An exercise in collaboration

The Home Child Care Association of Ontario (HCCAO) represents more than 70 licensed Home Child Care Agencies which provide licensed, home-based early learning and child care in over 3,000 homes across Ontario. Agencies are licensed under the Ministry of Education and work in partnership with their local municipalities, who provide funding. Home Child Care Providers are independent contractors working with licensed agencies. Both full fee and subsidized spaces are available.

Licensed Home Child Care Agencies comply with regulations within the Child Care and Early Years, Act 2014. The Home Child Care licensing manual helps to support agencies to achieve and maintain compliance, improve program quality and support promising practices in early childhood education.

The HCCAO membership is committed to the well-being of children and has a strong interest in contributing to the dialogue about how child care programs for children are organized, delivered and regulated throughout the province.

The HCCAO believes:

• Licensing standards should apply to all home-based child care.
• Legislated standards should apply to all home-based child care.
• All children should have equal access to quality care.

Quality home-based care is achieved through the establishment of a minimum set of legislated standards that include: expectations regarding age-appropriate programming, developmentally appropriate supervision practices, minimum safety and health standards, regular inspections and mechanisms for enforcement, fair remuneration for Caregivers, access to professional development and training, education and social support.