Calgary child care licence will help protect children, city says
Starting in January, child care providers that do not require provincial licensing must now obtain certification from the City of Calgary.
Officials say the requirement, which was called for by parents whose children were harmed in unregulated day homes, ensures "minimum standards are in place."
Those rules help protect the children in need of care and allow parents to pursue educational and employment opportunities.
"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," said Mayor Jyoti Gondek in a release.
The licence will require private home-based child care providers be trained in first aid and CPR and ensure police background checks and vulnerable sector searches are conducted by providers, employees and everyone over the age of 18 living in the home.
Nannies, babysitters and anyone caring for children under informal arrangements are exempt from the licensing requirement. Provincially regulated child care programs and day homes are also exempt.
Officials say the new rule is expected to "address a gap" between the two groups of child care providers in existence.
"The business licence confirms home-based child care businesses meet the industry standards required for quality of care," said Mike Van Ham, leader of business approvals with the city.
Van Ham says by informing child care providers now about the change, they should have "ample time to prepare."
The city is also waiving any fees for operators who apply for business licences between Dec. 27 and March 16, 2023. Police checks and vulnerable sector searches will also be provided free of charge during that period.
After that time, the licensing fees are $172, plus the cost of police checks, which are $65 for the first adult and $55 for each additional adult/employee within the home.
While the licensing requirement is in force on Jan. 1, 2023, the city says providers will have a two-and-a-half-month grace period where they can operate while proceeding through the application process.
Council unanimously approved the new business licence on Sept. 14.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.