la garde d’enfants et la petite enfance”)

“child care centre” means a premises operated by a person licensed under this Act to operate a child care centre at the premises; (“centre de garde”)

“child care provider” means any person who provides child care for one or more children; (“fournisseur de services de garde”)

“designated senior employee” means a person employed in the Ministry as a deputy minister, associate deputy minister or assistant deputy minister, or in a position prescribed by the regulations; (“titulaire d’un poste supérieur désigné”)

“director” means a director appointed under section 66; (“directeur”)

“district social services administration board” means a board established under the District Social Services Administration Boards Act; (“conseil d’administration de district des services sociaux”)

“early years programs and services” means programs and services for children or parents that are specified or meet the description set out in the regulations, which,

(a) involve or relate to the learning, development, health and well-being of children,

(b) do not provide child care and are not extended day programs, and

(c) are funded wholly or partly by the Ministry; (“programmes et services pour la petite enfance”)

“exempt circumstances” means the circumstances set out in section 4 in which temporary care for and supervision of children are provided; (“circonstances exclues”)

“extended day program” has the same meaning as in the Education Act; (“programme de jour prolongé”)

“First Nation” means a band as defined in the Indian Act (Canada); (“Première Nation”)

“home child care” means child care that meets the description set out in paragraph 1 of subsection 6 (3); (“services de garde en milieu familial”)

“home child care agency” means a person that is licensed as a home child care agency under this Act; (“agence de services de garde en milieu familial”)

“in-home services” means child care that meets the description set out in paragraph 3 of subsection 6 (3); (“services à domicile”)

“justice” means a provincial judge or a justice of the peace; (“juge”)

“licence” means a licence issued under this Act and, unless the context indicates otherwise, includes a provisional licence; (“permis”)

“licensed child care” means child care that,

(a) is provided at a child care centre,

(b) is home child care, or

(c) is in-home services; (“services de garde agréés”)

“licensee” means a person who holds a licence issued under this Act; (English version only)

“Minister” means the Minister of Education or such other member of the Executive Council to whom the administration of this Act may be assigned under the Executive Council Act; (“ministre”)

“Ministry” means the Ministry of the Minister; (“ministère”)

“operator” means a person who has control or management of a premises, agency, program or service, and “operate” has a corresponding meaning; (“exploitant”, “exploiter”, “faire fonctionner”, “fonctionnement”)

“parent” includes a person having lawful custody of a child or a person who has demonstrated a settled intention to treat a child as a child of his or her family; (“parent”)

“personal information” means personal information within the meaning of section 38 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and section 28 of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act; (“renseignements personnels”)

“police record check” means a police record check within the meaning of the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015. (“vérification de dossier de police”)

“prescribed” means prescribed by the regulations; (“prescrit”)

“prescribed local authority” means a person or entity prescribed by the regulations; (“autorité locale prescrite”)

“regulations” means the regulations made under this Act; (“règlements”)

“relative” means, with respect to a child, a person who is the child’s parent, sibling, grandparent, great-uncle, great-aunt, uncle, aunt, cousin or such other person prescribed by the regulations, including through a spousal relationship or adoption; (“membre de la famille”)

“residential care” means boarding or lodging, or both, and may include specialized, sheltered or group care in conjunction with the boarding or lodging, or both; (“soins en établissement”)

“school” has the same meaning as in the Education Act; (“école”)

“school board” means a board as defined in subsection 1 (1) of the Education Act; (“conseil scolaire”)

“service area”, in relation to a service system manager, means the geographic area specified by the regulations as the service area of that service system manager, in accordance with subsection 65 (2); (“aire de service”)

“service system manager” means a municipality or district social services administration board designated by the regulations as a service system manager in accordance with subsection 65 (1); (“gestionnaire de système de services”)

“temporary care for or supervision of a child” means providing for a child’s safety, well-being or development, in the absence of the child’s parent and for a continuous period that does not exceed 24 hours; (“garde ou surveillance temporaire d’un enfant”)

“Tribunal” means the Licence Appeal Tribunal; (“Tribunal”)

“weekday” means any Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday that is not a holiday. (“jour de semaine”) 2014, c. 11, Sched. 1, s. 2 (1); 2015, c. 30, s. 23 (1, 2); 2016, c. 23, s. 39.

Interpretation, home child care agency

(2) Nothing in this Act is intended to imply that a home child care agency is an employer of a person who provides home child care or in-home services. 2014, c. 11, Sched. 1, s. 2 (2).

Section Amendments with date in force (d/m/y)

2015, c. 30, s. 23 (1, 2) - 01/11/2018

2016, c. 23, s. 39 - 01/01/2017

2018, c. 3, Sched. 5, s. 4 - no effect - see 2015, c. 30, s. 23 (1) - 01/11/2018

Meaning of “child care”

3 For the purposes of this Act, child care means the provision of temporary care for or supervision of children in any circumstance other than in exempt circumstances.

Exempt circumstances

4 (1) For the purposes of this Act, temporary care for and supervision of children are provided in exempt circumstances if:

relatives

1. The person providing the care or supervision is a relative of all of the children for whom it is provided.

services for patrons, etc.

2. The care or supervision is provided as a service at a premises for guests, visitors or patrons who,

i. use the service on an irregular basis,

ii. remain at the premises for the duration of the time during which they use the service, and

iii. are readily available to attend to the children.

homes

3. The care or supervision is provided at a child’s own home and,

i. is not provided for any other children who do not reside at that home, or

ii. does not meet the description of in-home services set out in paragraph 3 of subsection 6 (3).

schools

4. The care or supervision is provided as a service or part of a program operated by a school board or by the Government of Ontario, and the program or service,

i. has a primary purpose that is instructional or extracurricular in nature, and

ii. is provided only for pupils enrolled in the primary division or a higher division in a school.

extended day programs

5. The care or supervision is provided as part of an extended day program.

private schools

6. The care or supervision is provided as a service or part of a program operated by a person operating a private school (within the meaning of the Education Act) and only for pupils enrolled in the school who,

i. are four years old or older, or

ii. if the care or supervision is provided on...