Region of Waterloo Home Child Care
The Region of Waterloo is licensed by the Ministry of Education to run a home child care program for children from birth to age 12. Over 350 caregivers contract with us to provide quality care to more than 1,000 children in Waterloo Region.
More Information About our Program for Parents
Our program is available to all families, even if you need help to pay for it. Our consultants are trained in early childhood education and work closely with caregivers to ensure they meet provincial standards. They also work closely with families to form trusting, supportive relationships that help children grow and develop to their full potential.
Please see the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care page for more information about the plan.
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Home child care provides a unique and rich learning environment for children. Siblings can often be placed together and smaller group sizes allow for more child and caregiver interaction. Hours of care are often flexible. When you choose a licensed child home care provider, you receive the following advantages and safeguards:
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Below are our daily rates for care, effective January 1, 2023. The rates below are already reduced 52.75% for children under the age of 6 as applicable under the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. If you are unable to afford child care, you may qualify to have some or all of the cost covered by the Region. Find out if you are eligible for child care subsidy.
Any fees for insufficient funds are considered non-base fees and are not eligible for a reduction under the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. |
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| Check the status of a child care provider | ||||||||||||||||||
| The Ministry of Education has had a public registry of all recorded and verified child care violations since January 2012. | ||||||||||||||||||
Register for Home Child Care
Once you apply, you will be contacted by email to review your child care needs when you are within 3 months of your start date. Home Child Care differs from centre care in the sense that we do not have the same waitlist process. We will let you know what spaces are available in your area closer to the time that you require care based on your care needs and preferences.
Apply Here: Child Care Waitlist (onehsn.com)
More Information for those Interested in Becoming a Caregiver
The Region is a licensed agency that contracts with approved caregivers to provide child care in their home. We welcome applicants who are registered early childhood educators, but it isn't a requirement. However, we do require that you have experience working with children. Due to the overwhelming number of applications we receive, not everyone that applies will be contacted for an interview.
| Advantages of Contracting with us |
Become a licensed caregiver with us and receive professional development opportunities and support from a registered Early Childhood Educator. Other benefits include:
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| How to Apply |
Please note if your first language is not English and you are below a level 6, you can still apply to our program following the steps above. We now offer the Language and Mentorship Program (LAMP) to recruit caregivers from different cultures and languages. The purpose of this program is to provide parents with options to choose a caregiver who speaks their language or understands their culture. We collaborate with interpreters as needed to support with the sign up process, online learning, policy review and consultant visits. Interpreters are also available during the interview process. Consultants visit and support the caregivers weekly, biweekly and then monthly. Caregivers are encouraged to attend ESL Classes and/or English conversation circles in the community. Once the Caregiver and Consultant are comfortable with the level of communication, childcare provided, and ability to follow Home Child Care policies and procedures, caregivers will transition out of the LAMP program to the Consultant that supports their geographical area. If this sounds like a good fit for you, when you get to page 3 of the application, please answer, “Yes” to the question, “Is your English currently lower than a level 6 or would you benefit from our Language and Mentorship program (LAMP)?”
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Resources for caregivers
Are you part of our community of caregivers? The resources below will help with your professional development and provide guidance on standards to follow when caring for children in your home.
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