Providers

Resource and Document Page

All of our policies and procedures along with training materials and helpful links can be found on their own page. Click the button bellow for access.

Resources & Documents

As an agency that respects it's providers for the professionals they are: Little Lambs offers three childcare models

Option A

Full Agency

All children placed in the home child care program are agency clients
*refer to fee guide*

Option B

Mixed

A mix of private and agency placed children, allows providers who want to remain "Private" to also provide child care for children requiring subsidy.
*refer to fee guide*

Option C

Fully Private

100% Private, have complete control over your fees, payment schedules and more.
*required to follow agency policies and procedures, attend professional development, etc.

Licensing with LLHDC offers:

Wage Enhancement

$20/day wage enhancement for each full day worked (up to $400/month)
$10/day wage enhancement for each part day worked (less than 6 hours)

Bi-weekly Home Childcare Enhancement Grant regardless of how many children are placed in your home.

This is a supplementary grant provided through our service agreements with local Service System Operators. HCCEG supports provider wages without increasing parent daily fees. This funding can be used to support the costs associated with operating a home daycare. From the increase in grocery costs, to home expenses, toys/equipment and more. HCCEG is an incredible asset to licensed home child care providers.
Note: At Little Lambs the total annual grant allocation per Home Childcare Program is equally divided over 26 bi-weekly payments. This means we generally do not have excess unspent funding to provide year end bonuses. Every day expenses such as groceries, new toys, hydro, etc happen every day and for this reason we feel it's better to evenly pay this funding all year vs "bit by bit using unspent funding to provide a year end bonus." HCCEG is documented as a separate line item on bi-weekly pay invoices and is not included as part of children's daily fees. This is something to be mindful of when reviewing remuneration structures between different agencies.

fair remuneration for agency placed children

Little Lambs has a competitive fee guide that respects providers as deserving of equitable pay while ensuring families are also supported. Our fee guide does not adjust based on age or if a family is registering multiple children. Nor do we offer discounts for reduced daily hours in care. Home Child Providers have strict ratios concerning the number of children who can be in care. For this reason, a child care space=a child care space and the value of "a space" is not reduced based on Child Care Centre policies/practices. As an agency we review the billing policies of agencies and across Ontario (with an awareness of private provider rates) to ensure our practices align with current standards and expectations. Providers need to have stability and accountability for the care they provide. For this reason our billing policies include: STAT Holidays, children's sick days, unplanned cancellations/absences, and we have a cap for allowed "free/vacation days" in a year.

Additionally, the Canada Wide Early Learning Child Care System [CWELCC] otherwise known as "$10/day daycare" does not negatively impact home child care providers potential income. This is purely a funding agreement to reduce parent/guardian daily fees. The government pays the balance not billed to families and child care providers receive daily fees as they always have.

NEW! Effective April 2022, Optional Group Health Insurance/Medical Benefits

Little Lambs covers 60% of the benefit premium (cost)! This equals added benefits without a big price tag, while supporting families to afford prescription medications, dental appointments, eye exams, and more!

Through our membership with the Home Child Care Association of Ontario & their affiliation with CSBT, a not-for-profit social service benefits trust, Little Lambs proudly signed an agreement to purchase a Benefits Package for our staff and Independent Contractors on April 1st, 2022. This well rounded package includes Family or Single options for: dental, medical, vision, life insurance, + professional services such as massage, physio, chiro, speech, ortho and more.

Benefits are accessible to all staff and child care providers, even though providers are legally classified as independent contractors! This is unheard of in our industry in Ontario, and something we are very proud to offer. We may have had to fight a little with the insurance underwriters to include independent contractors within our benefits package, but they eventually came around and our child care providers love the ease and convenience of GroupHealth's Direct Billing and scope of coverage.

***already have benefits through a spousal plan? Benefits are optional and can be waived***

Up to $2000 start up assistance

No lending library! Don't worry about receiving used toys, resources, or equipment. Even better, don't worry about having to keep track of and return loaned items. Little Lambs offers start-up assistance on a tap grant agreement. Each month you continue to operate your child care program under Little Lambs umbrella your start up assistance "tab" is reduced. Before too long all items purchased with the provided grant are considered yours.

***structuring as a "tab" grant financially protects Little Lambs from loss if the receiving provider chooses to terminate their licensing agreement shortly after receiving start-up assistance. Little Lambs does not charge/recoup additional fees or remuneration for providing "Start Up Assistance."***

access to child care subsidy for qualifying families (including CWELCC funding)

Qualifying families are able to apply and access child care subsidy through our affiliated Service Partners:

Hastings County
Prince Edward Lennox and Addington County
Metis Nation of Ontario
Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte
NEW April 2022! CWELCC system. Currently still in negotiations, Little Lambs hopes to start flowing/applying this funding later October Early November 2022.

access to additional government funding as available

From time-to-time Little Lambs is provided or is able to apply for additional funding. This funding is used to support children, families, and child care providers. Funding we have been recipients of include:

COVID-19 funding to provide lost income to child care providers who had to close due to COVID protocols
COVID-19 funding to refund families for their children's sick days associated with COVID protocols
Toy/Equipment funding to purchase new toys and equipment for every child care program
Sanitary/Public Health Funding: PPE, Rapid Tests, cleaning supplies, air purifiers, etc
Cost of Living Christmas Bonus: in 2021 we were able to provide large bonuses to our child care providers to reflect cost of living increases. This funding was made possible by Hastings County in part due to underspent funding in other child care service areas.
Technology Funding
Reduced daily fee funding (year end)
and more

Little Lambs maintains open, respectful, and honest communication with community partners and service system managers to ensure we access any and all potential funding that can directly benefit our child care programs. As a Small Private Incorporated business we are proud to say that all of the funding mentioned above went directly to our child care providers, families, and child care programs. We are required to complete a full financial audit every year, which ensures tax payer dollars are spent 100% for their intended purposes. No owner bonuses, no administrative payouts. Just money going to where it matters most!

access to FREE rapid tests, PPE and COVID/Public Health guidance

Living through a global pandemic was not easy, and while we are now calling it an "endemic" we are not yet in the clear. Public Health continues to be a champion for keeping our communities and children safe. Little Lambs is happy to receive guidance, supplies, and further education to keep our programs as safe as possible.

three licensing models

Full Agency-all clients are billed through the agency. Provider's need not concern themselves with billing, collecting, or receipts. $5/day is retained by the agency from daily fees (no more, no less, no sliding scale).
Blended: A blend of agency and private clients. Generally used by privately licensed providers who want to accept subsidized children into their program.
Fully Private: All clients are privately placed. A monthly licensing fee is invoiced to private providers versus a portion of daily fees being retained. Due to private providers managing their own invoicing and billing the licensing fee averages less agency retained remuneration than if all clients were agency placed.

From our Inception as a business we have offered diverse licensing options. We were also the first agency in Hastings County to offer diverse licensing options to meet providers where they were and where they wanted to go with their daycare businesses. All child care providers are treated equally regardless of their licensing model. All providers are able to access everything Little Lambs offers ;)

We strongly feel the associated "expense" of retained daily fees or licensing fees (depending on chosen licensing model) are a worthwhile investment (huge value) when providers consider the one-of-a-kind added service and benefits provided through our business partnership.

free program supply coverage

Don’t lose a days income due to necessary appointments. Parents love this too as it means they have continuity of care, with fewer program closures. Our staff, (Kari or Kristina) will go to child care programs to provide supply coverage while child care providers step out for necessary appointments. Advance notice is strongly encouraged as this service cannot be 100% guaranteed. However, as much as possible we try to schedule (or reschedule) ourselves to accommodate child care provider requests.

1:1 professional development and support

The #1 take away from the pandemic was a shift from group professional development to more individualized 1:1 mentoring. At first the idea of "not gathering" was a little sad. However, we quickly came to realize that our old way of organizing group learning was a little outdated. Child Care Providers are individuals, with different interests and even different stages of professional learning. "Drive Through, everyone gets the same flavour" type of professional development is no longer relevant or even backed by research informed practices. Through intentional program visits Providers are supported to learn, grow, and better their professional practice in ways they not only want, but have the biggest impact. In addition to professional development our staff, are available to help child care providers with every aspect of their child care business. The day-to-day concerns with nutrition and menu planning, guidance for handling difficult behaviour, interview preparation, parent communication, daycare environment setup, programming and activities, scaffolding to ensure all children are engaged and reaching their potential…

We tailor or 1:1 professional development and support to each provider. If we are required to view children as "capable, competent of complex thought, and curious contributors to their environments," why wouldn't we hold the same view of adults?

Get your ECE Diploma! Access grant programs to cover the cost

Licensing through Little Lambs provides child care providers with the opportunity to apply (and qualify) for the Early Childhood Educators Qualifications Upgrade Program! Visit to ECE Grants webpage to learn more.

No hassle bi-weekly direct deposit

Get paid on-time, every-time with bi-weekly direct deposit (Full agency and Blended licensing models). Little Lambs assumes the risk of invoicing and collecting daily fees for agency placed children. Providers always receive remuneration for the services they provide.
***Fully private Providers receive bi-weekly wage enhancement and qualifying funding through direct deposit.***

No Extra Cost-HiMama daycare app

Easy to use, award winning software to almost eliminate paper documentation! Even better, HiMama is a Toronto based Canadian company. Not only have they integrated Canadian legislative content but Ontario's framework for early years pedagogy, right into the App! Easily connect domains, skills and indicators of learning, as well as the four foundations of learning to add increased Early Childhood Education professionalism to children's daily reports. The inclusion of How Does Learning Happen, Ontario's Pedagogy for the early years [HDLH] & Early Learning for Every Child Today [ELECT] seamlessly allows child care providers to exceed ministry standards while making engaging reports parents love.

A sense of community with fellow child care providers

While making new friends at any age is an extroverts dream, even the more introverted individuals enjoy the sense of community that comes with being part of our agency. Our private social media page is a welcoming space for providers to share ideas, support one another and of course laugh a little too. Our providers will also connect with their daycare children at local playgroups, early on groups, community centres, libraries, and of course public parks. These community connections built through our child care providers have lasting impacts as children leave our programs and go off to school. I might be a little biased, but our providers are some of the kindest, most encouraging and enthusiastic individuals I know.

Full control over student enrolment, hours, and working environment

As an independent contractor, child care providers retain full control over most aspects of their business. From hours of operation, vacation time, who they enrolment and more, child care providers call the shots.

The ability to work from home and reduce personal expenses such as transportation and child care

Life in general is expensive. By operating a home daycare business our providers are able to keep more of their hard earn money to use in different (hopefully more fun) ways.

The opportunity to build meaningful relationships and community connections

Operating a home daycare is one of the best ways to get to know your neighbours and the people in your community. Beyond being a trusted figure in the community, child care providers often times develop lasting relationships with their daycare families.

Support with finding clients, interview prep, fee collection (full or blended licensing option), guidance and hands on support with parent communication.

Little Lambs staff give as much help, guidance and support as child care providers are willing to accept and/or want! A bit of a broken record in regards to this topic, we just really like helping, and we're pretty good at it! :)

Access to our Liability Insurance Coverage

We hold the big, fancy insurance policy with the equally big, fancy price tag so our child care providers can feel safe and protected operating their home daycare businesses. Through our broker, Marsh Canada, we hold an extensive insurance policy with Ecclesiastical. Our child care providers are not required to add additional expensive liability insurance to their personal home insurance. We provide certificates of insurance individualized with providers names and addresses that child care providers can submit to their insurance brokers as proof of coverage.
***Insurance brokers will always say there's no such thing as too much insurance, while we don't "require" personal liability insurance, we acknowledge it's a personal choice.***

Small Business Mindset, locally owned an operated

A Forbes article lists six personality traits of successful entrepreneurs as:

Robust Work Ethic
Deep Passion
Creativity
Motivated Self-Starters
Optimistic
Eager to learn

As an entrepreneur founded Home Child Care Agency, these 6 personality traits could absolutely be part of the reason for Little Lambs' continued growth and success. Small businesses, locally owned and operated, have an invested interest in the continued success of the business. However, moving away from a "business" mindset, Little Lambs is special because it is the sum of all its parts. It's not the entrepreneur who founded the business that makes Little Lambs so special. It's the collective sum of our staff, our child care providers, our current clients, our past clients, our community partners, our mentors, or family's and our friends. We are a community of people who care, and want to make a positive impact one day at a time. That's why we're successful, and why year after year our waitlists grow longer, our Child Care Providers continue their business partnerships with us, and new aspiring child care providers submit applications.

Provider Manual

Currently being updated. We will add a link to view our full provider manual once complete.

Become a Licensed Child Care Provider

There has never been a better time to open or license your home daycare. Our one of kind Business to Business partnership ensures you will not only grow a successful business but have the flexibility & equitable benefits to make it a successful and meaningful career.

What our Providers Say

My Why:
why I opened a home daycare & why I licensed with Little Lambs

Written by: Elizabeth Boomhouwer (Dizzy's Home Daycare)

Read Elizabeth's Guest Blog Post: Here

What is Required to License?

Expectations and Qualities of Character we look for in Child Care Providers we license

The children and families we support deserve the very best. We are interested in partnering with professionally-minded individuals who have a passion for the early years. Regardless of experience or formal education, we expect all Childcare Providers to uphold our values, philosophies and have a passion for life long learning. If this sounds like you, use this link to submit a Provider Application.

College of ECE's Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice

"The Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice sets out the professional knowledge, skills, values and expectations applicable to all RECEs regardless of role and the setting in which they may practise. As regulated professionals, RECEs are expected to act with integrity at all times within their workplace and the community." (CECE p. 4)

Although many of our Licensed child care providers are not Registered ECE's, we hold the values, ethics and standards of practice, as provided by the College with high regard. Within our agency, regardless of formal education, we expect our providers to uphold this level of professionalism.