Property, Rentals & Care · 7 min read · Last updated
A child care centre is licensed by the province, not the City — but a provincial application stands or falls on municipal ground. When applying for a new licence or revising an existing one, the program must comply with the relevant municipal requirements: zoning that permits the use, a building that meets code, and fire compliance for the space where children will spend their days. This guide covers the municipal layer that Toronto operators must clear.
The City of Toronto lists this under its “Licence” category: “When applying for a new license or requesting a revision to an existing license, the program must comply with relevant municipal requirements.”
Who needs this licence?
If you are opening a child care centre in Toronto, the operating licence itself comes from the provincial regulator of early years and child care programs — the City does not issue a child care centre licence. What the City controls is everything about the place: whether the property's zoning permits a child care use, whether the building and its renovations meet the Building Code, and whether the premises satisfy fire safety requirements.
That municipal layer applies at both ends of a centre's life: a brand-new centre must demonstrate municipal compliance to get licensed, and an existing centre revising its licence — expanding rooms, changing age groups, altering the building — must show the municipal side still holds for the revised program.
What documents do you need?
For the municipal layer of a child care project, expect to assemble:
- Zoning confirmation that the child care use is permitted at the property
- Building permit applications and drawings for any construction or conversion of the space
- Fire safety documentation for the premises, aligned with how the rooms will actually be used
- Property documents — the lease or deed — showing your authority over the site
- The municipal compliance evidence the provincial licensing process asks you to provide
Keep the municipal file and the provincial file consistent: room uses, occupant numbers and floor plans should tell the same story in both.
Zoning and premises requirements
Zoning is decisive for a child care centre, and it is the first thing to verify — before signing a lease, before drawing floor plans, before the provincial application. The property must be in a zone where a child care use is permitted, and the details matter: outdoor play space, drop-off arrangements and the building's position on the lot all interact with zoning rules.
A property that fails the zoning test cannot be fixed by a strong program plan. Confirm the zoning position for the specific address in writing at the start; every other approval builds on it.
Inspections and approvals
Plan for inspections from multiple directions. Construction and conversion work is inspected by Toronto Building under the permits for the work; Toronto Fire Services reviews fire safety in premises where young children are cared for; and public health requirements apply to food handling and sanitation in centres that prepare food. The provincial licensing process then relies on these municipal clearances when assessing the centre.
Sequence them deliberately: building inspections close out the construction, fire approval confirms the safe occupancy, and the provincial application lands on top of a finished, compliant space.
How much does it cost?
The municipal costs are the fees attached to each approval — building permit fees, zoning review fees where applicable — each set in the City's fee schedules and confirmed as you apply. The provincial licensing process carries its own fees on its own schedule. Budget the municipal fees as part of the site cost, because that is what they are.
How to apply
Run the two tracks in the right order. Start municipal: confirm zoning, obtain the building permits, complete the work and its inspections, and secure fire compliance. Then complete the provincial licensing application with the municipal evidence in hand. Where the City's approvals are needed, Toronto's application processes apply — including the online Business Licence & Permit portal, launched January 2026, for City licence and permit filings.
Permits2Go's workspace was built for multi-approval projects like this: the zoning check, the building permit package and the compliance documents organized in one place, ready for the provincial application to draw on.
Renewals and staying compliant
The provincial licence has its own renewal and inspection regime, but the municipal obligations never go dormant: the building must remain code-compliant, fire safety must be maintained, and any physical change to the centre — new rooms, changed layouts, different room uses — restarts the municipal questions and may require a licence revision. Treat the building file as a living document, not a box ticked at opening.
Quick quiz: test what you learned
Three questions, all answered in this guide. Click an answer to check it.
1. Who licenses child care centres in Toronto?
The operating licence is provincial; the City controls the municipal layer — zoning, building code and fire safety — that the provincial application depends on.
2. What should a prospective operator verify first about a potential child care site?
Zoning is decisive and everything else builds on it — a property that fails the zoning test cannot be fixed by a strong program plan.
3. When do municipal requirements apply to an already-licensed child care centre?
The City's own framing covers new licences and revisions alike: physical and program changes must comply with the relevant municipal requirements.
Skip the paperwork
Tell Permits2Go about your business and it assembles the licence application for you — document checklists, e-signatures and a guided workspace for Toronto, with more cities on the way.
This guide is general information, not legal or professional advice. Licensing requirements, by-laws and fees change and vary by municipality — always confirm the current rules with the City before you apply.