Child care centre rules updated: inspectors added to reporting chain, medication rules expanded, and sexual abuse explicitly prohibited

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted

Several practical changes have been made to the rules governing licensed child care centres and home child care agencies. Licensees must now send copies of health or fire authority directions and serious occurrence reports to either an inspector or a program adviser (not just a program adviser as before). The medication-carrying rule has been strengthened: licensees are now required (not just permitted) to allow home child care providers, employees, or children to carry certain medications—asthma, emergency allergy, diabetes, or epilepsy—when the child's individualized plan authorizes it, with a broader category of eligible medications than before. Individualized plans for children with anaphylactic allergies must now identify who may carry the child's medication. Sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, and prescribed sexual acts have been formally added to the list of prohibited practices in child care settings. Certain Criminal Code offences (including prescribed sexual acts and abduction of persons under 14) are now prescribed offences under the Act. References to the Building Code have been updated to use a general definition rather than naming a specific regulation number.

Who this affects
licensed child care centre operators · home child care agency licensees · home child care providers · child care centre supervisors and employees · parents of children with medical needs or anaphylactic allergies