Frequently Asked Questions

The BC Child Care Licensing Regulation defines a Responsible Adult as a person who is qualified to act as a responsible adult under section 29 which requires a responsible adult to:

• be at least 19 years of age
• be able to provide care and mature guidance to children
• have completed a course, or a combination of courses, of at least 20 hours duration in child development, guidance, health and safety or nutrition, and
• have relevant work experience

Fact Sheet with full details can be found at this link.

A responsible adult is a person who is 19 years of age, has completed at least 20 hours of training, has experience working with children, and can provide care and mature guidance to children.

It is important that people who work with children have current training so that children who attend a licensed child care facility receive the best possible care and have a healthy start to life.

Section 29 of the BC Child Care Licensing Regulation requires at least 20 hours of training in the subject area of child development, guidance, health and safety or nutrition.

Individuals may be trained in a variety of ways – online, in workshops, conferences, seminars or classes offered through local recreation centres, or through working with an experienced child care provider who can share knowledge and skills.

Head Start Online Schools’ online Responsible Adult Course is 20 hours in length, meets the BC Child Care Licensing requirements, and is in the process of being accredited.

The 20 hour Responsible Adult Course is a one-time requirement.  However, continuing to update skills and knowledge enhances an individuals ability to provide quality care to individuals.

Yes, it may be possible; however, licensees must discuss this with a licensing officer to ensure understanding and compliance with the Act and regulation. A licensee should develop a training schedule and help staff plan to meet this requirement.

Email Head Start Online School at learnwithheadstart@gmail.com.  You can also contact the local health authority community care licensing program and speak with a licensing officer.

Head Start Online School’s online Responsible Adult Course is self-paced.  This means the course begins when you are ready to login, and you complete the course after you have gone through all the lessons.  There are no set dates, no time limits, and you have lifetime access to the training materials.

The final exam for the Responsible Adult Course is open book, meaning you are allowed to reference the course materials when answering the questions.  The exam is multiple choice and students require a 70% grade to pass.  Students can re-take the exam as many times as they need to pass.  There are no exam fees or certificate fees.

Certificates of completion are emailed to students immediately after completing the final exam.  If you have not received your certificate, please email us, and we will send you your certificate asap!

Head Start Online School’s online Responsible Adult Course is available in over 100 languages using Google Chrome as your browser.  Right-click on the top of the course page, and you will see a window with a translate option.  Click on where it says translate, and a window at the top of the page will come up with three little dots in it. Click on the dots and you will see an arrow and a drop down menu. Click on the arrow and scroll down to select your language from the drop down menu.

If you don’t see your language listed, email us – we can add your language to the translate option.

Our online Responsible Adult Course is accredited through ICOES – International Council for Online Course Standards. ICOES is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and improving online education, assuring program quality, and enhancing excellence and professionalism in virtual learning.