Early Learning and Child Care

Types of child care

Licensed child care for infants, toddlers, pre-school and school-aged children can be located in a child care centre or in a home.

The Ontario Ministry of Education has rules for child care, and also gives inspections to all licensed home child care and licensed child care centres.

When you're looking for child care, there are some common questions to ask a child care provider. Once you've found child care, you may need some tips to help your child get ready for child care.

Child care directory

Use our child care directory to help you find child care.

Professional Learning

There are many training opportunities available in Durham Region. Check out the Spring Edition of the GROW newsletter for our latest offerings and check back often for updates.

The College of Early Childhood Educators also provides the Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) program to Registered Early Childhood Educators.

Professional Resource Library

Durham Region's Professional Resource Library is for early learning and child care workers. The Ministry of Education's Capacity Building funding pays for the library.

To visit the library, please view the drop in schedule, or book an appointment by emailing us or by phone at 905-666-6238 ext. 2755.

Durham Region Child Care Forum

The Durham Region Child Care Forum (DRCCF) looks after the training needs of Durham Region's early learning and child care community.

Durham Behaviour Management Services

Durham Behaviour Management Services help licensed child care operators with children who have behavioural difficulties, and families who have children with developmental disabilities.

Measuring Children's Readiness to Learn

What is the EDI?

The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a survey used to measure children's readiness to learn at school. The EDI focusses on five areas of child development.

• Physical health and well-being
• Social competence
• Emotional maturity
• Language and cognitive skills
• Communication and general knowledge

Who completes the EDI?

Teachers complete the EDI for senior kindergarten students. The results are pooled together. No child is ever singled out. Local school boards have completed the EDI in 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2018.

What does the EDI tell us?

The EDI helps us:

• Understand if children are ready to learn at school.
• Inform planning of local programs and services.
• Monitor change over time.

Where can I learn more?

• Read Our Children: the Future to learn how children's readiness to learn changed between 2012 and 2015.
• Learn how readiness to learn changed in your Health Neighbourhood.
• Visit the Offord Centre for Child Studies to learn more about the EDI.

Supports for children with special needs

There are supports for children with special needs available to parents and child care professionals.

Infant and Child Development program

Our Infant and Child Development program is for families with infants and young children experiencing, or at risk for, developmental delays.

Best Start Network

The Best Start Network provides a place and time for people who work with children and families to meet and share information, data and best practices.