Operating a Child Care Business

If you would like to open or purchase a licensed child care centre or run a licensed child care program out of your home, the Region of Waterloo can help you learn more about the process. In Ontario, the Ministry of Education licenses and monitors early learning and child care. The Region of Waterloo, as service system manager, provides supports and funding to licensed child care programs and approves enrollment in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care system. 

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Operating a Child Care Centre

Operating Home Child Care

Child Care Centre Health and Safety

Operating a child care centre

Know the requirements and regulations

The Ministry of Education licenses and monitors early learning and child care in Ontario. To apply for and maintain a licence, you must follow the requirements and regulations under the Child Care and Early Years Act. If you plan to build or renovate a child care centre, you will need to follow the Ministry's planning and design guidelines.

Enrollment in CWELCC

Child care programs wanting to open in Waterloo Region need to have their licence and revised licences reviewed by the Region of Waterloo, Children’s Services. Children’s Services will advise whether the new licence/licence revision will be eligible for participation in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system. Due to limited funding, there is no guarantee of CWELCC funding for the majority of community-based expansions opening between 2023-2026. 

Children's Services is not currently accepting applications for CWELCC Enrollment. To receive updates regarding CWELCC, including information about future enrollment processes, please fill out the form and visit this webpage regularly.

If a child care program is already operating as a non-CWELCC enrolled licensee or chooses to operate as a non-CWELCC enrolled licensee, they will not be eligible for any funding. The child care program also will not have access to child care supports, which includes child care fee subsidy, special needs resourcing supports and OneList, Waterloo Region's centralized waitlist.

If you are considering program changes or a new licence, please contact Children’s Services at CHSadmin@regionofwaterloo.ca when you are in the early stages of planning to discuss eligibility for CWELCC.

For more information, please contact CHSadmin@regionofwaterloo.ca.

Deciding where to locate

As outlined the in the Early Years and Child Care Service System Plan, expanding the number of high quality licensed child care spaces in Waterloo Region is a high priority for the Region of Waterloo. 

CWELCC growth will be targeted to ensure new spaces support families who most need affordable child care. The Region of Waterloo has determined thirteen priority areas for targeted growth of new community-based child care centres. These priority areas went forward and were approved by Regional Council on April 19, 2023. To see where the priority areas for child care growth are located, check out the interactive Child Care Growth Priority Areas map. 

Operating Home Child Care

As a caregiver, who would I work for?

Home child care agencies are licensed by the Ministry of Education to contract with people who wish to provide child care in their home (known as caregivers).  Caregivers are self-employed business owners who receive support from the agencies' Early Childhood Educators.

Support for home child care providers

Licensed home child care agencies monitor caregivers' homes to ensure they comply with provincial regulations in the Child Care and Early Years Act (2014).  These agencies:

  • Meet with you monthly in your home while you are providing care;
  • Refer families to your home child care;
  • Help you connect with other providers;
  • Provide training and workshops; and
  • Work with you, families, and community agencies to include children with special needs.

How to become a caregiver

If you would like to become a licensed caregiver in Waterloo Region, contact one of these home child care agencies to get started:  

Child care centre health and safety

Child care providers and staff must follow Public Health requirements. This helps keep children in their care safe and healthy. 

Read the child care centre health and safety manuals for more.

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