1. Read Section 2- Facility Requirements and regulations around safety in the BC Child Care Licensing Regulation athttp://www.bclaws.ca/Recon/document/ID/freeside/332_2007 or below.

Division 2 Facility Requirements

Environment

13 (1)A licensee must ensure that a healthy and safe environment is provided at all times while children are under the supervision of employees.

(2)A licensee must ensure that the community care facility and the furniture, equipment, and fixtures within it are clean and in good repair while children are in attendance.

(3)A licensee must ensure that, on the premises of a community care facility or in a vehicle used by employees to transport children,

(a)no one engages in restricted consumption while children are under the supervision of employees,

(b)a child who consumes medical cannabis is supervised by an employee, and

(c)no one grows or stores cannabis, except medical cannabis.

(4) If a child who requires extra support is attending the community care facility, the licensee must ensure that the physical structure of the community care facility is modified to meet the needs of the child while the child is in attendance.

(5) In this section:

"activated e-cigarette"has the same meaning as in theTobacco and Vapour Products Control Act;

"cannabis"has the same meaning as in theCannabis Control and Licensing Act;

"e-cigarette"has the same meaning as in theTobacco and Vapour Products Control Act;

"medical cannabis"has the same meaning as in theCannabis Control and Licensing Act;

"restricted consumption"means the following:

(a)to smoke or use tobacco or hold lighted tobacco;

(b)to use an e-cigarette or hold an activated e-cigarette;

(c)to smoke or vape cannabis;

"smoke or vape cannabis"has the same meaning as in section 60 of theCannabis Control and Licensing Act;

"tobacco"has the same meaning as in theTobacco and Vapour Products Control Act.

[am. B.C. Regs. 178/2016, Sch. 4; 118/2020, App. 1, s. 4.]

Physical requirements of facility

14 (1)A licensee, other than a licensee who provides a care program described as Family Child Care or Child-minding, must have for each child at least 3.7 m²of usable floor area in the community care facility, excluding

(a)hallways,

(b)built in storage areas,

(c)bathrooms, and

(d)fixed appliances, or, if not fixed, large appliances that are not normally moved from one area to another.

(2)A licensee must have one toilet and wash basin for every 10 children or fewer.

(3)A licensee, other than a licensee who provides a care program described as Family Child Care or In-Home Multi-Age Child Care, must ensure that the toilets and wash basins referred to in subsection (2) are on the same floor as the community care facility.

(4)A licensee, other than a licensee who provides a care program described as either Preschool (30 Months to School Age) or Group Child Care (School Age), must have in a community care facility a sturdy surface for changing diapers, located outside the food preparation area, next to both

(a)a covered container for soiled clothing, and

(b)a wash basin.

(5) Subsections (1) to (4) do not apply to a licensee who provides a care program described as School Age Care on School Grounds except that, if care is provided in a building that is not equipped with toilets and wash basins, the licensee must ensure that children's access to a bathroom is supervised in a manner that is appropriate for the age and development of the children.

[am. B.C. Regs. 202/2011, s. 4; 130/2021, s. 6.]

Exception for Recreational Care

14.1 (1)Section 14 does not apply to a licensee who provides a care program described as Recreational Care if the licensee complies with this section.

(2)A licensee must ensure that, in areas of the community care facility used for a children's activity, the usable floor area, excluding the areas referred to in section 14(1)(a) to(d), is sufficient to ensure the health and safety of children participating in the activity.

(3)A licensee must have sufficient urinals, toilets and wash basins to meet the needs of children in care.

[en. B.C. Reg. 130/2021, s. 7.]

Furniture, equipment and fixtures

15 (1)A licensee must supply equipment, furniture and supplies that are

(a)of sturdy and safe construction, easy to clean and free from hazards, and

(b)located so as not to block or hamper an exit in the case of fire or other emergency.

(1.1) Subsection (1) does not apply to a licensee who

(a)provides a care program described as School Age Care on School Grounds, and

(b)is a board of education.

(2)A licensee must ensure that each piece of furniture or equipment for sleeping

(a)is used by only one child at a time,

(b)is clean and comfortable, and

(c)is appropriate for the size, age and development of the children intended to use it.

(3)A licensee providing a care program to any child younger than 36 months of age must provide a separate sleeping area located away from any activity area.

[am. B.C. Reg. 130/2021, s. 8.]

Play area, materials and equipment

16 (1)A licensee must have

(a)at least 6 m²of outdoor play area for each child, or

(b)if the license provides more than one type of care program, an outdoor play area that meets the requirement set out in paragraph (a) for the type of care program, provided by the licensee, with the largest maximum group size permitted in Column 2 of the table in section 1 of Schedule E.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to the following:

(a)a licensee who provides a care program described as Occasional Child Care or Child-minding.

(b)a licensee who provides a care program described as Family Child Care, but the licensee must provide an indoor and outdoor play area for children.

(2.1) A licensee may use the same outdoor play area at the same time for more than one care program if

(a)the care programs are of the same type as prescribed in Column 1 of section 1 of Schedule E,

(b)there is no increase in the risk to the health and safety of children,

(c)the licensee complies with the requirement set out in subsection (1) (a), and

(d)the licensee continues to comply with the ratio of employees to children prescribed in Column 4 of section 1 of Schedule E.

(3)A licensee must ensure that the entire outdoor play area is

(a)enclosed in a manner that is suitable for the age and development of children, and will ensure that children are free of harm, and

(b)constructed in a manner, and using materials, that are suitable for the age and development of the children intended to use it.

(4)A licensee must ensure that all indoor and outdoor play materials and equipment accessible to children are

(a)suitable for the age and development of the children, and

(b)safely constructed, free from hazards and in good repair.

(5) Subsections (1) (a), (3) and (4) do not apply to a licensee who provides a care program described as School Age Care on School Grounds except that a licensee who is not a board of education must ensure that any play materials or equipment provided by the licensee is appropriate for the age and development of the children in care.

(6) Subsections (1) to (3) do not apply to a licensee who provides a care program described as Recreational Care.

[am. B.C. Regs. 202/2011, s. 5; 178/2016, Sch. 1, s. 6; 130/2021, s. 9.]

Hazardous objects and substances

17 A licensee must ensure that children do not have access to any object or substance that may be hazardous to the health or safety of a child.

Emergency training and equipment

22(1)A licensee must have all the following:

(a)emergency exits and a fire drill system approved by a local assistant within the meaning of theFire Services Act;

(b)an emergency plan that sets out procedures to prepare for, mitigate, respond to and recover from any emergency.

(2)A licensee must ensure that each employee

(a)is trained in the implementation of the fire drill system and emergency plan described in subsection (1), including the use of any equipment noted in the fire drill system and emergency plan,

(b)practices implementing the fire drill system at least once each month, and

(c)practices implementing the emergency plan at least once each year.

(3)A licensee must display a copy of the fire drill system in a prominent place in the community care facility.

(4)A licensee must ensure that all employees have access, in an emergency, to reliable communications equipment.

First aid

23(1)A licensee must ensure that children have at all times immediate access to an employee who

(a)holds a valid first aid and CPR certificate, provided on completion of a course that meets the requirements of Schedule C,

(b)is knowledgeable respecting each child's medical condition, if any, and

(c)is capable of effectively communicating with emergency personnel.

(2)A licensee must have first aid kits that are readily accessible to all employees, including while care is provided off the community care facility premises.

Notification of illness or injury

55 (1)A licensee must immediately notify a parent or emergency contact if, while under the care or supervision of the licensee, the child

(a)becomes ill or is injured, or

(b)is involved in, or may have been involved in, a reportable incident described in Schedule H.

(1.1) In the case of a licensee who provides a care program described as Child-minding, the parent to be notified under subsection (1) is the parent who is on the premises on which the child-minding service operates.

(2)A licensee must notify the medical health officer within 24 hours after

(a)a child is involved in, or may have been involved in, a reportable incident described in Schedule H while under the care or supervision of the licensee

Safety Measures required in a childcare facility	Why is this measure important? Who is responsible to complete this task?
Conduct safety checks of grounds, facilities, furnishings, equipment, and materials
Identify unsafe items for removal, replacement, or repair
Maintain compliance with provincial licensing regulations such as staff- child ratios, first aid training, and practicing fire and earthquake drills
Demonstrate up to date knowledge of current licensing regulations and requirements
Comply with current legislative and regulatory requirements such as Criminal Record Checks and nutrition
Comply with current licensing regulations to staff, families, volunteers, and others as needed
Report licensing related issues promptly and appropriately
Maintain regular and ongoing communication with licensing officers within established protocols
Practice universal precautions for all personal care activities
Develop, implement, and maintain emergency procedures and protocols including those for fire, earthquake, and critical incidents
Demonstrate up-to-date knowledge of illness and injury prevention strategies that ensure health and safety such as sleeping positions and SIDS
Develop, implement, and maintain policies and procedures for ensuring the personal safety of staff