Criminal record checks required

MLAs hear no more flexibility for childcare centre licence renewals

After P.E.I.’s auditor general drew attention to the issue, there will be no more wiggle room for licensed childcare centres that don’t have criminal record checks for staff.

Doreen Gillis, director of early childhood education, recently told MLAs on the public accounts committee that if a relicensing request was submitted and didn’t have all the required information, the board would work with the centre to get everything that was needed.

The practice going forward, Gillis said, will be that all information will be required prior to the expiry date before a licence is renewed.

“We’ll no longer be as flexible in working with the sector after their expiration date on their licence.”

The 2019 auditor general’s report recommended the early learning and childcare board should ensure all required vulnerable sector and criminal record checks are obtained before licence approval.

Gillis said the old practice meant the board wouldn’t suspend a licence for existing centres, but it also wouldn’t issue a renewal in those cases.

“We would just hang on to it until we received all that information,” she said.

Licensed early childhood centre operators and anyone applying for certification as an early childhood educator must provide the checks.

Unlicensed centres aren’t required to provide criminal record or vulnerable sector checks.

Gillis said a criminal record check policy will take effect on April 1 with information sessions held before then for the sector.

Among the other issues raised in the auditor general’s report was the lack of fire inspection documentation for many childcare centres.

Gillis said the provincial fire marshal’s office has since assigned two deputy fire marshals to early learning and childcare centres.

“They’ve worked very diligently to complete all required fire inspections and we are currently up to date on all fire inspections,” she said.