Childcare CPR & first aid requirements

If you work in childcare in Québec — whether at a daycare, preschool, home-based care, or camp — first aid and CPR certification is not optional. It's a licensing requirement, and for good reason: children are among the most vulnerable to choking, allergic reactions, and injuries. Being prepared to respond can mean everything.

What Québec requires

In Québec, section 20 of the Educational Childcare Services Regulation (RLRQ c. S-4.1.1, r. 2), overseen by the Ministère de la Famille, requires everyone who works with young children — educators, assistant educators and occasional substitutes alike — to hold an early-childhood first-aid certificate no more than three years old: a course of at least eight hours that includes a component on managing severe allergic reactions, or a refresher of at least six hours. Every adult on the floor must hold it, not just one designated staff member. The regulation sets the outcome but does not dictate the delivery format, and the Ministère accredits neither trainers nor course content — so training taken online, in a blended format or in person meets the requirement as long as it covers these standards.

Anaphylaxis and medication administration

Québec's regulation allows a trained person to administer adrenaline with an auto-injector during a severe allergic reaction. Prescription medication may be given when both the prescription and the parent's written authorization are on file, and a short fixed list of over-the-counter products — acetaminophen, saline solution, oral rehydration solution, diaper-rash cream, sunscreen, calamine — is permitted with written parental consent. All of these medications must be kept locked away and out of children's reach.

How our courses meet these requirements

A recognized, standards-based certification — online theory paired with a hands-on skills check — meets Québec’s requirement and keeps your team ready to act.

Don't wait for renewal day

When a child chokes or stops breathing, the actions of the first few minutes make all the difference — and those minutes pass long before help arrives. A recognized, standards-based certification gives every caregiver the calm and the reflexes to act correctly, while satisfying what the regulation asks. It is also exactly what parents look for: the assurance that the person watching over their child will know what to do.