Ontario · Updated September 2026
Baby first aid & CPR in Ontario
Infant CPR is not adult CPR done gently. The compressions, the breaths and the choking response are all different, which is why a general first aid certificate does not necessarily cover your baby. These are the Ontario options we could confirm, split by what they cost.
Free and low-cost options
Start here. There is more free provision than most parents realise, though it is unevenly spread across the province.
EarlyON Child and Family Centres
FreeOntario-wide - 750+ centres, plus 450 more in libraries, schools and parks
Free drop-in programmes for parents and children up to age 6. Many run infant safety and injury-prevention sessions, and some host visiting first aid instructors. What is scheduled varies by centre, so ask.
Find your nearest centre →Life Safe
FreeToronto
Runs free CPR-C sessions. CPR-C is the level that includes infants as well as children and adults, so this is the free option that actually covers a baby.
See free CPR dates →Your local public health unit
FreeOntario-wide
Public health units run prenatal and new-parent programming, and what they offer varies a lot by region. Worth one phone call to ask whether they run or host infant first aid near you.
Find your public health unit →SickKids Friends and Family CPR
Fee not publishedToronto
A community course teaching infant and child CPR and choking relief. Encouraged for families of children at higher risk, but open to all families and friends of SickKids. No fee is published, so ask when you register.
Registration and contact →Paid courses and certification
Worth paying for if you want a certificate, a fixed date, or a class built specifically around infants rather than a general first aid course that covers them in passing.
Canadian Red Cross
PaidCourses across Ontario
Emergency Child Care First Aid & CPR is the one-day version. Standard Child Care First Aid & CPR runs two days and is what the Child Care and Early Years Act requires of childcare staff. Both centre on infant and child emergencies, and both certify.
Find a course near you →St. John Ambulance
PaidBranches across Ontario
Several routes depending on how far you want to go: the short New Parents awareness session, Save That Child for anyone caring for infants, Family First Aid, or full CPR-C if you want certification covering infants, children and adults.
See parent and family courses →St. John Ambulance Peel Dufferin - New Parent Workshop
PaidPeel and Dufferin
A 3.5-hour workshop for new parents, grandparents and siblings over 14: injury prevention, choking and CPR for newborns, infants and young children. No certificate - it is aimed at confidence, not compliance.
Workshop dates →Women's College Hospital
PaidToronto
Infant and child first aid and CPR, covering infant and child choking, infant and child CPR, and preventing disease transmission.
Course details →The Mom Loft
PaidNorth York and the GTA
Baby and infant CPR workshops aimed squarely at new parents, covering choking emergencies and infant cardiac arrest.
Workshop details →New Mummy Company
PaidToronto and the GTHA
Baby CPR taught by their newborn-care team - roughly $75 to $100 per person for about two and a half hours. Confirm current pricing when you book.
Book a session →Bump & Baby Matters
PaidOntario - scheduled classes and private bookings
Infant and child CPR and choking first aid for parents and caregivers, either as a scheduled public class or privately for your own group.
Class schedule →Ottawa Childbirth Education Association
PaidOttawa
A two-hour-fifteen infant CPR class, around $40 plus HST, that also covers home safety, injury prevention and introducing solids.
Class details →National Capital First Aid
PaidOttawa
First Aid for Parents, run at several Ottawa locations including the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre.
Course details →How to choose
If you want certification — because your workplace or a childcare role requires it — you need CPR-C or a Standard Child Care First Aid course. CPR-A and CPR-B do not cover infants.
If you just want to know what to do, a two-to-three hour parent workshop covers the things that actually happen: choking, an unresponsive baby, and when to call 911. Certification is irrelevant for that.
Ask whether the class includes hands-on practice on an infant manikin. Watching a video is not the same skill.
This page is informational and is not medical advice or an endorsement of any provider. We are not affiliated with any organisation listed, and nobody pays to appear here. Confirm dates, fees and content directly — they change.