Best practises in design of school-age child care spaces
Last updated on September 9, 2026School buildings and outdoor spaces can provide safe and familiar environments for school-aged child care programs outside regular school hours when they are maintained and supervised. School-aged care on school grounds programs are not required to meet all of the same child care licensing regulation requirements as other child care settings. These programs do not need to change their buildings, outdoor spaces, furniture or equipment or be a specific size of space to meet licensing requirements.
This guide shares best practices to help create safe, welcoming and high-quality spaces for children.
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When selecting a space for school-age child care, prioritize children’s comfort, safety, well-being, and overall experience. The environment should be welcoming and inclusive, supporting children’s sense of belonging, relationships, interests, independence, and opportunities to relax and recharge after the school day.
Although some licensing requirements do not apply to school-age care programs operating on school grounds, thoughtful planning can help create high-quality environments that reflect child care best practices. Consider how the space will support children’s daily experiences, play, learning, well-being, accessibility, and social connections.
More information on children’s well-being and belonging is available in in British Columbia’s Early Learning Framework on page 67.
When planning a program space, consider:
- Creating accessible, inclusive, and culturally responsive environments for all children and families
- Designing spaces that support friendships, collaboration, and a sense of belonging
- Providing opportunities for children to relax, recharge, and choose activities that support their well-being
- Reflecting children’s interests, cultures, families, and communities in the environment
- Ensuring children can easily access washrooms to support independence and hygiene
- Providing direct and convenient access to outdoor play areas, where possible
- Creating a clear and accessible entry point for families during drop-off and pick-up
Programs should also consider room layout, storage, lighting, acoustics, sightlines, and accessibility. Thoughtful design supports effective supervision while providing opportunities for play, exploration, learning, and social connection. Applying inclusive and accessible design principles helps ensure the diverse physical, sensory, and developmental needs of children are considered, creating positive experiences for children, families, and caregivers.
Types of spaces
School-aged child care programs may use dedicated, shared or alternative spaces in a school setting. Regardless of the type of space, the environment should be safe, welcoming and organized to support children’s independence, learning and well-being. Programs should also have access to essential amenities, including refrigeration for secure medication storage, food storage areas and where possible, a kitchen to prepare food, cook and provide nutrition education.
Dedicated space
A dedicated space for a school-aged child care program is a thoughtfully designed environment that supports children’s safety, comfort and learning. It is set up to encourage independence, exploration and smooth transitions between the school age program and the regular school day.
Examples of dedicated space on school grounds include classrooms that are not used for regular instruction, purpose-built rooms or modular buildings on the property or redesigned spaces that are no longer needed for school activities.
Shared space
A shared space is an area in the school that serves both the school-aged child care program and other school activities. It is designed to be flexible so different groups of children or programs can use it throughout the day without affecting safety, comfort and learning opportunities.
Examples of shared spaces include gymnasiums, libraries, enrolling classrooms, multi-purpose rooms, resource rooms, music rooms, Neighbourhood Learning Centres, pods and outdoor spaces such as fields or outdoor learning areas.
When shared spaces are used, the school and child care operator need to establish clear, documented agreements and routines to support smooth transitions between the school day and child care program. These agreements should outline expectations related to scheduling, access, storage, set-up and clean-up responsibilities, and condition in which spaces will be left for the next users. Shared spaces should provide the child care program with consistent access to the resources, storage and preparation time needed to operate effectively.
Some programs choose to begin the child care day outdoors while indoor spaces are being prepared for other uses. When this approach is used, children should gather in a designated area that supports appropriate supervision, organization and program activities.
Alternative space
An alternative space in a school is an area that is not the primary location for the school-aged child care program but may be used to support program activities or provide flexibility when needed. While the program’s primary space should remain consistently available, alternative spaces can offer additional opportunities for play, learning and special activities or serve as a temporary location when the primary space is unavailable.
Alternative spaces should continue to meet safety and supervision requirements, even if it was not originally designed for child care. They should allow for appropriate supervision, safe movement and access to washrooms and exits, even when used for short periods.
Examples of alternative spaces include using the library for a literacy activity, the gymnasium for active play, or a classroom when another planned space is temporarily unavailable.
Furnishings
Furnishings play an important role in creating environments that support children's comfort, belonging, play and learning. Whether operating in a dedicated or shared space, programs should select and organize furnishings in ways that meet children's needs while supporting safe, efficient and effective program delivery.
Dedicated space
A dedicated space allows the program to choose, arrange and maintain furnishings with children’s needs in mind. Dedicated spaces support continuity for children and families and allow for materials and equipment to remain set up and available for use. Decisions about furnishings should be made collaborative between the child care operator and school administrator to ensure the space supports both the child care program and the broader school environment. Staff also do not need to spend time setting up or taking down materials each day, allowing more time to be focused on supporting children and delivering the program.
Examples of furnishings in a dedicated space include:
- Tables and chairs
- Comfortable seating such as beanbag chairs or small couches
- Shelves for storing toys, games and equipment
- Designed area for dramatic play, such as a kitchen centre.
- Coat areas and locked storage for staff and children’s files
Shared space
Setting up furnishings in a shared space requires more intentional planning than in a dedicated space.
Since the space is used by multiple programs, the child care team must ensure that materials are portable, easy to set up and remove, safely stored and consistently organized so the environment can change quickly while still meeting children’s developmental needs. Storage systems in shared spaces should be clearly labeled, well organized, and designed to support efficient daily setup and cleanup.
Examples of furnishings for a shared space include:
- Folding tables and chairs that can be rolled away
- Mobile shelves for toys, games and equipment
- Lockable cabinet for storing files, medications and other items
- Portable system for posting the Community Care Facility Licence
Strong relationships and open communication are essential when sharing spaces. Schools and child care operators should work together to develop a partnership agreement that outlines roles, responsibilities and shared expectations related to the use of space, including cleanliness, setup and cleanup procedures, storage, communication processes and end-of-day responsibilities. The agreement should support ongoing communication, collaborative problem solving and regular review to address any issues that arise and ensure the shared space continues to meet the needs of children and both partners.
Fixtures and equipment for dedicated or shared spaces
Fixtures and equipment contribute to a safe, functional and engaging environment for school-aged children. Whether operating in a dedicated or shared space, programs should have access to the fixtures and equipment needed to support daily routines, learning, play and recreation.
Fixtures
Fixtures in a school age child care program are the permanent or semi‑permanent parts of the environment. These are elements that stay in place and form the structure of the room. These features support older children’s needs for independence, organization and safe movement.
Examples of fixtures in a school-aged child care program include:
- Sink and countertop for snack preparation and cleaning up activities
- Coat hooks or cubbies near the outdoor exit so children have a dedicated space for their belongings
- Fridge to store snacks and ice packs
- Lockable cabinet for files and other items
- Access to handwashing sinks, washrooms and water refilling station
- Access to Emergency equipment and supplies
Equipment
Equipment in a school age child care program refers to the movable, durable items that support daily programming, learning, recreation, and care routines.
Examples of equipment include creative art and homework supplies, dramatic play materials such as dress-up clothes, dolls and kitchen items, books, blocks, LEGO, board games, loose parts, natural materials and sports equipment for both indoor and outdoor use.
Programs also require equipment to support food preparation and nutrition activities, such as cups, plates and cutlery, food storage containers, a microwave, toaster oven and, where available, access to appliances such as a stove and dishwasher. These resources can support a broader range of food service options, cooking experiences and nutrition-related learning opportunities for children.
Group sizes
The School Age Care on School Grounds license does require programs to stay within the maximum permitted group size. When a child in Grade 1 or younger is present, the maximum group size is 24 children. When all children are in grade two or higher, the maximum group size increases to 30 children.
When organizing children into groups, consider how groupings can support effective supervision and provide access to outdoor and nature‑based programming. Group composition should also reflect the size and suitability of furnishings and equipment, making sure they match the ages and developmental needs of the children using the space.
Schools, child care operators and licensing officers should work together to plan for the best use of available spaces in ways that support safety, supervision and meaningful programming opportunities.
Create a safe, well-organized storage unit or space for outdoor toys, loose parts play and equipment to keep materials secure, organized and easily accessible for staff and children. Consider the proximity of storage to the program space and outdoor play areas to support efficient daily use and program operations.
Outdoor environments are an important part of school age care programming and should support the needs, interests and abilities of all school-aged children. Outdoor spaces should provide opportunities for physical activity, exploration, creativity, socialization, connection with nature and quiet reflection, while supporting accessibility, inclusion and equitable participation.
Outdoor spaces should consider:
- Loose parts and open-ended materials that encourage creativity, problem solving and child-led play
- Opportunities for developmentally appropriate challenge and risk-taking, including features such as boulders, large logs, climbing ropes, horizontal bars and balance elements
- A variety of play surfaces, such as grass, wood fibre and paved areas, to support different activities and accessibility needs
- Covered outdoor spaces that allow children to participate in programming during various weather conditions
- Access to gardens, natural areas and landscaping that incorporates local plant species and supports connections to nature
- Social gathering spaces and passive areas that support peer interaction, conversation and relationship building
- Seating and gathering areas that accommodate both children and adults
- Outdoor environments that support a range of ages, interests and program activities