What is the CCEYA?
The Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA) is Ontario's primary legislation governing the operation of licensed childcare programs. It replaced the former Day Nurseries Act and introduced modernized standards for health, safety, programming, and administrative practices in childcare settings.
Every licensed childcare centre in Ontario must comply with the CCEYA and its associated regulations. Non-compliance can result in licensing conditions, orders for compliance, or in serious cases, suspension or revocation of a centre's licence.
Licensing Requirements
Under the CCEYA, all childcare providers caring for more than 5 children (outside of a private home) must hold a valid licence issued by the Ministry of Education. Key licensing requirements include:
- Physical Space Standards — minimum square footage per child, separate rest areas, outdoor play space requirements, and accessibility standards.
- Health and Safety — fire safety plans, emergency procedures, anaphylaxis policies, immunization tracking, and daily health observations.
- Insurance — adequate liability insurance coverage for the centre and its operations.
- Financial Viability — demonstration that the centre can operate sustainably and meet its obligations.
Staff-to-Child Ratios
One of the most critical CCEYA requirements is maintaining proper staff-to-child ratios at all times. The ratios vary by age group:
- Infants (0-18 months) — 3:1 ratio (3 children per staff member), maximum group size of 10.
- Toddlers (18-30 months) — 5:1 ratio, maximum group size of 15.
- Preschool (30 months - 6 years) — 8:1 ratio, maximum group size of 24.
- Kindergarten — 13:1 ratio, maximum group size of 26.
- School-Age (6-12 years) — 15:1 ratio, maximum group size of 30.
Ratios must be maintained throughout the day, including during outdoor play, transitions, and rest periods. CubbyPro's real-time classroom views show current child counts against ratio requirements, alerting directors immediately if a ratio is at risk.
Staff Qualification Requirements
The CCEYA requires that a proportion of staff in every room hold a diploma or degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) and be registered as a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) with the College of ECE Ontario.
- At least one RECE must be present in each group of children at all times.
- The centre's supervisor must hold an ECE diploma or equivalent.
- All staff must have valid First Aid and CPR certification.
- Vulnerable Sector Checks (police background checks) are required for all staff and must be renewed every 5 years.
CubbyPro's Staff Certifications module tracks all of these credentials with automated expiry alerts, ensuring you never miss a renewal deadline.
Documentation and Record-Keeping
The CCEYA requires centres to maintain extensive documentation, including:
- Daily attendance records for every child, including arrival and departure times and the name of the person who picked up the child.
- Incident reports for any serious occurrence (injuries, illness, missing children, allegations of abuse).
- Medication administration logs with parent authorization.
- Immunization records for all enrolled children.
- Staff records including qualifications, background checks, and training.
Inspections and Enforcement
Ministry-appointed program advisors conduct both scheduled and unannounced inspections of licensed centres. During an inspection, advisors review:
- Ratio compliance across all rooms and outdoor spaces.
- Staff qualifications and background check currency.
- Physical environment safety and cleanliness.
- Record-keeping practices and documentation completeness.
- Policy documents (behaviour guidance, anaphylaxis, fire safety, etc.).
With CubbyPro, your attendance records, incident reports, immunization tracking, and staff certifications are always up-to-date and audit-ready — so inspections become routine rather than stressful.
How CubbyPro Supports CCEYA Compliance
- Real-Time Ratio Monitoring — see child counts vs. staff in every classroom with automatic alerts when ratios approach limits.
- Digital Attendance — timestamped check-in/out with pickup person recorded, replacing paper sign-in sheets.
- Incident Reporting — structured incident forms with parent notification and documentation trail.
- Staff Certification Tracking — RECE, First Aid, CPR, and Vulnerable Sector Check expiry tracking with automated alerts.
- Immunization Records — track immunization status for every child with missing record alerts.
- Inspection Readiness — all records exportable in formats that match inspector expectations.