Access resources for child care providers on specific laws and standards that must be followed to obtain and keep your licence.
To ensure that you are delivering the best care possible, and to meet the requirements necessary to obtaining and keeping your licence, you must comply with specific laws and standards, which are outlined in the resources on this page.
The specific laws and standards are different for a child care facility versus a community care home. For this reason, child care and community care homes are separated in the resources listed below.
A child that needs extra support to develop socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually requires a care plan while they’re in child care. The care plan is a document that outlines step-by-step when and how they would need and receive that extra support. Care plans are as unique and as individual as each child.
A care plan is one of the required policies as part of the licensing process. When you apply for a licence, your licensing officer will review this policy as part of the assessment of your licence application.
In your care plan, you need to describe how you will provide care that is developmentally appropriate and meets each child’s individual care needs. This includes a description of what active supervision looks like in your facility, indoors, outdoors and on field trips.
A care plan ties together the individual needs of a child and the activities and services a child care facility offers. It promotes an inclusive care environment no matter the age, developmental level or physical ability of a child.
Not every child needs a care plan. A child with developmental delays or a diagnosis of a physical, emotional or intellectual impairment that requires extra support needs a care plan to detail how extra support is to be provided.
There are times when a child may not be diagnosed with a specific impairment but they still need extra help to function while in care. Information and resources from local child support services can be a great help when designing a child’s care plan and a staff’s responses to the plan.
A care plan describes a child’s needs and how care providers can best meet those needs. It may be as simple as a paragraph, or it may be more complex and several pages.
It’s developed by observing and working with the child and through discussions with:
You should gather the following information:
Providing a copy of the plan to the child’s parents and others who are involved in the day-to-day care of the child will help you to evaluate your plan.
Regularly reviewing your care plan is the best way to see if it is working or needs to be changed. It’s a good idea to review the first care plan within three months of starting. Revisit the plan at least once a year, or earlier if the needs of the child change significantly. Discuss the child’s progress with the child’s parents and anyone else the parent’s request, which may include early childhood intervention services.
Ask questions such as:
Parents are often the best source of information about their child. Work closely with staff and other agencies that provide specialized services and that can act as a resource when concerns or questions arise.
As a child care provider/licensee, you need to provide a care environment that supports the health and well-being of all children in your care. Children have different needs and abilities depending upon their age, and all need a safe environment that promotes and encourages their physical, intellectual, emotional and social growth.
If a major event or serious reportable incident occurs at your facility, a complaint is made or a concern is raised during an inspection, you may be required to submit a Health and Safety Plan for review by a licensing officer.
The Director of Licensing Standard of Practice – Active Play expects that active play be incorporated into children’s everyday routines and that screen time be limited. Legislation also requires caregivers to provide children with indoor and outdoor activities that encourage healthy growth and development.
Consult the following for more information and strategies:
Food
Following food safety techniques to prevent food-borne illness is important for your child care operation. Young children are more likely to get a food-borne illness than healthy adults. It is recommended that caregivers have training in safe food handling.
Consult the following for more information and strategies around ensuring the safety of food in your facility:
Drinking water
Persons with reduced immunity due to age (very young or elderly), congenital immune deficiencies or acquired diseases, and those taking certain medications, may be at greater risk of contracting waterborne diseases. Review and monitoring of water supplies is necessary to ensure safe water is available for all persons in your care.
The following resources are here to help learn about safe drinking water, determine if your drinking water is under an advisory and what to do if it is, and how to identify and prevent lead in drinking water:
Indoor air
Second to smoking, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer. Radon testing is mandatory for all child care providers in the Interior Health region.
To learn more about radon, read our Radon Bulletin and visit our Radon Gas page.
Prevention of illness and injury
The following resources provide information on a range of topics relating to infectious illnesses and injury prevention:
• COVID-19 B.C. Public Health Guidance for Child Care Programs
• HealthLink BC
• Quick Guide to Common Childhood Diseases
• Preventing Illness in Child Care Settings
• Diaper Changing
• Handwashing Poster
• Preventing Injury in Child Care Settings
• Fire and Life Safety for Licensed Home Based Child Care Settings in British Columbia
• Safe Play Space – Standards of Practice
• Water Safety
Healthy eating is fundamental to overall health. Child care providers are responsible for supporting healthy eating habits in their care facilities.
The following resources will support you in delivering healthy eating options and encouraging healthy habits for children in your care:
• Appetite to Play
• Food & Nutrition (Provincial Health Services Authority)
• Healthy Eating in the Child Care Setting
• Fostering Healthy Eating Habits in Your Child Care Facility
• Feeding Young Children
• Canada’s Food Guide (Health Canada)
• Dietitian Services (HealthLinkBC)
Access our webpages listed below with natural emergency information for community care providers:
Health and Safety Plans are put in place to reduce the potential for harm and assure the health and safety of persons in care. The plan demonstrates the strategies used by licensee’s to minimize risk and prevent harm from occurring.
A Licensee may be required to submit a Health and Safety Plan when:
Learn how to develop a health and safety plan and the subsequent steps required for processing
A reportable incident is an event where a child has been injured, been harmfully affected or gone missing while under the care and supervision of the licensee.
Inspections are an important part of ensuring that child care facilities comply with all legislation to operate in a healthy and safe manner that respects the dignity of all persons in care.
Conducted by a licensing officer, inspections take place to ensure compliance with the Community Care and Assisted Living Act and the Child Care Licensing Regulation. At each inspection, a licensing officer reviews all aspects of the facility, records, policies, programming and care delivery.
Licensing officers carry out the following types of inspections:
When licensing officers conduct an inspection, they are assessing the site for compliance with all legislated requirements. If an area of non-compliance is identified, a recorded observation is made. Observations are discussed with the site operator and, depending on the level of risk associated with the issue, they will work together on an action plan to resolve the matter.
During an inspection, licensing officers assess the following aspects of care:
See the Self-Assessment Inspection Checklist (for licensees/managers).
How frequently your facility is inspected depends on the results of previous inspections and whether or not your facility is in compliance with legislated requirements. In each inspection of a facility, a licensing officer uses the Risk Assessment Tool to measure compliance and assign a level of risk to the facility. Based on this, the licensing officer determines when the next inspection will take place.
The Risk Assessment Tool is used for licensed facilities during routine inspections.
In general, a risk assessment will be completed at least once every 12 months; however, there may be situations where a new risk assessment is required sooner.
Most inspections are unannounced. It is important to assess most aspects of the operation at a time when a facility is in its usual routine. Despite this, it is sometimes appropriate to schedule inspections, such as when it is necessary to spend time with the manager to assess specific aspects of a facility’s operation.
A risk assessment is a careful examination of any issue of non-compliance to identify if it could cause someone harm. Determining risk takes into consideration many variables, including the unique features and physical characteristics and policies and procedures of a facility, preventative measures that may be in place, and the various care and supervision needs of children in care.
A licensing officer will use the information observed during an inspection to determine a risk rating using the Risk Assessment Tool. This tool is based on two components: an “in the moment” review of compliance with the legislation and a review of past operation and compliance of the facility.
Following an inspection, the licensing officer will discuss their observations with the care provider and forward them an inspection report. If a provider does not meet the requirements of the Community Care and Assisted Living Act or the Child Care Licensing Regulation, the licensing officer will identify the areas in non-compliance and request that corrections be made.
Inspection reports are posted on the Interior Health website for five years, and include
information about the following:
A facility might be investigated for many reasons – the most common being a complaint or a reportable incident – but an investigation doesn’t mean that a licensee has done something wrong. Licensing officers are required to investigate all complaints to ensure the health and safety of persons in care. As such, it is important for facility staff to work cooperatively with the licensing officer in all investigations.
An investigation under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act doesn’t require evidence and facts that prove beyond a reasonable doubt that an event occurred. Instead, the investigation determines the likelihood that an event has occurred.
We recognize that investigations are unsettling for everyone involved and can be especially difficult for children in care and staff. While, in most cases, licensing staff are unable to share the source of complaints with a facility, we are committed to being transparent and fair, and to concluding the investigation as quickly as possible.
Depending on the type of concern or the potential risk to the persons in care, the Licensing department of Interior Health will determine the next steps of the investigation process.
A licensing officer will:
As a licensee, you are expected to:
Health and safety plan: As a licensee, you must submit a health and safety plan because, when a complaint is received, licensing officers respond quickly to ensure the health and safety of the persons in care and may request a plan to address alleged non-compliance and potential risks to persons in care. You can submit a revised plan for review at any time during an investigation, and you will be advised as soon as the plan is no longer required.
You’re also responsible for the performance of your staff and you may need to conduct your own investigation to satisfy your obligations as an employer. We encourage licensees to be active participants in an investigation to show due diligence, which includes discussing your role in an investigation with your licensing officer as soon as possible. However, while we are committed to working with licensees, in some cases a joint investigation may not be appropriate.
Investigation timelines vary depending on the following:
Ensuring the well-being of all individuals in care is legally required in operating a community care facility. As a care provider, knowing, understanding and following the legislation and standards that govern child care facilities and community care homes is an essential part of maintaining the health and safety of your facility.
To be a licensed child care provider, you must ensure that your facility conforms to all relevant laws, regulations and standards. By making sure you are fully informed about the following legislation and resources, you will have the knowledge you need to meet all of your legal obligations, operate a healthy and safe facility and programs, and keep your licence in good standing.
The following resources outline standards of practice that identify key requirements for safe and healthy operation of child care facilities:
Child care providers must keep records, which are generally categorized as:
How you record the information is up to you; however, this information must be kept in a single place at your facility and be readily available at all times for inspection purposes.
Learn more about keeping records
If you have any questions or require clarification regarding the above information, please contact Licensing Direct for assistance.
Records and documentation are necessary for:
A licensed community care facility is a premises, or part of a premises, where care is provided to three or more individuals, not related by blood or marriage to the caregiver.
The Community Care Licensing program protects and promotes the health, safety and well-being of vulnerable children, youth and adults in licensed care facilities. We do this through education, collaboration and regulation. The Licensing program is responsible for monitoring compliance of licensed facilities with the Community Care and Assisted Living Act, the Child Care Licensing Regulation and the Residential Care Regulation (which applies to community care homes). The Act and Regulations set forth a standard which all licensed facilities are required to meet.
Licensing officers monitor facilities through an inspection process and perform other duties outlined in the Community Care and Assisted Living Act, including investigating complaints of unlicensed facilities or unsafe, abusive, inappropriate care allegations; reviewing new applications; ensuring that licensees follow-up with corrective action; and considering exemption requests.
The licensee is responsible for ensuring that their facility complies with the Community Care and Assisted Living Act, and Residential Care Regulation (which applies to community care homes) or the Child Care Licensing Regulation. Licensees may delegate this responsibility to a manager who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the facility.
Licensing staff prioritize work according to the level of risk in a facility. The level is assessed based on investigations, inspections, applications, exemptions, etc. Facilities with a history of non-compliance receive more frequent routine inspections.
Although funding is available, Licensing does not have a role in funding. Please refer to the Ministry of Children and Family Development website for child care information. For community care home funding, contact the agency or department that is responsible for the type of care you wish to provide in the area in which you plan to operate (e.g., Mental Health and Substance Use – Interior Health Mental Health and Addictions Services; Long Term Care – Interior Health Residential and Assisted Living Program, or Community Living BC).
Applicants who are actively pursuing a licence may only provide care to two or fewer individuals, not related by blood or marriage to the caregiver, until a community care facility licence has been issued. A licence is issued after all legislative requirements have been met.
You are not permitted to open or advertise as a licensed care facility until you have received a licence.
Yes. However, it is best to submit a completed application package to Licensing Direct. Incomplete packages may be delayed. If you are struggling with the application process, contact Licensing Direct to discuss the challenges and how you can move forward in the application process.
A number of steps must be completed after an application for a licence has been submitted. The time for completing these steps will vary for each applicant depending on the complexity of the application. The process could take several weeks to months.
No, a community care facility licence is issued for a specific premises (address) and licensee. When there is a change of licensee or facility address, a new application for licence is required.
Notify Licensing Direct immediately if there are changes to the information you provided.
Should a facility manager resign or expect to be absent for at least 30 consecutive days, you must notify your licensing officer.
