Finding Quality Child Care
Finding quality child care and children's programs in Durham Region
Licensed child care for infants, toddlers, pre-school, and school-aged children is offered in centres and homes across the region. The Region of Durham provides support through funding and training to more than 300 licensed child care centres and home child care agencies and directly operates eight early learning and child care centres.
The Child Care Program Locator or the Child Care Directory may be used to find licensed care that meets your family's needs. A video to learn how to use both tools is also available.
Child Care Directory Child Care Program Locator
Finding licensed child care - Frequently asked questions for Durham Region families
| How do I know which licensed child care providers have a space available for my child? |
| Child care operators manage their own waitlists so families must call the child care directly to ask about spaces. Phone and email contact information is listed in the child care directory or child care program locator. The child care directory includes contact information for the licensed home child care agencies in Durham Region. These agencies can be contacted to determine if there is a space available at one of their home child care sites. |
| Why do so many child care providers in Durham Region have waitlists? |
| The new Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care System (CWELCC) has lowered fees for families. This means more families are looking for care and spaces have filled up quickly with waitlists growing. Additionally, some child care centres are facing staffing shortages so fewer spaces are available, making it more difficult for families to find care. This issue is not just being seen in Durham Region, but across the province. |
| What is the Region of Durham doing to make licensed child care more accessible? |
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The Children's Services Division continues to work with the Ministry of Education to support the expansion of licensed child care that increases access to high-quality child care for families across Durham Region. The Ministry of Education has capped the growth of CWELCC spaces in Durham Region until 2026. This means that new CWELCC child care spaces can only be created if they are within Durham Region's space targets (as provided by the Ministry) and align with the Region's directed growth plan. The Children's Services Division has also been working to increase, attract, and retain quality Registered Early Childhood Educators to support existing and new child care spaces with the region. You can read more about these and other priorities to support Durham children and families in the 2023 to 2027 Early Learning and Child Care Service Plan. |
| How do I use the Child Care Program Locator and the Child Care Directory? |
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Watch the video below for tips on how to use the child care program locator and child care directory. |
Types of child care
There are a variety of child care opportunities within Durham Region. that families can choose from:
Licensed child care centres - located in schools and in community-based locations. Care is available full days or before and after school. Centres are regulated by the Child Care and Early Years Act. Fee subsidy and CWELCC may be available.
Licensed home child care - located in private homes under the supervision of the licensed home child care agency. These homes are licensed and regulated through the Child Care and Early Years Act. Fee subsidy and CWELCC may be available.
Recreation programs - in Durham, authorized after-school programs are offered in school locations. These programs are not licensed. Fees subsidy may be available, CWELCC in not available. While rules for recreation programs are established under the Child Care and Early Years Act, these programs are not regulated in the same way as licensed child care. For more information, consult Recreation programs, what parents and providers need to know.
Nursery school programs - these are half day, part-time programs that offer programming that builds children's social skills.
Unlicensed home child care - unlicensed homes are not licensed or regulated. Neither fee subsidy nor CWELCC are available.
More information on the types of child care and what to consider when looking for quality child care can be found on the Ministry of Education's website.
The Ministry of Education has rules for child care and inspects all licensed home child care and licensed child care centres. Additionally, many licensed child care centres in Durham Region must meet Durham Region's Operating Criteria. These quality assurance assessments rank rooms as exceeding, meeting, or not meeting expectations.
When 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.
Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system
In 2022, the Ontario government reached a deal with the federal government to lower child care fees for families in Ontario through the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system. The Region of Durham, as the service system manager for early learning and child care in Durham Region, continues to work with the Ministry of Education during the implementation of the CWELCC system.
In January 2025, parent fees were capped at $22 per day. Eligible families will see further fee reductions, with an average of $10-a-day child care anticipated by 2026.
The Ministry of Education has directed municipalities to manage the growth of the CWELCC system gradually from 2022 to 2026. This means that child care spaces created after December 31, 2022, are only eligible for CWELCC if they are within the space targets and align with the Regional Municipality of Durham’s expansion plan for directed growth.
If you have any questions about whether a child care provider is enrolled in CWELCC system, please reach out to them directly or access our Child Care Directory and/or Child Care Program Locator.
More information about the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system can be found on the provincial website and in the frequently asked questions below.
| Frequently asked questions |
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Am I eligible for reduced fees under CWELCC? You may be eligible if your child is:
Parents or guardians of eligible children do not need to apply to receive a child care fee reduction.
Can my child care provider enrol in the CWELCC system? Licensees may contact the Region of Durham to discuss options for enrolment. If your provider is a private (unlicensed) home child care provider and wishes to enrol in the CWELCC system, they can reach out to a local licensed home child care agency who is enrolled in CWELCC to discuss options for enrolment.
When can I expect to see further fee reductions? In January 2025, eligible parent fees were capped at $22 per day. An average of $10-a-day child care for eligible families is anticipated by March 2026.
What if my licensed child care provider is not enrolled in the CWELCC system? If a licensed provider is not enrolled in the CWELCC system, the centre will operate outside of the CWELCC-funded system. Caps on fees established in the Child Care and Early Years Act for CWELCC-enrolled providers do no apply to these operators. The provider must continue to follow the licensing and regulatory requirements for operating a licensed child care program in accordance with the Child Care and Early Years Act.
Am I eligible to receive child care fee subsidy? The Ontario child care fee subsidy program continues to be available for families who are eligible for financial support. The amount you will pay depends on your family’s income test and your child’s age. For more information on fee subsidy or how to apply for support Child Care Fee Help (subsidy)
Will I still be eligible for the child care tax credit? The Ontario Child Care Tax Credit program will continue to be in effect for eligible families.
Where can I find more information about the CWELCC system? |
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