Keeping future generations safe: City of Calgary introducing new home-based child care business licence starting Jan 1, 2023
On Jan. 1, 2023, The City of Calgary is introducing a new business licence for home-based child care providers to ensure minimum standards are in place to protect the health and safety of the youngest, and most vulnerable Calgarians.
“Safe, quality childcare not only protects our children but also enables parents, especially women, to pursue educational and employment opportunities,” says Mayor Jyoti Gondek. “As a City, we have an obligation to protect the safety of children, and that's why we’re regulating home-based child care providers in the same way other types of businesses that serve vulnerable people and pets are regulated.”
Council unanimously approved the new business licence for home-based child care on Sept. 14, 2022, after hearing from parents whose children were harmed in unregulated dayhomes.
The licence will require private home-based child care providers to be certified in First Aid and CPR and will ensure police background checks with vulnerable sector searches are conducted for providers, employees, and all individuals 18 years and older who live in the home.
Nannies, babysitters and informal arrangements with family members, friends and neighbours as well as provincially licensed facility-based child care programs and day homes will be exempt from the licence requirement.
“The municipal home-based child care licence was designed to address a gap where child care operations do not require provincial licensing. The business licence confirms home-based child care businesses meet the industry standards required for quality of care,” says Mike Van Ham, Leader of Business Approvals. “Sharing information about the new licensing requirements now, ensures home-based child care providers have ample time to prepare.”
Home-based child care operators can learn more about the new licensing requirements by visiting calgary.ca/dayhome, or by watching a pre-recorded webinar on licensing your home-based child care business.
Private home-based child care operators can benefit from Calgary City Council’s decision to waive business licence fees until March 16, 2023. Any operator who applies between Dec. 27, 2022, and March 16, 2023, will not have to pay fees for the business licence or for the police check(s) and vulnerable sector search. A new licence for child care providers will be $172 plus the cost of police check(s) which are $65 for the first adult and $55 for each additional adult and/or employee in the home.
Providers will be granted a 2.5-month grace period to acquire their business licence and can continue operating while going through the application process.
Home-based child care providers can apply for their business licence online, through myID, starting Dec. 27, 2022. More information on how private home-based child care businesses can apply for a business licence is available on calgary.ca/dayhome.