Introduction to Approved Family Child Care
What is family child care?
In family child care, children are cared for in the home of their child care provider. The child care provider’s home is not transformed into a day care centre. Instead, the children spend time in the atmosphere of a family home.
Family child care is community-based and flexible enough to meet a variety of families’ needs.
What is a family child care provider?
Family child care providers are self-employed individuals whose family child care
is their home-based business. They are not considered employees of Family and
Child Care Connections, but are approved under the family child care agency
license. To become an approved child care provider of the Family Child Care
Agency, they must follow the regulations outlined in Newfoundland and Labrador’s Child Care Legislation .
Family child care providers work in partnership with the parents of the children in their care. The child care provider’s role is to provide a healthy, safe, developmentally enriched environment, to develop a warm and secure relationship with each child in her or his care and to meet those children’s individual and group needs.
Family child care providers are self-employed individuals whose family child care is their home-based business.
Licensing
Options for Regulated Family Child care
In Newfoundland and Labrador, the Child Care Services Legislation offers family child care providers the opportunity to be licensed as individuals or to become approved under a Family Child Care Agency license. Both options allow you to care for up to seven children at any given time.
Approved family child care providers are not employees of a Family Child Care Agency like FCCC. They are self-employed people whose family home child care is their business. They set their child care fees and all policies related to the operation of their child care business.
They are not considered employees of Family and Child Care Connections, but are approved under the family child care agency license. To become an approved child care provider of the Family Child Care Agency, they must follow the regulations outlined in Newfoundland and Labrador’s Child Care Legislation.
Family Child Care Agency Approval
If you choose agency approval as an option, you will be approved under an agency license. Family and Child Care Connections is licensed by the Department of Education. The agency approves family child care providers under its license, and offers resources and support to encourage best practices in family home child care.
To receive approval, a family home child care provider must be 18 years of age and follow the Child Care Legislation for family home child care, practice developmentally appropriate activities and participate in professional development activities. Find out more about the approval process.
FCCC benefits, services and support
Family and Child Care Connections supports family child care providers in meeting their goal to provide quality family child care with the following services and resources:
What are an approved family child care provider’s obligations?
A child care provider who would like to be approved by the Family Child Care Agency is required to meet the standards set by Family and Child Care Connections (FCCC) and follow the regulations set out in the Child Care Act of Newfoundland and Labrador and Regulations and the Child Care Policy and Standards Manual.
The Family Child Care Agency supports child care providers in their day to day activities and, during their monthly home visits, to help make sure the required regulations are being followed.