Manitoba Child Care Program - A Basic Guide to Licensing Requirements for Family or Group Child Care Homes

Last Verified: December 17, 2010

The Department of Family Services and Consumer Affairs regularly offers orientation meetings for individuals interested in becoming licensed child care providers. The licensing requirements are outlined in full in The Community Child Care Standards Act and Regulation. The following is a brief overview.

Summary

DEFINITION
A licence for a family child care home is required if the provider is caring for more than four children, including the provider’s own children. A family child care home is a home in which child care is provided:

• to not more than eight (8) children 
• including a maximum of five (5) children less than six (6) years of age 
• of whom no more than three (3) are less than two (2) years of age 
• and which include the children of the provider with the condition that they are included in the above total number of children under care.

BASIC PROCEDURES

Persons interested in becoming family or group child care providers usually follow the process outlined below:

1. First Orientation: The first orientation provides an overview of licensing and is an opportunity to learn more about becoming a family child care provider.
2. Documentation: After the first orientation, any persons who wish to become licensed family child care providers must then complete a licence application package.
3. First Licensing Visit: Following submission of the application package and satisfactory Criminal Records Check, Child Abuse Registry Check and Prior Contact Check, a Child Care Co-ordinator will visit the home. They will provide the applicant with a copy of the Licensing Manual, and another package of resources and forms for the operation of their family child care home.
4. Second Orientation: The second orientation allows the applicant to review and formalize their family child care resources and forms.
5. Subsequent Licensing Visits: The Co-ordinator will carry out a series of subsequent visits, during which time, the applicant will be advised of any licensing requirement that must be met. The Co-ordinator will also conduct a personal assessment and complete an inspection checklist, while observing the program.

Required Training

Effective January 1, 2003, all applicants must provide evidence that they have, within the previous eight years, successfully completed 40 hours of course work that is relevant to early childhood education or family child care. The course must have been offered by a publically-funded post-secondary institution, or approved by the Director of the Manitoba Child Care Program.

If the applicant has not completed the course work, the applicant will be granted a licence subject to the condition that the course work be successfully completed within 12 months following the date of the licence. An annual training grant is available, up to a maximum of $350 per provider.

Provisional Licence

If some of the regulations are not met, but the operation of the child care home is not considered hazardous to children, a Provisional Licence may be issued to allow time for the home to come into compliance with the licensing requirements. All new child care homes will receive a Provisional Licence for a period of time upon opening in order that the Child Care Co-ordinator can complete the necessary observational visits to determine compliance with program requirements when children are in attendance.

Regular Licence

If a child care home complies with all the regulations, a Regular Licence is issued.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• The licence to provide family child care is issued by the Department of Family Services and Consumer Affairs. 
• It is renewed annually if the standards for family child care have been maintained. 
• The licence states the number of licensed child care spaces in the facility.
• Any changes that would call for revision to the licence must be reported to the Child Care Co-ordinator for approval.

Parent Responsibilities

There must be open communication between the parent and the child care provider. Beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations must be discussed in order that the parent has an understanding of the kind of person who will be caring for his/her child and also in order that the provider becomes aware of the child's home environment. Cultural difference must be acknowledged and accepted when providing a service.

Hours

Family child care providers determine their own hours of operation. Hours of care may differ from one child to the next based on mutually agreed upon contracts between the parent(s) and provider.

Income Taxes

Family child care providers are classified as self-employed people and must report their income on an income tax return each year. Records must be kept of receipts for expenses such as food and utilities to determine the net income on which taxes are to be based. (Canada Revenue Agency's Using Your Home for Day Care brochure can assist providers in calculating net income.)

Liability Insurance

Family child care providers shall obtain and maintain comprehensive general liability insurance coverage for children enrolled in the family child care home. An amount of up to $3,000,000 is recommended. The provider's insurance agent should be contacted to ensure that the appropriate coverage is received for family child care. Liability insurance is available through individual insurance agents or some child care associations.

Child Care Co-ordinator Responsibilities

Child Care Co-ordinators are employees of the Province of Manitoba, and function as a primary contact for family child care providers. The Child Care Co-ordinator will:

• assist family child care home applicants in becoming licensed providers .
• interpret the legislative and policy requirements to family child care providers and parents requiring child care.
• assist providers when problems are identified regarding parents or children.
• assist providers wishing to enhance their programs by discussing and supplying resource material for use in homes. 
• assist providers who have children with additional support needs enrolled in their programs.

Manitoba Child Care Program Contact:
Manitoba Child Care Program
Manitoba Family Services and Consumer Affairs
219 - 114 Garry Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 1G1
Telephone: (204) 945-0776
Fax: (204) 948-2143