Bringing your family on a travel nurse assignment

Travel nurse with family housing comes down to four things you settle before you book: enough space for everyone to sleep and live, a plan for school if you are staying a while, child care that fits your shifts, and a home that accepts your pets. Most of the hard work happens in the weeks before your start date, while you are still choosing a home.

This guide walks through each of those pieces in turn. It covers how to judge space, what schools usually ask for when you enrol a child mid-year, how regulated child care works in Canada, what pet rules look like in Ontario and BC, a quick note on health coverage, and the family-specific questions worth asking a host before you commit.

Key takeaways

• The right home for a family on assignment needs separate, quiet space for the person sleeping after night shifts, not just enough beds.
• Ontario school boards usually ask for proof of your child's age and proof of address, and a lease showing your name and address can serve as that proof.
• Regulated child care fees have dropped across Canada under the national program, but how much they have dropped, and how easy a space is to find, still varies by province.
• Pet rules differ by province: Ontario limits no-pets clauses in tenancies covered by its law, while BC allows landlords to restrict pets and caps the pet damage deposit.
• Ask every host about bedrooms, sleeping arrangements, yard and safety features, pets, the written agreement and the commute before you book, so there are no surprises on arrival.

What to look for in travel nurse with family housing

A home that suits a solo traveler can feel cramped fast once a partner, children or a dog arrive. Before you look at photos, decide what your household actually needs day to day, and then filter homes against that list.

Start with the essentials most families on assignment care about:

• Bedrooms and doors that close. If you work nights, you need a room dark and quiet enough to sleep while the rest of the family is awake.
• A real kitchen and a table. Cooking at home is easier on a budget and on routines than eating out for three months.
• Laundry in the home or building. Scrubs plus children's clothes add up quickly.
• Outdoor space or a nearby park. Kids and dogs both need somewhere to burn off energy.
• Parking for more than one vehicle if your partner drives separately.

Commute still matters with a family. A short drive to the hospital gives you more time at home between shifts, and that time is worth more when someone is waiting for you.

How much space does a family need on assignment?

There is no single rule, because a couple with a toddler needs something very different from a family with two teenagers. The useful question is not how many square feet, but whether each person can sleep, work and unwind without disrupting the others.

A simple way to think about it:

Household	What tends to work	Watch out for
You and a partner	One bedroom plus a separate living area	Open-plan studios when one of you sleeps by day
You, a partner and a young child	Two bedrooms, so the child has a nap space	Shared walls next to the main bedroom if you work nights
Family with school-age kids	A bedroom per child or a large shared room, plus a homework spot	No quiet place for school work
Any household with a dog	Ground floor or easy outdoor access	Upper-floor units with no nearby green space

If the budget forces a trade-off, protect the sleeping space first. A tired nurse on a 12-hour shift is a bigger problem than a smaller living room.

Enrolling your kids in school for a longer stay

If your assignment runs long or gets extended, your children may need to attend a local school. Rules vary by province and by school board, so contact the board for the area where your home is as soon as you know the address.

In Ontario, the Education Act requires children aged 6 to 18 to attend school, and many children start kindergarten at age 4. When you enrol, school boards usually ask for:

• Proof of your child's age, such as a birth certificate or passport.
• Proof of your address. If you do not have Ontario ID, a bank statement, utility bill or lease showing your name and the address is generally accepted.

Some boards are strict about which documents count. Peel District School Board, for example, notes that under Ministry direction a driver's licence does not qualify as proof of residence. That is why a written agreement from your host, with your name and the home's address on it, is worth asking for before you arrive.

Bring report cards and any records of special learning needs from your child's current school. Having them ready makes placement smoother, especially mid-year.

Finding child care that fits your shifts

Child care is often the hardest part of travel nursing with a family, because regulated spaces can be limited and hospital shifts rarely match daycare hours. Start looking as soon as your assignment is confirmed.

The cost picture has improved. Under the national early learning and child care program, the federal government set a goal of bringing regulated child care fees outside Quebec down to an average of $10 a day by the end of March 2026. According to Canada.ca, more than half of provinces and territories have reached an average of $10 a day or less for regulated care, and the rest have cut parent fees by 50% or more. Availability is a separate issue: the federal Auditor General found that new spaces were being created more slowly than the program's target.

Options to consider:

• Licensed child care centres, which usually have set hours and may not cover early starts or evenings.
• Home child care. In Ontario, a provider overseen by a licensed agency can care for up to 6 children under 13, and an unlicensed provider can care for up to 5 children under 13.
• A partner who covers care, with outside help only for overlapping shifts.

Check your province's child care office for current fees and a list of licensed providers. When you ask a host about the neighbourhood, ask what child care is nearby too.

Bringing pets: what the rules allow

Many families would not travel without the dog or cat, so ask about pets in your very first message to a host. Pet rules differ a lot between provinces, and they also depend on whether your stay is covered by provincial tenancy law at all.

Province	No-pets rules	Pet deposits and fees
Ontario	Under section 14 of the Residential Tenancies Act, a clause banning animals in a tenancy agreement is void. A landlord can still require you to follow condominium rules that restrict pets, and can decline an applicant who discloses a pet before a tenancy begins.	Pet deposits are not permitted under the Act.
British Columbia	Landlords can restrict pets entirely or limit their number, size or type.	A pet damage deposit can be no more than half of the first month's rent, no matter how many pets. Monthly pet fees are not allowed.

These protections apply to tenancies covered by each province's law. Some furnished monthly or shared arrangements may fall outside it, so the simplest path is to agree on pets with the host in writing before you book. For other provinces, check the provincial residential tenancy office.

Health coverage when your family moves with you

When your whole household relocates for a few months, it is worth confirming that everyone's provincial health coverage still applies. Each province sets its own residency rules for its health plan, and a long stay away can affect them.

If you are from Ontario, OHIP covers basic health care in most other parts of Canada. Even so, check with your home province's health plan before you leave about how long you can be away and keep coverage, especially if an assignment might be extended. Pack health cards for every family member and a list of medications and prescriptions.

Once you know your address, look up the nearest walk-in clinic and pharmacy. With kids, you will be glad you did it before the first ear infection.

Questions to ask a host before you book with family

A short, specific conversation with the host prevents most problems families run into on assignment. Send these questions before you commit:

1. How many people can the home sleep, and what are the beds? Ask about cribs, bunk beds or a sofa bed.
2. Is there a bedroom quiet and dark enough for daytime sleep? Ask about blackout blinds and street noise.
3. Are children welcome, and is the home set up for them? Stairs, balconies and pools matter with small kids.
4. Are pets allowed? Confirm which animals, how many, any building or condo rules, and any deposit in writing.
5. Will you provide a written agreement with my name and the address? You may need it to enrol your child in school.
6. What is close by? Ask about schools, parks, grocery stores and child care.
7. Is there parking for two vehicles, and laundry on site?
8. Can the stay be extended if my contract is? Moving a family mid-assignment is far harder than moving alone.

Clear answers to these questions tell you as much about the host as about the home.

How to search for family-friendly homes on Travel Nurse Houses

Travel Nurse Houses is a Canadian platform for furnished, monthly housing for travel nurses and healthcare professionals. You can search by the hospital you are assigned to, and each home shows its distance to nearby hospitals. TNH covers 900+ hospitals across Canada and lists 1,150+ furnished homes.

For a family search, a practical approach is:

• Search homes near your hospital and shortlist those with enough bedrooms and outdoor space.
• Message hosts directly on TNH with the questions above, including your household size and any pets.
• Earn a verified nurse badge, which TNH staff grant after checking your licence, so hosts can see you are a working nurse.

If your staffing agency handles housing, it can post a housing request with your hospital, dates and budget, and alert hosts nearby. Mention your family's needs to the agency early so they are part of that request.

Bringing your family on assignment takes more planning than travelling alone, but a home that fits everyone makes the whole contract easier to enjoy. Once your hospital and dates are confirmed, your next step is to search homes near your hospital, shortlist a few with the space you need, and send each host your family's questions.

Frequently asked questions

Can travel nurses bring their family on assignment?

Yes, many travel nurses bring a partner, children or pets on assignment. It works best when you book a home with enough bedrooms, arrange child care early and confirm school and pet rules before you arrive. Longer assignments make the planning more worthwhile.

What documents do I need to enrol my child in school in Ontario during an assignment?

Ontario school boards usually ask for proof of your child's age and proof of your address. If you do not have Ontario ID, a bank statement, utility bill or lease showing your name and address is generally accepted. Some boards do not accept a driver's licence as proof of residence, so ask your host for a written agreement.

How much does child care cost for travel nurses in Canada?

Regulated child care fees have fallen under the national program, with a federal goal of an average of $10 a day outside Quebec by the end of March 2026. Canada.ca reports that more than half of provinces and territories are at $10 a day or less on average, and the rest have cut fees by 50% or more. Check your province's child care office for current local fees and availability.

Can a landlord refuse my pet on a travel nurse assignment?

It depends on the province and the type of stay. In BC, landlords can restrict pets entirely, while in Ontario a no-pets clause in a tenancy covered by the Residential Tenancies Act is void, though condo rules can still restrict pets. Because some furnished monthly stays may fall outside tenancy law, agree on pets with the host in writing before you book.

Will my family keep provincial health coverage while we travel?

Usually yes for typical assignment lengths, but each province sets its own residency rules. If you have OHIP, you get basic health care in most other parts of Canada. Confirm the details with your home province's health plan before you leave, especially if your contract may be extended.