Information for Child Care Providers

The programs and resources listed below will help you to understand the requirements and the supports available for operating and working in a regulated child care setting.

You can also see our child care information for families.

Day Care Act and Regulations and Standards

Programs

• Directory of Licensed Child Care Facilities
  The Government of Nova Scotia licenses child care facilities throughout the province. This directory lets you search for facilities by name and/or location, and shows whether a facility currently meets its licensing requirements.
• Family Home Day Care Program
  Family home day care agencies provide professional support to in-home care providers.
• Classification for Child Care Staff
  Classification is the process for reviewing training and determining eligibility towards one of four designations for employment in a licensed child care facility.
• Training and Professional Development for Child Care Staff
  Includes information on orientation, continuing education, and financial assistance for child care providers and staff.
• Early Childhood Enhancement Grant (ECEG)
  Available to licensed facilities.
• Supported Child Care Grant (SCCG)
  This grant provides funding to licensed facilities for programs inclusive of children with special needs.
• Child Care Facility Annual Report for the Supported Child Care Grant and the Early Childhood Enhancement Grant.
  A report requesting program information and grant utilization in compliance with the Terms and Conditions of the Supported Child Care Grant and the Early Childhood Enhancement Grant.
• Early Intervention Programs
  These programs offer specialized services to families of children up to six years old who are at risk for, or have a diagnosis of developmental delay.
• Child Care Subsidy
  This program assists eligible families with their child care expenses to enable them to work, pursue employment, attend school, and cope with family crisis.

Resources

• Day Care Act and Regulations
  A new set of regulations for day care facilities and family home day care programs came into effect on April 1, 2011.
• Child Care Facility License Proposal Guide
  A guide to assist with the preparation of a proposal to operate a licensed facility.
• Starting and Operating a Family Home Day Care Program
  Family home day care agencies provide professional support to in-home care providers.
• Food and Nutrition Support for Regulated Child Care Settings
  Includes the Manual for Food and Nutrition in Regulated Child Care Settings.
• Child Care Human Resources Sector Council (CCHRSC) HR Toolkit
  This toolkit contains a wealth of HR information, best practices, tools, policies, procedures and templates that can be downloaded and tailored to meet the individual requirements of administrators working in a variety of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector settings. This link takes you to the CCHRSC site.
• Reporting and Investigating Allegations of Abuse and Neglect in Regulated Child Care Settings
  It is critical that child care staff and care providers have a solid understanding of the elements related to child abuse.

Contact Us

• By e-mail: Use our contact form