5.5 Employment Requirements in Early Years Settings
College of Early Childhood Educators Public Register
Educators working in early years settings are required to show proof of qualifications, certifications, and health status prior to working with young children. Legislation states that a specific ratio of Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECE) to non-RECEs must be employed in each licensed program providing care for young children. Employers must verify the educator is registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators through the public register if the educator is hired to work in the role of an RECE. A child care practitioner or an early years assistant may be hired without the necessary qualifications to be registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators but they are not permitted to use the title of early childhood educator or RECE.
All educators, students on placement, and volunteers must complete a health assessment to determine all medical requirements are in place before they begin interacting with children. Immunizations must be up to date with documentation on file for the Program Advisor and Public Health Nurse during licensing and inspection visits. Educators, students, and volunteers may be exempt from vaccinations for medical, philosophical, or religious reasons. Documentation for these exemptions must be kept on file.
Regulation
Health assessments and immunization of staff
57. (1) Every licensee of a child care centre shall ensure that, before commencing employment, every person employed in a child care centre it operates and every volunteer or student who is on an educational placement with the licensee has a health assessment and immunization as directed by the local medical officer of health. O. Reg. 174/21, s. 29.
(2) Every licensee of a home child care agency shall ensure that, before any child is provided with child care at a premises at which the licensee oversees the provision of home child care, every home child care provider providing care at the premises, every person who is ordinarily a resident of the premises or regularly at the premises and every volunteer or student who is on an educational placement at the premises has a health assessment and immunization as directed by the local medical officer of health. O. Reg. 174/21, s. 29.
(3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply where the person objects to the immunization on the ground that the immunization conflicts with the sincerely held convictions of the person based on the person’s religion or conscience or a legally qualified medical practitioner gives medical reasons to the licensee as to why the person should not be immunized. O. Reg. 174/21, s. 29.
(4) Objections and medical reasons under subsection (3) shall be submitted in a form approved by the Minister. O. Reg. 126/16, s. 37 (2).
(Ontario Regulation 137/15, under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014. © King’s Printer for Ontario, 2015)
Immunization requirements for employees, students, and volunteers may vary between organizations as some may be located in health care facilities that require additional vaccines for employment. Across Ontario the vaccine requirements are consistent for those working in licensed child care. The Ministry of Education will verify that adult immunization records or immunity tests are up to date and documented on Ministry specific forms during licensing visits.
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Read the following link for more information about required vaccines for adults in early years settings:
Employees, students, and volunteers must ensure an up to date health assessment is conducted prior to engaging in work with children. Immunizations may need to be updated during this health assessment to meet the requirements for working in early years settings. A date for your last health assessment will be kept on file, along with any updated vaccination dates. Employers may also want to keep emergency contact information on file in the event an employee, student, or volunteer has an accident or becomes ill while working. Employers need to be aware of any employee health conditions that may require support to ensure safety protocols are in place to protect employees.
Vulnerable Sector Checks/Police Record Checks
Employees, students, and volunteers are required to have vulnerable sector checks (VSC) completed prior to interacting with children. Vulnerable sector checks are typically conducted by local police detachments and may take several weeks to obtain. A copy of the original VSC must be kept on file in licensed child care settings for verification when the Program Advisor visits. Volunteer board members may be eligible for police record checks as long as the Written Confirmation for Non-Interaction With Children Form is also completed. Any board members who will be interacting with children must obtain a vulnerable sector check. These records are uploaded into the Child Care Licensing System (CCLS) prior to engaging in work related to an early years organization.
A copy of a current vulnerable sector check may be provided if the VSC was obtained less than 6 months prior to interacting with children. If the VSC is more than 6 months old but less than 5 years since it was obtained, the original copy must be presented to the licensed child care operator. When a VSC has been obtained more than 6 months but less than 5 years prior to interacting with children, the individual must also sign an Offence Declaration. A VSC obtained more than 5 years prior to interacting with children is not valid and the individual must apply for a new VSC from a local police detachment. This can typically be done in person or online. Multiple documents will be required to apply for a vulnerable sector check or police record check.
Regulation
Duty to obtain initial record check
60. (1) Every licensee of a child care centre shall obtain a vulnerable sector check from,
(a) every employee, before the person begins their employment; and
(b) every volunteer or student who is on an educational placement with the licensee, before the person begins interacting with children at the child care centre.
(2) The following rules regarding vulnerable sector checks apply to every licensee of a home child care agency:
1. Before entering into an agreement with a home child care provider regarding the agency’s oversight of the provision of home child care at a premises operated by the provider, the licensee shall obtain a vulnerable sector check from,
i. the home child care provider,
ii. every person who is ordinarily a resident of the premises, and
iii. every person who is regularly at the premises.
2. After an agreement described in paragraph 1 is in place with a home child care provider, the licensee shall obtain a vulnerable sector check from,
i. every person who intends to become ordinarily resident at the premises, before the person becomes a resident, and
ii. every person who intends to be regularly at the premises, before the person begins interacting with children receiving child care at the premises.
3. The licensee shall also obtain vulnerable sector checks from,
i. every home child care visitor or any other staff at the home child care agency who may interact with children receiving child care at a home child care premises where the licensee oversees the provision of home child care, before they begin their employment, and
ii. every volunteer or student who is on an educational placement with the licensee, before the person begins interacting with the children.
(3) For the purposes of fulfilling the requirement in clause (1) (b) or subparagraph 3 ii of subsection (2), a licensee may accept a copy of a vulnerable sector check instead of the original document, except that,
(a) if more than six months but less than five years have passed since the day the vulnerable sector check was performed, the volunteer or student must also provide an offence declaration that addresses the period since that day; and
(b) the licensee may not accept a copy of a vulnerable sector check if five or more years have passed since the day it was performed and in this case, the volunteer or student must provide a new vulnerable sector check or copy.
(Ontario Regulation 137/15, under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014. © King’s Printer for Ontario, 2015)
Persons offering services to children in a child care centre will be required to sign an Offence Declaration prior to interacting with children. This may include resource consultants, speech pathologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and any other individual who maintains a VSC on file within their workplace.
All employees, students, volunteers, and other persons must sign an Offence Declaration annually within 15 days of the anniversary date of their last signing. Once a VSC has reached 5 years it must be updated by obtaining a new VSC to be placed on file within a licensed child care organization. The original VSC can be retained on file or a copy of the original can be retained after the original copy has been verified and signed by a Supervisor.
London Police
Ontario – Ministry of Education
First Aid & Infant and Child CPR
Employees and supervisors working with children in licensed child care are required to have standard first aid and CPR training prior to interacting with children. Standard first aid training is offered through a variety of approved trainers, through multiple delivery methods. This qualification must be updated every three years. Some organizations may pay for their employees’ first and CPR training when renewal is required.
Regulation
Staff training and Development
58. (2) Every licensee of a child care centre or home child care agency shall ensure that the following persons have a valid certification in standard first aid, including infant and child CPR, issued by a training agency recognized by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board:
1. Every supervisor of a child care centre.
2. Every employee of a child care centre who may be counted for the purposes of meeting the ratios required under section 8.
(3) A person is not required to have the certification mentioned in subsection (2) if the director is satisfied that the person would not be able to obtain the certification due to a disability.
(Ontario Regulation 137/15, under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014. © King’s Printer for Ontario, 2015)
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Read the following for more information regarding standard first aid and infant/child CPR training:
