Links and Documents

National LINC Childminding Requirements

(Adobe Acrobat PDF)

This document replaces the previous LINC childminding document.

Childminding programs are informal unlicensed arrangements for the care and supervision of children. Under the auspices of the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) initiative, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) may fund onsite childminding while LINC classes are in session, for the dependent children of parents who are attending LINC classes.

Under provincial law, programs must be licensed when they provide group care for more than a specific number of children over an extended period of time. Provinces make an exception when parents and their children remain on the same site. In such cases, they expect the parents to be available to assist with the care of their children and assume responsibility in emergencies.When parents are not at the same site at all times, programs are no longer considered to be providing childminding services, and the provincial licensing law applies. Since parents attending LINC classes are on the same site as their children, LINC childminding programs do not have to be licensed.

Even though LINC childminding programs do not have to be licensed by the province, it is important that they provide a standard of care that protects the health and safety of the children. CIC has, therefore, developed LINC childminding requirements that must be met by service provider organizations (SPOs) providing childminding at their sites.

LINC childminding requirements are grouped into five parts:

• Administration
• The Facility
• Activities
• Child Health and Safety
• Staffing and Supervision.

Each part includes detailed lists of requirements, as well as information that provides background knowledge about the requirements.

Language: English, French

Format: This document is available for download in Adobe Acrobat PDF format [94 KB, 27 pages].