For centres · 10 min
Ratios and group sizes in Ontario child care centres
Schedule 1 of O. Reg. 137/15 sets a ratio, a maximum group size and a minimum share of qualified employees for each age group: 3 to 10 for infants, 1 to 5 for toddlers, 1 to 8 for preschool, 1 to 13 for kindergarten, 1 to 15 for primary/junior school age and 1 to 20 for junior school age. The ratio applies on the premises and off, with three exceptions the regulation spells out: a mixed-age rule, reduced ratios at arrival, departure and rest, and rules for counting the supervisor. Family age groups use a weighted calculation instead (s. 8.1).
Checked against e-Laws on Oct 2, 2026. Section numbers are O. Reg. 137/15 unless another instrument is named.
Schedule 1
| Age group | Age range | Ratio (employees to children) | Maximum group | Qualified employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant | Younger than 18 months | 3 to 10 | 10 | 1 in 3 |
| Toddler | 18 months to under 30 months | 1 to 5 | 15 | 1 in 3 |
| Preschool | 30 months to under 6 years | 1 to 8 | 24 | 2 in 3 |
| Kindergarten | 44 months to under 7 years | 1 to 13 | 26 | 1 in 2 |
| Primary/junior school age | 68 months to under 13 years | 1 to 15 | 30 | 1 in 2 |
| Junior school age | 9 years to under 13 years | 1 to 20 | 20 | All |
Section 8(1) requires these to be met whether the children are on the premises or on an outing. The ratio is a minimum: 11 toddlers need three employees, not two and a bit.
Mixed-age groups (s. 8(3))
Mixed-age grouping needs a director’s approval on the licence (s. 8(2)). With it, a licensed toddler or preschool group may include children from a younger age category. If no more than 20 per cent of the group is younger, the group’s own Schedule 1 line applies. If more than 20 per cent is younger, the line for the youngest child in the group applies to the whole group. For kindergarten, primary/junior and junior school age groups the threshold is 25 per cent, with the same consequence, and the regulation says which younger children count: three-year-olds (or children turning three that year, after the first day of school) in a kindergarten group, kindergarten children in a primary/junior group, and children from 68 months to under nine in a junior group (s. 8(3) paras 3 to 6). The Licensing Manual (Part 3) works the percentage out on the group’s licensed capacity, rounding a half up — its example allows 3 infants in a toddler room licensed for 13 (0.2 × 13 = 2.6). KeepCount’s calculator and room tablet apply the share to the children you enter, which is the same answer at full capacity and the stricter one below it; if the Manual’s reading matters for your room, check it against your licence.
Reduced ratios (s. 8(4))
The ratio may be reduced to no less than two-thirds of the required ratio, and only during the arrival and departure periods and the rest period. For a program that runs six hours or more, the arrival period is the 90 minutes after the program starts and the departure period the 60 minutes before it ends; for shorter programs it is 30 minutes at each end. Reduced ratios never apply to a licensed infant group and never during outdoor play.
Counting the supervisor (s. 8(5))
- If fewer than five full-time employees are required to meet the ratios, the supervisor may be counted as one of them.
- If five or six are required, a full-time supervisor may be counted for up to half the time a full-time employee is required.
- If seven or more are required, the supervisor is not counted.
Adults in attendance (s. 8(6))
Separately from the ratio, a centre needs at least one adult present when fewer than six children outside an infant group are in care and at least two adults when six or more are; for an infant group the thresholds are fewer than four children (one adult) and four or more (two adults). This is why a small room late in the day may need a second adult even though the ratio arithmetic says one is enough.
Family age groups (s. 8.1 and Schedule 4)
A licensed family age group may have up to 15 children, with no more than six under 24 months. Staffing is calculated rather than read from a table: count the children in each Schedule 4 band, multiply each count by that band’s ratio as a decimal, add the results and round up.
| Age band | Ratio | As a decimal |
|---|---|---|
| Younger than 12 months | 1 to 3 | 0.333 per child |
| 12 months to under 24 months | 1 to 4 | 0.25 per child |
| 24 months to under 13 years | 1 to 8 | 0.125 per child |
Three floors and one ceiling then apply: at least two employees if there are more than six children; at least three if there are more than ten children and any of them is under 12 months; and one employee is enough if there are six or fewer children with no more than three under 24 months. Of the employees required, one must be qualified if fewer than three are required, two if three or more. Children aged 44 months and over only raise the count while they are present (s. 8.1(3)).
Worked example: 12 children, two under 12 months, three aged 12 to 23 months and seven aged two or more. 2 × 0.333 + 3 × 0.25 + 7 × 0.125 = 0.667 + 0.75 + 0.875 = 2.29, rounded up to 3. The more-than-ten-with-an-infant floor also gives 3. Three employees, two of them qualified.
What the inspector reads
Ratios are checked against the attendance record for each licensed age group, which must show which children were in the group each day and the hours they were there (s. 72(4)), set against the staff schedule. A head count written at the moment, with the number of staff present, is the record that answers the question.
Sources
- O. Reg. 137/15 (General) under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 — e-Laws
- Child Care Centre Licensing Manual — Ontario Ministry of Education
O. Reg. 137/15 as consolidated on e-Laws (current to September 28, 2026; last amendment O. Reg. 197/26). This guide explains the regulation in plain words; it is not legal advice, and the Ministry’s program advisors decide compliance.