Find Quality Child Care and Early Learning

In a licensed child care centre or home, programs must meet provincial standards around health, safety, and the ways children are encouraged to learn and grow. These programs are regularly inspected for compliance.

A quality child care program also lets children explore the world around them with their natural curiosity and exuberance. Being engaged in this way helps them learn to think creatively and to problem solve.

A quality child care program offers indoor and outdoor play spaces that are equipped to allow children to explore their ideas, investigate their theories, and interact with others. 

Educators support children by gently extending their level of thinking and understanding. This helps children gain knowledge and develop problem solving skills.

Quality child care programs help each child build on their own unique strengths and abilities. When educators take the time to observe and listen to your child and engage with them as a partner in play, they gain insight into their interest and abilities.  This understanding really helps determine how to support and extend your child’s learning more effectively. 

Quality child care programs believe each child is competent, capable of complex thinking, and curious.  These programs celebrate all social, cultural, and linguistic perspectives.  This ensures all children feel included and can thrive.

Educators in quality child care develop positive, responsive relationships with children and their families. This involves daily communication between you and the educator to share important information about your child. Together you talk about your child's accomplishments and interests, and problem solve if you need to.

Educators develop supportive, nurturing routines that respond to your child’s needs. They provide materials and experiences that build on your child’s strengths and interests, and support their learning.

Educators in quality child care are lifelong learners. They continually reflect on their own work and they work with each other to explore new ways to help children learn.

• Also known as day programs, nursery school or preschools
• Care for children from birth to 12 years of age (some centres care for only certain age groups)
• Care usually available Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Staff include early childhood educators in good standing with their regulating body

Licensed home child care

• Care for up to six children (including their own, under age 6), from birth to 12 years of age
• May offer more varied hours of care than the centres (including weekends, part-time)
• Provided by approved caregivers in their homes under contract with a licensed agency
• Licensed home child care agencies have consultants trained in early childhood education who offer support to caregivers

• Available for school-aged children (4 to 12 years old) in most schools
• Operated by school boards or by licensed child care programs
  • 2021-2022 school year
• View your child's school board website to learn more about their program:
• Waterloo Public Board
• Waterloo Catholic Board
• French Public Board
• French Catholic Board

• Provided by babysitters and nannies in the child's home or in the caregiver's home
• Caregiver can care for up to five children (including their own, under the age of 6), and no more than two under the age of two. 
• Caregivers are expected to follow the same standards as licensed home child care, however, the Ministry of Education does not inspect unlicensed caregivers unless it receives a complaint
• Babysitters and nannies providing care in a child's home are exempt from the Ministry standards