The Early Childhood Development Communique articulated a commitment to increasing positive outcomes for children from birth to age 6 in Canada. Noting that owners and boards of child care programs are charged with providing a quality service to young children and their families, this discussion paper articulates the owners' and boards' responsibilities, the processes used in exercising these responsibilities, and how the role relates to the delivery of a quality child care service. Six responsibility areas of the owner's and board's role are noted: direction, guardianship, public relations, advocacy, legal conduct, and ethical conduct. The processes involved in exercising their role involve: (1) defining their role and how their direction, public relations, and advocacy will be effective in achieving the provision of a quality child care service; (2) communicating in a documented and oral format; (3) putting systems into place to monitor their performance and that of the administrator; and (4) evaluating their performance and the performance of the administrator regularly in relation to their respective roles. The six areas of responsibility and the process used in exercising their responsibilities together describe the role of an owner or board. Several aspects of incorporation legislation that have an effect on the role of owners/boards are noted. Findings from key informant interviews with provincial and territorial directors of early child development services and focus group participants are highlighted to illustrate the challenges currently faced by child care programs in Canada and their frustration in not having the capacity to realize their intention to provide a quality child care service. The paper's three appendices contain the management areas grid, a worksheet on ethical decision making, and an overview of incorporation legislation affecting the ownership of child care facilities in the 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions. (Contains 13 references.) (KB)