In the province of British Columbia there is legislation to protect children and adults receiving care in licensed community care facilities. This legislation is the Community Care and Assisted Living Act, Child Care Licensing Regulation and Residential Care Regulation. Licensed facilities include:

Residential facilities  (Hospice, Mental Health and Substance Use, Long Term Care, Community Living, and Acquired Injury)

Child Day Care Facilities  (Group Child Care (Under 36 Months), Group Child Care (30 Months to School Age). Preschool (30 Months to School Age), Group Child Care (School Age), Family Child Care, Occasional Child Care, Multi-Age Child Care, and In-Home Multi-Age Child Care)

A Medical Health Officer, appointed under the Health Act, has explicit duties under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act such as issuing licences, inspecting licensed facilities and investigating complaints that an unlicensed facility is being operated. The Medical Health Officer delegates these duties to be carried out by Licensing staff on a daily basis.

Licensing Officers and Licensing Nutritionists inspect, license and monitor over 1,300 licensed community care facilities in the Vancouver Island Health Authority.