Edmonton police have charged a 54-year-old man in the alleged sexual assault of a child at a private day home that ran for more than a decade. Investigators believe there may be other victims who haven’t come forward.
Michael Doucette was arrested on Wednesday, Oct. 14, and charged with sexual assault, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching.
The charges relate to an alleged incident in 2022 at Shining Stars, a private, unlicensed day home near 50 Street and 101 Avenue in east Edmonton. Police say Doucette lived at the home and helped with child care there.
The charges haven’t been proven in court.
This Shining Stars isn’t connected to any other Edmonton child care business with the same or a similar name, police said.
What police say
Police received a report earlier this month about an alleged sexual assault of a child at the day home in 2022. The investigation led to Doucette’s arrest on Oct. 14.
The day home opened in 2011 and is no longer operating.
Police believe others may come forward
Because the day home ran for more than 10 years, investigators believe there may be people who haven’t spoken up yet. Police released Doucette’s name and photo to help anyone with information recognize him.
No other charges have been announced.
If you or your child attended the day home and you have information, you don’t need to be certain it proves anything before you call. Let investigators decide what matters.
Edmonton Police Service: 780-423-4567, or #377 from a mobile phone
Crime Stoppers (anonymous): 1-800-222-8477, or p3tips.com/250
Police ask that people bring information to them, rather than trying to investigate themselves or sharing allegations online.
What the charges mean
The three charges are separate Criminal Code offences, and each has to be proven in court:
Sexual assault covers sexual touching without consent.
Sexual interference is touching a person under 16 for a sexual purpose.
Invitation to sexual touching is inviting or encouraging a person under 16 to touch someone for a sexual purpose.
The last two exist specifically to protect children.
What “unlicensed” means in Alberta
Private day homes are common in Edmonton, and running one without a licence is legal in Alberta. Many are safe, caring places. But the rules are very different from licensed child care, and a lot of parents don’t know it.
An unlicensed provider can care for up to six children at once, not counting their own, and has to keep them safe. But the province doesn’t routinely inspect or monitor unlicensed homes. It only steps in if there’s reason to believe a provider is caring for too many children, or a child is at immediate risk.
| Licensed day home | Unlicensed day home |
|---|---|
| Works through a licensed family day home agency | Operates on its own |
| Agency recruits, trains and monitors the home | No routine provincial monitoring |
| Must follow provincial health and safety standards | Must provide a safe environment |
| Families may qualify for child care subsidies | Families aren’t eligible for subsidies |
Being unlicensed doesn’t mean a day home is breaking the law, and it doesn’t mean anything about the people running it. It does mean parents carry more of the responsibility for checking it out.
How to check a day home
If you use a day home or are thinking about one, a few questions help:
Is it licensed? If the provider says it works through an agency, ask for the agency’s name and confirm with them.
Who else is in the home? Ask who lives there and which adults regularly visit while children are present.
Have the adults been screened? Don’t assume an unlicensed provider has done criminal record checks. Ask.
Alberta also has two free online tools: the Unlicensed Child Care Stop Order Lookup, which lists providers the province has ordered to stop giving care, and the Administrative Penalty Lookup, which lists fines against providers. A clean result there doesn’t mean a home has been inspected. It only means no action has been taken.
You can report a concern about any child care provider through the “Report an incident, concern or complaint” page on Alberta.ca. Report suspected crimes to police. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.
If you need support
News like this can be hard, especially for families whose children went to the day home.
The Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton offers free support for survivors and their families at 780-423-4121. Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-403-8000.
Sources
Edmonton Police Service: Police charge man with sexual assault at day home, Oct. 14, 2026
Government of Alberta: Understand Alberta’s childcare system, for parents and families
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