Frequently Asked Questions
Home Child Care
Question: What is the maximum number of children I can
care for in my home at any one time?
Answer: In the Province of Ontario, independent home
child care practitioners (not affiliated with a Licensed Home Child Care
Agency) may provide care for up to 5 children under 10 years of age in
addition to their own children at any given time in their home.
Question: If there are two adults providing care in
one home, can we provide care for more than five children?
Answer: No, regardless of the number of adults in the
home, you can only provide care for a maximum of 5 children at any given
time.
Question: What if a caregiver is providing child care
in her home for more than five children?
Answer: A caregiver who is providing child care in her
home for more than five children under 10 years of age is providing care
“illegally” and could be charged with the offence of operating
a day nursery without a licence. Caregivers operating a day nursery without
a licence may be convicted of an offence under the Day Nurseries Act and,
if convicted, fined up to $2,000 per day for each day that the activity
is conducted.
For more information, contact a Program Advisor of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.
Question: What should I do if I wish to provide care
to more than five children?
Answer: Should you wish to care for more than 5 children
plus your own at any given time in your home, you would require to be
licensed under the Ontario Day Nurseries Act and meet all of its regulations.
For more information, contact a Program Advisor of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.
Question: What is the Registry?
Answer: The Registry was developed to provide another
option to help parents find home-based child care in the city of Hamilton.
The Registry is intended to be a listing only. It does NOT screen, supervise,
monitor or recommend the home child care practitioners on the Registry.
It is the parents' responsibility to interview and select the home child
care practitioner as well as monitor the ongoing care of their child.
The Registry takes no responsibility for the parents' choice of home child
care practitioner or the satisfaction of the arrangement. Information
on how to choose quality child care is available through the Child Care
Information Hamilton at 905-528-0591 or Co-ordinated
Access for Child Care.
Question: As a home child care practitioner, how can
I list my service on the Registry?
Answer: To receive an information package on how to list
your service on the Registry, contact Joyce Minten, Assistant Director/Home
Child Care Support Services Co-ordinator at 905-574-6876 ext. 226 or jminten@ascy.ca
The Registry of Home-Based Child Care is an initiative of ASCY in
partnership with Community Information Hamilton/Child Care Information
Hamilton.
Click here to find out more about Community Information Hamilton.
Click here for contact information.