Children's Services | City of Peterborough

Woman reading a story to two small children

Finding/applying to Child Care programs

You must choose your child care arrangement. But we can help.

Apply for Child Care in the City and County of Peterborough using OneHSN Waitlist and Registry system.

OneHSN is a safe, secure, fast and convenient way to allow parents to:

Locate programs close to either home or work.
Apply for several child care options in one application.
Access OneHSN website anytime, anywhere.

Finding/registering for EarlyON programs

Use KeyON a new online platform to find and register for EarlyON programs in our community. Create your account today on KeyON's website or scan the QR code below.

KeyON offers a safe, secure, and convenient way for families to:

Find programs on each EarlyON location calendar, and
Pre-register for programs

Check out programs in the City and County of Peterborough on KeyON's Events page.

High-quality licensed child care facts

Early childhood education provides Ontario's children with safe environments to explore, learn, and play. These safe spaces support ongoing dialogue and conversations between educators and children, challenging activities to encourage problem solving, and social and emotional learning to help create meaningful connections.

Learn more about the importance of high-quality childcare in our High-Quality Licensed Child Care Fact Sheet document.

Types of Child Care

There are four different types of child care:

Licensed Centre Child Care
Licensed Home Child Care
Unlicensed Home Child Care
Care in the child’s home

The Child Care and Early Years Act set specific rules, regulations and standards that child care agencies must follow to get and keep a license. Licensed child care providers should have programs that include both active and quiet play, crafts, pretend play, outdoor play and many other kinds of learning. Licensed Child Care can be provided through:

A Child Care Centre

Home Child Care agencies

Licensed Child Care Centres

The Province of Ontario provides the following information about licensed child care centres on their website:

Licensed child care centres follow the rules, regulations and standards set out in the Child Care and Early Years Act. The Act ensure that minimum standards are met in areas of health, activities, nutrition and staff to child ratios.

Licensed child care centres can care for

infants
toddlers
preschool aged children
school aged children

They may include:

nurseries
full-day care
extended hours care
overnight care
before-and-after-school programs

Child care centres operate in a variety of locations including workplaces, community centres, schools and places of worship.

Benefits of licensed child care centres:

are government-regulated and inspected
allow children to be with other children their age
make sure staff members meet the qualification requirements set out under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014
have to meet certain standards of care
have activities designed for children at different stages of development
may have child care fee subsidies available

How can parents know their child care is licensed?

All licensed child care centres, home child care agencies, and homes contracted with a home child care agency receive and display decals to identify them as licensed by the government of Ontario.

Do you need help with child care costs?

Child Care Fee Subsidy helps with the cost of child care. Subsidized care is available for licensed child care centres and licensed home-based child care agencies that have an agreement with the City of Peterborough.

Licensed Home Child Care

The Province of Ontario provides the following information about licensed home child care on their website:

Individual home caregivers are contracted by home child care agencies that are licensed by the Ministry.

An individual home child care provider that is overseen by a licensed agency can care for up to six children under the age of 13, which must include any of their own children under the age of four.

These providers may care for:

infants
toddlers
preschool aged children
school aged children

They may offer:

full-day care
before and after school care
extended hours
overnight care

Benefits of home child care:

government-regulated and inspected homes that meet specific standards
siblings to be placed together
small group size
child care fee subsidies that may be available
standards that must be met by providers

How can parents know their child care is licensed?

All licensed child care centres, home child care agencies, and homes contracted with a home child care agency receive and display decals to identify them as licensed by the government of Ontario.

Do you need help with child care costs?

Child Care Fee Subsidy helps with the cost of child care. Subsidized care is available for licensed child care centres and licensed home-based child care agencies that have an agreement with the City of Peterborough.

Unlicensed Home Child Care

The Province of Ontario provides the following information about unlicensed child care on their website:

Unlicensed caregivers are not inspected by the Ministry of Education, and are not required to meet most provincial standards. However, the Ministry of Education does investigate all complaints from the public about child care providers who may be operating illegally.

Under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, unlicensed child care providers are not allowed to care for more than five children, which includes:

the provider's own children under the age of four
no more than three children under the age of two

This limit on the number of children applies regardless of how many adults are present at the home.

Unlicensed providers may not operate at multiple premises.

Care in the Child’s Home

Care in the child’s home is not inspected by the Ministry of Education, is not required to meet most provincial standards. In this category, a caregiver either lives in or comes to the family’s home to care for the child (nanny), keeping the child in his or her normal surroundings, with familiar toys and routines.

This is convenient for the family and offers flexibility. However, it can be more expensive. Parents/Guardians choosing this form of child care need to be aware that they become employers and need to follow the Employment Standards Act.

Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement

Ontario entered into a Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement and signed a $13.2 billion agreement with the Government of Canada that delivers savings and relief to families.

This includes lowering fees to an average of $10 per day for children five and under in licensed child care by September 2026.

The Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement will:

give families access to more affordable and high-quality child care options
help lower child care fees for parents of children five years of age and under
increase the number of child care spaces, and
support the early years workforce

Licensed child care providers can choose to participate in CWELCC to help reduce fees. If your licensed child care provider does not participate, your fees will not be reduced. Camps and authorized recreation programs are not eligible to participate in this program.

Expression of Interest: CWELCC Space Expansion and Start-Up Grant Application

To support the CWELCC vision, the Ministry of Education has provided funding to the City of Peterborough to create 485 new affordable licensed child care spaces in neighbourhoods with populations who need them most.

The new licensed child care spaces will include a mix of not-for-profit and for-profit centre and home-based settings to provide families with choice and flexibility.

Application Process

The City has developed an Expression of Interest Application (EOI). The EOI will identify current or future licensed child care service providers in the City or County of Peterborough that are interested in creating new CWELCC-funded licensed community-based child care spaces between 2023 and 2026.

Interested service providers are required to submit a completed EOI to the Children’s Services Manager for review and assessment of funding eligibility. Receipt of the EOI will be confirmed by email.

Expression of Interest Application

What does this mean for parents?

Parents or guardians of children five and under do not have to apply to receive a child care fee reduction.

You may be eligible for reduced fees if:

you pay more than $12 per day for child care and your child is:
- five years old and under
- six years old and enrolled in a licensed preschool, kindergarten or family age group or a licensed home child care premises, until June 30
- your licensed child care provider chooses to enroll in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care System

The amount that you will save depends on the current fees your child care provider charges and may vary by region.

As of November 1, 2022, licensed child care agencies in our community listed below have enrolled in the CWELCC system. All sites operated by a multi-site agency are automatically enrolled in CWELCC when their agency chooses to participate.

Contact your child care program for more information about CWELCC participation.

Child care providers participating in CWELCC will also be required to update their parent handbooks with information on their CWELCC participation and reduced rates.

What does this mean for child care providers?

Licensed child care providers can choose to participate in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care System. As a licensed child care provider, you must apply to participate to help lower average fees for parents.

Child care providers who participate will receive funding to reduce fees and must operate under specific guidelines. Contact your local Children's Services Manager for more information and to apply.

Child care providers who do not participate in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care System must continue to follow the rules and requirements for operating a licensed child care program. They will not receive funding to reduce child care fees.

Our commitment

Children's Services is committed to providing services that:

Foster early learning and child development
Support children being cared for in a safe, and nurturing environment
Support the inclusion of children with special needs in licensed child care
Enable parents to work or undertake training or education leading to employment
Provide links to other support services

Supports and partnerships

What we do:

Supporting families who need help finding child care
Supporting families who need help with the daily cost of child care
Offering support services for children in licensed child care
Offering EarlyON programs
Partnering with licensed child care centres in the community and Municipal Child Care Programs
Offering funding opportunities to licensed child care agencies
Professionals and Community Planning Resources