Child care
To support the parents of school-age children who may not be able to support their child's learning/care at home, the Ministry of Education has implemented a targeted emergency child care program for school-age children, at no cost to eligible parents. Emergency child care will be available until June 30 or earlier based on the service provider's requirements. A list of sites approved to offer Emergency Child Care to school-age children is available for review. To apply for this service, please complete the Durham Region emergency child care application form. As per direction from the Ministry of Education, school-aged child care may resume operation effective July 2, 2021.
| Emergency Child Care |
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Are child care centres closing? No. Child care remains open; however, all before and after school programs are closed. As directed by the Ministry of Education, school-aged child care may resume operation effective July 2, 2021. Who is emergency child care being offered to? Emergency child care is being offered to school-age children of parents who are on the Province of Ontario’s eligible worker list and who must work outside of the home. School-age children include kindergarten to grade 8 children. When is emergency child care operating? The emergency child care for school-age children of eligible workers will be accessible beginning Monday, April 19 until June 30 or sooner based on the service provider's requirements. How long will it take for me to access care? It may take up to 48-hours for your application to be processed and for a placement to be made. A member of the Fee Subsidy team will contact you by email when your application has been reviewed. Will before and after school programs be collecting parent fees during the closure period? No. Operators of before and after school programs that are required to close are not permitted to collect parent fees. |
COVID-19 infection prevention and control in child care
The Children's Services Division is committed to working alongside the Durham Region Health Department and Ministry of Education to support enhanced health and safety requirements within licensed child care centres and home child care agencies in Durham Region.
Licensed child care operators have implemented stringent health and safety protocols as guided by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health. Multiple protection strategies are implemented to protect children, educators, essential visitors, and families. These strategies include daily screening, enhanced cleaning and disinfecting, requirement to wear personal protective equipment by educators and essential visitors, exceptional hand hygiene practices, physical distancing, cohorting, and implementing activities to reduce sharing of toys and equipment. Operators and educators have maintained welcoming inclusive environments that promote a sense of belonging, well-being, expression, and engagement for children of all ages.
Daily screening tool
To help determine whether your child or you (as an essential visitor or staff member) may enter a licensed child care centre, please complete the Durham Region Daily Screening for Licensed Child Care.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
During this time of uncertainty, we know families have many questions. This section helps provide answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about licensed child care. For questions specific to schools, please review the Schools Reopening Toolkit.
| COVID-19 and child care |
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What type of safety measures have been put into place? All licensed child care centres and licensed home child care agencies that have reopened have signed attestations with the Ministry of Education to ensure strict health and safety measures have been put into place. These measures include:
How has COVID-19 impacted the quality of programming? Licensed child care providers in Durham Region are committed to providing high-quality services to children ages birth to 12 years. While the COVID-19 pandemic has altered some daily operations, the quality of programs remain unchanged. Children are viewed as curious, competent, and rich in potential of achieving their best with their development fostered by their Registered Early Childhood Educators. Throughout this pandemic, educators are committed to delivering high-quality programming, aligned to Ontario's approach to early learning called How Does Learning Happen? |
| Screening and testing for COVID-19 |
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What are the symptoms of COVID-19 in children?
Atypical symptoms of COVID-19 should be considered, particular in children, older persons, and people living with a developmental disability. Atypical symptoms can include: unexplained fatigues/malaise/myalgias, delirium (acutely altered mental status and inattention), unexplained or increased number of falls, acute functional decline, exacerbation of chronic conditions, chills, headaches, croup, conjunctivitis, multisystem inflammatory vasculitis in children. Note: symptoms of multisystem inflammatory vasculitis in children include persistent fever, abdominal pain, conjunctivitis, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and rash. Do I have to complete a screening every day? Yes. In accordance with the directive from the Ministry of Education and the Durham Region Health Department, you must complete a screening every day before arriving at child care. What is included in the daily screening? The screening includes questions about common and atypical symptoms of COVID-19. Your daily screening will also ask if:
What if my child develops symptoms while attending child care? All parents are required to complete a daily self-screen for their child before arrival at their child care centre or home. If a child experiences any symptoms of COVID-19 while in child care, the following steps are taken:
When can my child return to child care? The guidance on when your child can return to care depends on their symptoms and advice from a health care professional. Please follow the advice on the Durham Region child care screen tool for further guidance. Can siblings of a child with COVID-19 symptoms attend child care? No. As directed by the Ministry of Health, all household contacts of a symptomatic individual must stay at home. Any siblings must, therefore, stay at home until the child showing symptoms tests negative, is cleared by the Durham Region Health Department or is diagnosed with another illness. My child was tested for COVID-19 and we are waiting for results. They no longer have symptoms. Can they go to child care? No. In accordance with the Durham Region Health Department directive, you child must self-isolate from others while waiting for their test results. All household contacts are also required to stay at home until your child tests negative, is cleared by Durham Region Health Department, or is diagnosed with another illness. Do I need to provide a doctor's note in order to return to child care after having symptoms and/or COVID-19? No. The Ministry of Education and the Durham Region Health Department do no require parents to provide a medical note or proof of negative result for a child to return to child care. My child's room has been closed and they are required to isolate. Does their sibling have to isolate too? Siblings of high-risk contacts who have COVID-19 symptoms are required to isolate and cannot attend child care or school until otherwise directed by the Durham Regional Health Department. Siblings can return to child care or school only when the symptomatic child tests negative, is cleared by the Health Department, or is diagnosed with another illness from a health care provider. If the high risk contact does not have symptoms of COVID-19, siblings can attend child care or school.
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| Positive cases of COVID-19 in child care |
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What if there's one positive case in my child's child care? Licensed child care operators and agencies work closely with the Durham Region Health Department on a regular basis. If there is a positive case at the child care centre, the health department will work in collaboration with the child care centre to identify exposed individuals, ensure they are excluded and get tested, as appropriate. Additional measures may include enhanced cleaning and disinfection, close monitoring of children for symptoms of illness, etc. What is considered an outbreak? An outbreak is declared when a cluster of ill children and/or staff with respiratory or enteric symptoms occur. A COVID-19 outbreak is declared when two or more laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in children, staff/providers or other visitors is identified. In both situations the ill individuals must be epidemiologically linked (e.g. cases in the same room) where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the child care setting. How is an outbreak managed in a child care centre? Your child care centre works closely with the Durham Region Health Department to ensure all necessary health and safety measures are in place to protect the child care community. Depending on the assessment conducted by the Health Department, there may be child care closures ranging from a single room up to a full centre closure. Additional control measures during an outbreak may include:
How will I know if my child can attend the child care centre during a COVID-19 outbreak? Your child care centre will notify you if your child's room or the centre will be closed. Anyone identified as a close contact of the positive case of COVID-19 will be advised to leave the child care centre and to self-isolate at home. The Durham Region Health Department will follow-up with all identified contacts for further assessment and provide recommendations for testing. How do I know when the COVID-19 outbreak if over? The Durham Region Health Department will work closely with your child care centre to manage the outbreak. The outbreak will be resolved when:
Where can I find more about positive cases and outbreaks in Durham's child care? The Durham Region COVID-19 Data Tracker provides regularly updated information on the status of COVID-19 outbreaks in Durham Region schools and child care centres. |
| Educators and essential visitors |
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What happens when an educator or essential visitor develops symptoms of COVID-19? All staff and essential visitors within licensed child care are required to complete a daily self-screen. If the individual has a symptom of COVID-19 they must follow the guidance as outlined by the Durham Region Health Department, which may include seeking advice from a healthcare provider and getting tested for COVID-19. Exceptions apply to anyone who received their COVID-19 vaccination within the past 48 hours and is experiencing mild headache, fatigue, muscle aches and/or joint pain that only began after vaccination. What is an essential visitor? An essential visitor may include:
Please note that essential visitors must complete daily screening, wear person protective equipment, and follow the enhanced safety measures. Are parents allowed in the child care centres? Parents are typically not allowed in child care centres, as to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. Only with the approval of the licensed child care operator may a parent enter the program. In this case, the parent must complete the self-screen, wear appropriate personal protective equipment, and log their time in and out of the centre. What kind of personal protective equipment are educators required to wear? All educators in licensed child care centres and home are required to wear medical masks and eye protection. Eye protection includes either a face shield or goggles. The use of masks is not required outdoors for adults when physical distancing of at least two metres can be maintained between individuals; however, educators must wear appropriate personal protective equipment if there is any risk that physical distancing may be compromised. Personal protective equipment must also be worn at all times when an educator has received their COVID-19 vaccination in the past 48 hours and are experiencing what may be post-vaccine symptoms (i.e. mild headache, fatigue, muscle aches and/or joint pain) that only began after vaccination.
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| Children and masks |
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Does my child have to wear a mask? All children in grades one and above are required to wear a non-medical mask or face covering while inside a child care setting, including in hallways. A mask or face covering is also required outdoors when a distance of two metres cannot be maintained. All younger children (aged two to SK) are encouraged but not required to wear a non-medical mask or face covering while inside a child care setting, including in hallways. Wearing a mask or face covering is also encouraged outdoors when a distance of two metres cannot be maintained. Masks are not recommended for children under the age of two. Who will supply my child with a mask? Parents/guardians are responsible for providing their child(ren) with a non-medical mask(s) or face covering each day. Remember that if children are wearing masks, they will be required to store their masks while not in use. Parents are also responsible for laundering their child's mask after each use. What if my child cannot wear a mask? Please inform your child care supervisor as soon as possible if your child cannot wear a mask due to a medical condition, religious belief, or other known cause. Your child care provider is required to document these exemptions within their COVID-19 policies. There are resources available for parents to help encourage the use of masks in children. |
Finding quality child care and children's programs for your child in Durham Region.
Licensed child care for infants, toddlers, pre-school and school-aged children is offered in centres and homes across the region. Durham Region owns and operates seven early learning and child care centres, as well as provides support to more than 200 licensed child care centres. Use the Children's Program Locator or the Child Care Directory to find licensed care that meets your family's needs.
Child Care Directory The Children's Program Locator
When you're looking for a child care, there are some common questions to ask the child care provider.
Here are some tips to help your child get ready for child care.
The Ontario Ministry of Education has rules for child care, and inspects all licensed home child care and licensed child care centres.
Many licensed child care centres in Durham Region must meet Durham Region's Operating Criteria (DROC). These assessments rank rooms as exceeding, meeting or not meeting expectations.
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