Child Care Provider Resources

If you’re starting a family child care home or presently providing care, you may be interested in our Association for dedicated Child Care Providers and in learning more about quality family child care. As well as contributing to today’s society, you’ll find caring for children a rewarding experience.

Child care services are desperately needed and demand is increasing with rising cost of living, women seeking careers and single parent situations.

This section includes:

  • Regulations for Family Child Care in BC

  • Steps to Obtaining License and Training Information

  • Website resources

Regulations for Family Child Care in BC

  • A license is required when a person cares for more than two children not related by blood or marriage.
  • Family Child Care will provide opportunity for social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth in a home environment for children from birth to 12 years.
  • Licensed care may be provided for a maximum of 7 children (including the child care providers own children).
  • Some regulations vary by municipality. In some areas the total number of children in a licensed home child care may be restricted to five
  • Child Care Licensing Regulation – The Child Care Licensing Regulation establish the minimum health and safety standards for licensed community care facilities. These regulations contain definitions, license application requirements, staff requirements and physical requirements related to health and safety.
  • Ministry of Children and Family Development – Child Care in BC is now housed in this ministry. Links to all the information that child care providers need to run a successful child care.
  • Ministry of Health – The Community Care Facilities Branch is part of the Health Protection Division of the Ministry of Health, and is responsible for the development and implementation of legislation, policy and guidelines to protect the health and safety of people being cared for in licensed facilities.

Steps to Obtaining License and Training Information

    • Find Out About Training for Family Child Care Providers

Training courses, provided through local Community Education programs and Community Colleges, are available and recommended by local health departments and Child Care Resource and Referral Programs. An extended one year certificate program is available in some communities.

GOOD BEGINNINGS: Professional Development for Child Care Providers is a 12 session introductory course for starting and operating a family childcare.

This course touches on both the business aspect of family child care (licensing, budgeting, health & safety), the day-to-day organization, child developmental knowledge, and skills required to offer a quality family child care service.There is a distance education program that allows training to be accessible to even the most isolated communities. The publications have been produced by BCFCCA formerly Western Canada Family Child Care Association of BC.

For more details please check out current course listings, or contact us at goodbeginnings@bcfcca.ca.

    • Contact the licensing officer at your local health unit

The Provincial Child Care Facilities Licensing Board provides a licensing information package which is available through local Health Unit Offices. Discuss your plans with Health Unit Staff.

In addition to provincial requirements, all municipal requirements must be met. The licensing process is similar, but not the same in all communities. License is not transferable from one person to another or one facility (home) to another. A license must be displayed in a conspicuous place in the home.

The Provincial Child Care Facilities Licensing Board provides a licensing information package which is available through local Health Unit Offices. Discuss your plans with Health Unit Staff.

British Columbia Health Authorities

    • Contact Local Child Care Resource and Referral Programs

Child Care Resource and Referral Program Offices are funded through the Ministry of Children and Family Development to provide support and information to both parents and child care providers. They can assist with licensing procedures, discuss child care training, offer liability, home and home-based business insurance for qualified caregivers, and offer a child care registration/referral service. For the number of the nearest Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) call the Child Care Help Line in Greater Victoria at 356-6501 or Outside Greater Victoria toll free at 1 888 338-6622.

    • Contact Local Child Care Associations

Check our list of BCFCCA Member Groups or ask your licensing officer or Child Care Resource and Referral Program for child care associations in your area.

    • Recommended Reading

Here are a couple of books to look for in your local public library or Resource and Referral lending library. If you have any other great books on starting up and running a child care, please let us know and we’ll be happy to add them.

    • Home Child Care: A Caregiver’s Guide- by Lee Dunster 1994
    • Start and Run a Profitable Home Day Care – 2nd Edition- by Catherine M. Pruissen 1993, 1999.

Child Care Provider Website Resources

  • Small Business BC -Small Business BC is British Columbia’s key resource centre for business information and services.
  • Using Your Home For Day Care – Canada Customs and Revenue Agency now has this booklet is online for your convenience.
  • Women’s Enterprise – BC’s leading resource for women entrepreneurs, offering skills development, business loans, free business guidance, business resources, mentoring, networking and events!
  • BC Aboriginal Child Care Society – Non-profit charitable society. The provincial organization serving Aboriginal early childhood programs throughout British Columbia.
  • BC Child Care Resource & Referral Programs – Find the nearest Resource and Referral Program in your community.
  • BC SPCA – Great tips for picking classroom pets, animal information, grieving for a pet, and lots more.
  • Canadian Child Care Federation – Our mission is to improve the quality of child care services for Canadian families.
  • Canadian Paediatirc Society– The Canadian Paediatric Society’s website is designed to provide both CPS members and other health care professionals with information they need to make informed decisions about child health care.
  • Caring for Kids – Caring for Kids provides parents and caregivers with information about child and youth health and well-being. The site is developed by the Canadian Paediatric Society – the voice of Canada’s 2,000+ paediatricians.
  • Child Care Online – This site provides invaluable information to both parents and providers.
  • Children and Family Development– BC’s Ministry of Children and Family Development site with lots of information for families and providers alike.
  • Daycare BearThe Canadian Childcare Providers Information Network.
  • ECEBC– Early Childhood Educators of BC.
  • First Call – First Call is a coalition of over 60 provincial and regional organizations and hundreds of community groups and individuals who promote legislation, policy and practice that will enable children and youth to achieve their full potential and to participate in making a better world. We believe that children and youth need a first call on society’s resources.
  • Nature Challenge for Kids – David Suzuki’s Environmental site to promote protecting nature.
  • Supported Child Care – BC’s Ministry of Children and Family Development site with lots of information for families and providers alike.
  • West Coast Child Care Resource Centre – Provides information, referrals, training and resources to families, individuals and organizations who are seeking the best care and early learning for children.
  • Active Healthy Kids Canada  Increase support for quality, accessible and enjoyable physical activity participation experiences for young people.
  • A to Z Kidstuff – The name says it all. A wonderful resource full of ideas for pre-school and school-aged children.
  • California Association for Family Child Care – Resource site for family child care providers.
  • DLTK’S Crafts for Kids – A great site full of craft ideas, links to other great craft sites and a weekly newsletter informing you of the latest additions.
  • Seussville – A wonderful site full of ideas for Dr. Seuss fans both big and small.
  • Itchy’s Alphabet© – A visual phonics program for teaching letter-sound correspondence. A BC-owned and operated business.
  • Environmental sites for kids – Many links to environmental sites for kids. One of the most important things a kid can do for the Earth is to learn about it.
  • San Diego Zoological Society – For kids who love animals! Send an electronic postcard!
  • Active Play

To view more resources become a member of the BCFCCA.

Know a great child care link? Please share it with us….

Liability Disclaimer:

In providing links to other child care pages, BCFCCA makes no warranties regarding the content, and its application by users, or regarding the accessibility, reliability and security of its services. Users are responsible for ensuring that any information they use is appropriate to their purposes.