[ Browse by Service Category : Individual and Family Support Services : Sub-Topics of Child Care Providers (8) ]
Child Care Centres
Programs that are licensed to provide supervised care within designated facilities for children during some portion of a 24-hour day. Staff for approved day care centres must meet defined educational requirements; the program must ensure specified adult/child ratios; and the facility must meet building, fire and zoning codes. Services may include recreational and developmental activities and snacks and/or meals, as appropriate.
Children's Medical Day Care
Child care programs that provide skilled nursing, respiratory care, tracheotomy and feeding tube care, rehabilitation therapies (occupational, physical, speech), medication administration, medical monitoring and other specialized services as well as opportunities for social interaction for medically fragile and technology dependent children (e.g., those who rely on a ventilator) whose needs cannot be met in a traditional child care setting. The programs are generally staffed by nurses, nurses aides and others with experience in caring for children with chronic medical conditions. Care may be provided in a variety of settings including a child care centre, a health care facility, a family child care home or the child's own home.
Extended Child Care
Child care centres, family child care homes, schools and recreation centres that provide supervised care for school-age children prior to the beginning and/or following the end of the school day, on school holidays and teacher work/conference days, during school breaks and, in some cases, during the summer when school is not in session in situation where their parents are working or otherwise engaged. While some extended day care programs provide a variety of activities for children in the program, they are not designed to provide specialty instruction such as art or music lessons, or organized sports.
Family Child Care Homes
Programs that provide supervised care for children in licensed private family homes during some portion of a 24-hour day. The number of children is restricted according to provincial regulations and is also sensitive to the age ranges of the children (e.g., a private home may be able to look after five preschool children but not five infants). Family day care homes above a certain size may also be required to employ a qualified aide and meet safety regulations such as fire inspections.
The above terms and definitions are part of the Taxonomy of Human Services, used here by permission of INFO LINE of Los Angeles.
