Licensed Daycare Ministry Inspections & Regulations in Saskatchewan | Daisy Days Parent Guide

Saskatchewan’s licensing system for daycare centres provides the quality floor that parents depend on — but many families don’t fully understand how licensing and inspections work. At Daisy Days Daycare in Regina SK, we believe informed parents make better choices. Here’s how Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Education licensing and inspection system works.

Saskatchewan’s Childcare Licensing Framework

Licensed daycares in Saskatchewan operate under:

• The Child Care Act — the primary legislation governing licensed childcare in Saskatchewan
• The Child Care Regulations — the detailed regulations covering staff qualifications, ratios, physical standards, program requirements, and more
• The Ministry of Education’s Early Learning and Child Care division — the licensing and inspection authority

Any centre calling itself a “daycare” in Saskatchewan must be licensed under the Child Care Act unless it qualifies as an unlicensed family home (very small number of children under specific conditions). Unlicensed centres claiming to be licensed, or unlicensed centres with numbers of children that require licensing, are operating illegally.

What the Licensing Inspection Covers

Saskatchewan Ministry of Education inspectors evaluate licensed daycare centres against standards including:

• Staff qualifications: ECE certification levels, criminal record checks, first aid certification
• Educator-to-child ratios: Are regulated ratios maintained in every room during all operating hours?
• Physical environment: Safety of equipment, outdoor space, sleep surfaces, building conditions
• Hygiene and sanitation: Handwashing, diapering, toy cleaning, kitchen standards
• Program quality: Evidence of planned, documented curriculum and intentional programming
• Administration: Current emergency contacts, required documentation, medication management, incident reporting

Inspection Frequency and Types

• Annual inspection: Every licensed centre is inspected at least once per year
• Unannounced inspections: The Ministry may inspect without notice at any time — particularly in response to parent complaints or specific concerns
• New licence inspections: Before a new centre opens, a full licensing inspection is required
• Complaint investigations: Formal complaints from parents or the public trigger investigation

How to Access Inspection Information

Parents have a right to:

• Ask any licensed daycare to see their most recent Ministry inspection report
• Contact the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education directly to ask about a specific centre’s licensing status and any compliance history
• Ask the director directly: “When was your last Ministry inspection, and did it result in any compliance requirements?”

A centre that is confident in its operations will answer these questions directly. Evasiveness or defensiveness around inspection questions is a warning sign.

What Compliance Orders Mean

A compliance order doesn’t automatically mean a dangerous centre — minor administrative non-compliance (paperwork timing, a minor physical space item) generates the same compliance order form as a more significant finding. The key questions are:

• What specifically was the compliance finding about?
• Was it resolved promptly?
• Is there a pattern of the same issues appearing repeatedly?

A single minor compliance finding followed by prompt correction is very different from repeated pattern of the same serious finding — ask about both.

→ 40 questions to ask at any daycare tour
→ 10 signs of quality licensed daycare
→ Regulated vs unregulated childcare guide

Contact Daisy Days Daycare to ask about our licensing and inspection history.
306-807-3233 | info@daisydaysdaycare.com | 2007 Potts Crescent East, Regina SK S4V 2E5