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The presence of a Raising the Bar certificate is a sign that the program is committed to maintaining provincial regulatory standards as well as local community standards.

Information for Parents

“Raising the Bar On Quality”

General information:

Raising the Bar is a program designed to help families ensure their children are receiving high quality early learning and child care services. The presence of a Raising the Bar certificate is a sign that the program is committed to maintaining provincial regulatory standards as well as local community standards.

Raising the Bar was developed and introduced in Hamilton, Ontario to promote and support observance of community standards in:

  • Licensed, centre-based Early Learning and Child Care programs
  • Licensed School-Age Child Care programs
  • Special Needs Resource Agencies
  • Licensed Home Child Care Agencies
  • Early Learning and Parenting Centres

Read the Parent Brochure.

Programs and Agencies which currently participate in Raising the Bar

For more information on the Raising the Bar participants, click here
or download the full list here.

There are three categories of standards:

1. Quality Assurance

  • Quality is monitored through frequent on-site observations.
  • Parent and/or Caregiver feedback is collected each year.
  • Action plans are developed to address areas of need and to plan for improvement.
  • In addition to annual provincial licensing reviews and local public health inspections, Raising the Bar programs undergo site visits by Early Childhood Education Consultants.

2. Best Practices

  • The program offers information for parents and promotes opportunities for community involvement.
  • There are detailed policies, procedures and management practices to guide day-to-day operations.
  • Specific strategies are in place to support optimal child health and development. Resources and information about child development are provided to parents.

3. Professional Development

The team of Early Years professionals in Raising the Bar programs maintain credentials and commit to additional training each year.

  • First aid and CPR are kept current.
  • Cooks have Food Handlers’ Certificate training.
  • All directors and staff attend workshops and conferences to enhance their understanding of early childhood education and care.
  • Raising the Bar programs support teacher training through mentorship and by providing practical training opportunities for cooperative education students.



Raising the Bar Certificate Levels

Through the annual peer review process, a level of achievement is determined for each of the three categories.

  • Bronze level programs follow fundamental quality indicators and are also in full compliance with Ontario’s Day Nurseries Act.
  • Silver level programs have additional strategies to enhance quality.
  • Gold level programs demonstrate a long-term commitment to high quality in early childhood education.

 

Is Raising the Bar a guarantee of quality?

  • Participation in Raising the Bar indicates a commitment to supporting healthy, high quality environments for the children in our community, but it is not a guarantee or endorsement.
  • The Ministry of Children and Youth Services is responsible for the regulation of child care in Ontario .
  • The peer review process is an annual review of documentation submitted by the child care program. Peer reviewers do not conduct site visits to assess the quality of service.

An ASCY Community Initiative

Raising the Bar was developed in Hamilton and is a community project, coordinated by Affiliated Services for Children and Youth (ASCY).

 Areas outside of Hamilton :

A number of communities across Ontario have adopted Hamilton’s Raising the Bar process as a strategy to promote and support observance of their local standards. Regulatory standards of the Provincial Day Nurseries Act apply to all programs in Ontario; however, as each community may modify or adapt the model for their local area, some Raising the Bar standards may vary.

Links: To learn more about Raising the Bar in your area visit

To view the parent brochure, "Assuring High Quality Early Learning and Child care", click here