Early childhood first aid training compliant with the Ministère de la Famille
An 8-hour first aid course adapted to early childhood, including a mandatory module on managing severe allergic reactions. Required of every childcare staff member, and valid for 3 years.
Upcoming sessions
Saturday
09:00
Formation en premiers soins garderie, CPE et milieu scolaire / Allergies sévères
1062 RUE SAUVE EST, MONTREAL, QC H2C 2M4
Training delivered by Formations Laissi
Saturday
09:00
Premiers soins et RCR - Niveau C
1062 rue sauvé est, H2C 2M4
Training delivered by Formations Laissi
Sunday
09:00
Gardiens avertis 8h — Croix-Rouge canadienne
7501 Francois Perreault, Montreal, Qc salle 106. H2A 1M1
Training delivered by Formations Laissi
Saturday
09:00
Formation en premiers soins garderie, CPE et milieu scolaire / Allergies sévères
1062 RUE SAUVÉ, MONTREAL, QC H2C 2M4
Training delivered by Formations Laissi
Sunday
09:00
Prêts à rester seuls ! 6h — Croix-Rouge canadienne
7501 Francois Perreault, Montreal, Qc salle 016. H2A 1M1
Training delivered by Formations Laissi
Sunday
09:00
Prêts à rester seuls ! 6h — Croix-Rouge canadienne
7501 Francois Perreault, Montreal, Qc salle 106. H2A 1M1
Training delivered by Formations Laissi
The Educational Childcare Regulation does not ask that one person be trained: it asks that EVERY childcare staff member hold a first aid certificate adapted to early childhood, no more than 3 years old. That is the major difference from an ordinary workplace, where one or two designated first aiders are enough. The course lasts at least 8 hours and includes a module on managing severe allergic reactions; a 6-hour refresher course brings that knowledge up to date.
First aid for childcare settings (daycare, CPE, educators)
Required of every childcare staff member, not of one designated person
First aid course adapted to early childhood, 8 hours minimum
Mandatory module on managing severe allergic reactions
Certificate no more than 3 years old; 6-hour refresher to update it
Not sure which one applies to you?
The text above targets several jobs, and not in the same way. Three questions — your role, your situation, your city — and we name the course the regulation expects of you.
Answer the 3 questions All coursesWhat the regulation requires
The text is short and precise. It is the first point that surprises directors most: the requirement does not target a designated first aider, but all staff assigned to the educational program with the children.
- Every childcare staff member must hold the certificate — the regulation provides for no designated person.
- That certificate must be no more than 3 years old.
- It attests either a first aid course adapted to early childhood of at least 8 hours including a module on managing severe allergic reactions, or a refresher course of at least 6 hours updating that knowledge.
- In home childcare, the same requirement applies to the responsible person, to whoever assists her, and to occasional replacements.
- When an agency supplies replacement staff, the person replacing must carry their certificate before starting.
Worth checking — School-based childcare falls under a different regulation, which requires a GENERAL 8-hour first aid course including training on managing severe allergic reactions — not a course adapted to early childhood. If your staff move between the two settings, check that the course taken matches the setting they work in.
Why the allergy module carries so much weight
It is the only content the regulation names explicitly, and that is no accident. In a childcare setting, anaphylaxis is not a theoretical case: it comes on fast, often in a child whose allergy was already known, and the window to act is short.
So the module is less about diagnosis than about execution: recognizing the signs without hesitating, using an auto-injector correctly, calling for help, and knowing what has to happen next. It is the part of the training educators most often report having actually used.
Organizing a team’s rotation
Because the requirement targets each person rather than the establishment, a childcare service does not train once: it maintains a cycle. Every staff member has their own deadline, and turnover keeps adding new ones.
Two habits are enough to keep that cycle: a table of names and dates, reviewed every quarter rather than in June; and staggered registrations, so a single training week does not empty the room. Plan for new hires, students and replacements too, who are almost never certified when they start.
Which course for which situation
Several courses involve children without targeting the same setting or the same audience. Confusing them costs a day and a budget.
| Your situation | The course to aim for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Childcare staff member in a CPE or daycare | Early childhood first aid, 8 h | The course the regulation targets, severe allergy module included. |
| Home childcare provider, her assistant, a replacement | Early childhood first aid, 8 h | The regulation covers home childcare too, and names these three roles. |
| Staff of a school-based childcare service | General first aid, 8 h, severe allergy module included | Different regulation, different course: the general one, not the early childhood one. |
| Certificate still recent, due for an update | Refresher course, 6 h | Two hours shorter. Providers generally require that the certificate has not expired. |
| Teenager starting to babysit | Babysitting course | A youth course for babysitting at home. It does not meet a childcare service’s requirement. |
| Child you are starting to leave alone | Stay Safe! course | Safety and independence at home, not a first aid certification. |
Courses
Formation en premiers soins garderie, CPE et milieu scolaire / Allergies sévères
Formation en premiers soins garderie, CPE et milieu scolaire, reconnu par le Ministère de la famille et des aînés.
Gardiens avertis 8h — Croix-Rouge canadienne
Cours officiel Gardiens avertis pour les jeunes de 11 à 15 ans souhaitant faire du gardiennage en toute sécurité. Certifié par la Croix-Rouge canadienne.
Premiers soins et RCR - Niveau C
Ce cours de Premiers Soins et RCR est reconnu par le Ministère de la famille et des aînés ainsi que par la fondation des maladies du coeur et de l'AVC.
Prêts à rester seuls ! 6h — Croix-Rouge canadienne
Programme officiel de la Croix-Rouge canadienne pour les jeunes de 9 à 12 ans apprenant à rester seuls à la maison en toute sécurité.
After the training: keeping the cycle
The certificate must be no more than 3 years old. Past that, the staff member is no longer compliant — and it falls to the permit holder, or to the coordinating office in home childcare, to make sure of it.
The regulation sets no condition for taking the 6-hour refresher: it simply asks for a certificate less than 3 years old attesting one or other of the two courses. It is providers who generally require that the previous certificate has not expired. Letting the date pass then costs two extra hours and full price: ask them their rule before planning.
Frequently asked questions
Is a designated person enough, as in a company?
No, and this is the major difference from an ordinary workplace. The regulation targets every childcare staff member assigned to the educational program with the children. In home childcare it also targets the assistant and occasional replacements.
Is a separate CPR course needed on top of the 8 hours?
The regulation explicitly names only a module on managing severe allergic reactions. In practice, courses adapted to early childhood also cover resuscitation for infants and young children: check the content the provider advertises before booking.
My certificate has expired: can I take the 6-hour refresher?
The regulation does not forbid it — it asks for a certificate less than 3 years old attesting one or other of the two courses. It is providers who generally require the previous certificate to still be valid. Settle it with them, not with the text.
Is online training accepted?
The regulation describes the course’s duration, its content and the certificate’s maximum age — it says nothing about the format. So it is not the regulation that will decide, but your coordinating office or your director. Ask them before buying for a team.
Is a babysitting course accepted in a childcare service?
No. It is aimed at young people who babysit at home. It matches neither the 8-hour early childhood course nor the 6-hour refresher the regulation recognizes.
Does first aid count towards my professional development hours?
No, if you are a home childcare provider: the regulation expressly excludes first aid from the 6 annual hours of professional development. The two obligations stack.
Who pays for staff training?
When it is required to hold the position, it normally falls to the employer. Arrangements vary from one childcare service to another: the question is better asked before hiring than after.
Not sure which one applies to you?
The text above targets several jobs, and not in the same way. Three questions — your role, your situation, your city — and we name the course the regulation expects of you.
Answer the 3 questionsRead next
To go further before choosing.