Opening a childcare centre in Ontario is not about finding the cutest furniture. It is about buying equipment that survives real-life use and passes licensing expectations under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 and O. Reg. 137/15.
In the real world, furniture inspections usually come down to three pillars:
-
Safety
-
Cleanability
-
Age-appropriateness
Inspectors are not judging your decor. They are checking for risk reduction, hygiene, and whether your setup meets required equipment rules and stays in safe repair over time.
If you are opening soon, renovating, or expanding rooms, this guide gives you a straight procurement lens so you can spend once and pass the first time.
The 3-part filter to run on every purchase
Before you buy a single chair, run every item through this filter. If it fails any one of these, it is the kind of thing that gets flagged.
1) Safety
Ontario’s regulation is clear that equipment and furnishings must be maintained in a safe condition and kept in good repair. In practice, inspectors focus on:
-
Stability and tip-over risk (especially shelves and storage)
-
Broken parts, wobble, cracked plastic, exposed fasteners
-
Sharp edges, splinters, peeling laminate, pinch hazards
-
Temporary repairs on high-touch items (tape, glue, makeshift brackets)
Practical rule: if an item looks like it could hurt a child or fail under daily use, it becomes a problem, even if it was “fine on delivery day.”
2) Cleanability
Furniture needs to support infection prevention and daily disinfection. A lot of operators use guidance from Public Health Ontario as a baseline.
In real life, “cleanability” means:
-
Non-porous surfaces where liquids do not soak in
-
Smooth seams you can wipe fully (no needle holes in sleep/rest surfaces)
-
Finishes that tolerate repeated cleaning and disinfecting without peeling
Important: disinfectant strengths vary by task and local guidance. For example, Toronto Public Health provides bleach solution mixing guidance for childcare settings with different concentrations depending on use case.
3) Age-appropriateness
Ontario requires play materials to support learning and development and be appropriate for children in care. Inspectors also check for practical fit:
-
Children can sit with stable posture (not perched on oversized chairs)
-
Materials are accessible so kids can make choices without climbing
-
Storage height and layout supports supervision and safe movement
This is a big deal because furniture that does not match the age group creates behavior issues, accidents, and staff burnout.
What Ontario specifically requires you to have (Section 19 essentials)
Under O. Reg. 137/15, section 19(2), a licensed child care centre must provide specific equipment and furnishings. The big ones you should plan for are:
-
A table or counter space adjacent to a sink suitable for dressing/changing one child at a time
-
Required for each licensed infant group, toddler group, or family age group
-
-
Bedding for each child in care for six hours or more
-
A crib or cradle for each child younger than 12 months
-
For children 12 to under 18 months (and in care six hours or more)
-
an appropriate sleep option per parent instructions (crib/cradle or cot)
-
-
A cot for each child 18 to under 30 months (and in care six hours or more)
-
Cots for older children in care six hours or more, unless otherwise approved by a director
Also, section 19(3) requires that play materials, equipment, and furnishings are:
-
Kept in safe condition
-
Kept in good repair
-
Supported by adequate storage
Translation: it is not enough to “buy it once.” It must stay safe and cleanable after months of use.
Infant sleep equipment is the “don’t mess this up” category
Ontario ties infant sleep equipment to federal product safety standards (Canada Consumer Product Safety framework). If your infant sleep gear is wrong, it can derail inspections and create serious liability.
At the federal level, Cribs, Cradles and Bassinets Regulations (SOR/2016-152) set safety requirements, and Health Canada states that traditional drop-side cribs are illegal in Canada.
Procurement rule for infant rooms in Ontario:
-
Buy commercial-grade cribs from reputable childcare suppliers
-
Keep product documentation and spec sheets on file
-
Avoid used or older cribs unless you can verify compliance with current Canadian rules
This is one of those categories where saving money upfront often costs more later.
Materials checklist: what tends to pass vs what tends to fail
This is not legal advice. This is a procurement reality check based on what survives cleaning and daily abuse while staying in “safe condition and good repair.”
Tables and casework
Often passes:
-
Commercial laminate or TFL-style tops with sealed edges
-
Solid plywood products with properly sealed, institutional-grade finishes
Often fails:
-
Residential particleboard with thin paper finish (chips, swells, becomes uncleanable)
-
Unsealed wood edges around sinks and changing areas
Seating
Often passes:
-
Poly/resin chairs designed for institutional use
-
Sturdy steel frame seating that wipes clean
Often fails:
-
Light-duty wooden chairs that loosen and wobble
-
Upholstered seating without removable, launderable covers
Rest equipment (mats and cots)
Often passes:
-
Cots that can be cleaned and spaced properly
-
Vinyl rest mats designed for childcare cleaning routines (sealed, wipeable surfaces)
Often fails:
-
Torn vinyl patched with tape (tape edges trap dirt and are hard to disinfect)
-
Porous foam products without sealed, wipeable covers
For cleaning frequency and disinfecting methods, align with local public health guidance.
Room-by-room essentials to budget for
Use this as a starting checklist when you are pricing out your furniture package.
Infant room (0 to 18 months)
-
Cribs and cradles that meet Canadian requirements
-
A diapering surface adjacent to a sink (required)
-
Wipeable storage and bins for toys and supplies
-
Feeding furniture that is stable, wipeable, and easy to sanitize
Toddler room (18 to under 30 months)
-
Cots for rest (required for 6+ hours)
-
Rounded-edge tables and stable chairs sized to toddlers
-
Low storage that supports safe access and reduces climbing
Preschool (2.5 years and up)
-
Cots for 6+ hour programs (unless otherwise approved)
-
Defined learning zones using durable shelving and easy-clean surfaces
-
Individual storage to reduce mix-ups and keep rooms organized
The mistakes that delay approvals (and waste money)
These are common because they look “fine” to a new operator, but they do not hold up under inspection expectations.
-
Torn rest mats or change pads “repaired” with tape
-
Fabric bins, wicker baskets, or porous storage that cannot be disinfected well
-
Tall shelving that is unstable or loaded in a way that creates tip risk
-
Missing the required diaper-change counter next to a sink for applicable groups
-
Not having the correct number or type of rest equipment by age group for 6+ hour programs
If you fix these upfront, you remove a lot of the back-and-forth that slows openings.
Need a compliant furniture plan for your Ontario centre?
If you send:
-
Your age groups and licensed capacity by room
-
Whether the program runs 6+ hours
-
A basic floor plan (even a sketch)
…you can build a room-by-room procurement list that aligns with Section 19 requirements and avoids the usual inspection setbacks.
Send us your room list or floor plan. We will recommend a compliant furniture package designed for Ontario childcare licensing, durability, and daily cleaning.
Quick FAQ
Does Ontario require specific brands of daycare furniture?
No. The rule is about having required equipment and keeping it safe, cleanable, and in good repair. Choose products that reliably hold up to daily use.
Do I need a change table in every room?
Section 19(2) requires a table/counter adjacent to a sink for each licensed infant, toddler, or family age group. Many centres treat this as a non-negotiable planning item.
Are used cribs allowed?
Used cribs are risky unless you can verify they comply with current Canadian requirements and are in safe condition. Infant sleep equipment is one area where “cheap” often becomes expensive.
Are rugs allowed in daycare rooms?
They can be, but they become a cleaning and allergy issue fast. If you use rugs, low-pile and easy-to-clean tends to work better than thick or plush options.
What is the fastest way to avoid inspection delays?
Stop buying residential-grade furniture. Plan room-by-room based on age group, rest requirements for 6+ hour care, and cleanability.
