Licensing Services & Protection for Persons in Care

The Department of Community Services (DCS) Licensing Services is responsible for licensing, inspection and compliance enforcement activities for three DCS Programs, which are:

  • Early Childhood Development Services (ECDS): Licensing of Day Care Facilities and Family Home Day Care Agencies
  • Child Welfare and Residential Services (CWS): Licensing of Residential Child-Caring Facilities
  • Services for Persons with Disabilities (SPD): Licensing of Homes for Special Care

License applications are first submitted to the applicable Program where they are approved before being submitted to Licensing Services for processing. Once a license application has been approved by the Program, Licensing Services is responsible for the following:

  • Processing the application, ensuring licensing requirements are met and issuance of the license
  • Performing regularly scheduled inspections on-site at each licensed facility
  • Carrying out compliance enforcement activities for facilities that are found to be in violation of any applicable Act or Regulation
  • Receiving complaints made against licensed and unlicensed facilities, and any further action required (i.e. investigation or inspection)

More information about Licensing Services

Licensing Services also administers the Protection for Persons in Care Act and conducts investigations into abuse occurring in homes for special care facilities in Nova Scotia.

Contact numbers

  • If you are looking to report a potential incident of abuse of a person in a home for special care, call the Protection for Persons in Care line at 1-800-225-7225.

  • If you are looking for further information or would like to register a concern, call our Inquiry line at 1-877-223-9555.

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