Effective Aug. 31st, daycare laws in Ontario have changed. This is the first change since 1983!
The new rules affect both at licenced and unlicensed daycare providers.
As a part of the new laws, unlicensed daycares can now only look after a maximum of two children under the age of two. They can also only provide care for five children, including their own that are under the age of six. These two new rules take effect unless providers are caring for the same children today as they were on Dec. 4, 2014, in which case they have until Jan. 1st to comply.
Licensed daycares are also affected by new rules. Licensed group care centers are now required to obtain a police record check, maintain first-aid certification, and follow the government's policy statement about child development in the early years.
Licensed home daycares have had the amount of children they can look after raised to six, which also includes their own children under six.
So what does this mean for your childcare bill? Well you may have already been affected and are starting the hunt for childcare again because your provider is too full. Most providers charge a premium for children under two, simply because there is more care involved. Now that providers are having the amount of children they can care for capped, they may need to charge their rates to keep their doors open.
If your children are involved in a licensed group daycare, you could still see hike in prices. Simply because everyone who works for a licensed group care center has to now maintain a first-aid certification. This means employers will have to pay for initial costs of all staff complying with this new law, and possibly even paying them a day’s wages to go get certified. While most employers of group daycare providers already require a police check from their employees, there might be added costs to follow the government's policy statement about child development in the early years. It would be my guess that most licensed group daycare providers don’t have this much wiggle room in their budgets, while means the bill might come to the parents though rates.
All these changes have been applied due to the recent hike in daycare accidents and complaints. While I do agree with all these changes, I think it would have been nice to have some financial assistance to help implement these changes.
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