As of September 1, 2016, the Ministry of Education requires daycare providers to provide full transparency in their waiting list administration. This policy outlines Healthy Start Childcare Centre’s waiting list process to ensure fairness while maintaining the flexibility required when running a childcare facility.

Who can apply?

To be on Healthy Start Childcare Centre’s waiting list, a parent or legal guardian must complete an online application form and provide all required information accurately. There is no fee for putting children on our wait lists.

Placement on the list

The order in which children are placed on Healthy Start Childcare Centre’s waiting list is based on the following factors:
  1. Date on which the electronic application is submitted and completed accurately and, in its entirety.
  2. The requested month’s childcare would start
  3. The age group a child would be in when they would start at Healthy Start Childcare Centre.
  4. Whether the application is for a single child or siblings
  5. The requested number of days per week – 5 days, 3 days (M/W/F), 2 days (T/TH)
Parents should register for as early a start date as they would be willing to start at Childcare, i.e., if registered for care to start in February, a family would not be called if a January space becomes available unless all families on the January list decline the space. If parents defer a space or move the start date to another month, their space on the waiting list will be dependent on the date on which they originally registered for that child to be on the Healthy Start childcare waiting list. If a space is not available for the month a parent would like to start care, Healthy Start Childcare will automatically move that application to the next month waiting list. The priority in the next month’s waiting list will be based on the date of the original application.

Priority

Healthy Start Childcare gives priority to different groups which effectively moves them up the waiting list. The different tiers of our waiting list are:
  1. Children who are already enrolled in the Centre and will require a spot to move up to the next classroom
  2. Siblings and alumnae: siblings of current daycare clients or alumnae receive priority placement on our waiting list.
  3. Staff: the children of our staff members receive priority placement on the waiting list.
  4. Children living in the condominium where the childcare Centre is located
  5. Children from the surrounding community

Maintaining the Waiting List

Healthy Start Childcare Centre communicates with its waiting list regularly, primarily through email. From time to time there may be a call to action in an email requiring the recipient to alert Healthy Start Childcare if they wish to remain on the waiting list. If we do not receive a response within 3 business days of requesting this information, the child may be removed from the waiting list. If the parent contacts the Childcare Centre after this period and states that they wish to remain on the waiting list, the application date will be changed to the date that we received this confirmation. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that theChildcare waiting list is always as accurate as possible so that parents who no longer wish to be on the list can be removed thereby giving parents a more accurate idea of their likelihood of securing a space.

Requests for Information

Parents can contact the Supervisor of Healthy Start Child Childcare to ask about their child’s place on the waiting list. Within 24 hours (or the next business day), the supervisor will let the parent know what number they are on the list for the month they are looking for care. At this time, the supervisor will let the parent know that this number may change depending on families withdrawing from the waiting list, other members of the waiting list changing their requested start dates, or if priority individuals join the waiting list. 

The Ministry of Education mandates that parents can request to have access to view a daycare’s waiting list with the anonymity of all waiting list parties maintained. Healthy Start Childcare Centre does not maintain a separate, anonymous waiting list. If a request is made for a physical copy of the waiting list, Healthy Start Childcare Centre will provide a redacted list within fourteen business days for only the month and age group of the start date requested by the inquiring parent.

Offering of Spaces

Spaces become available when a child moves up to the next room or when a family terminates care. Parents are required to give two weeks’ notice, before the last working day of the month. Therefore, it is expected that the minimum amount of notice a family will receive about an available space will be 2 weeks. We endeavour to give parents as much notice as possible if we are aware of upcoming spaces.

At times we may call several families in one day to offer one spot. In this case, the spot will go to the family who accepts the offer first.
When a parent is contacted with regards to an available opening, they have 7 calendar days from the time they are contacted to confirm whether they will take the space. If the Centre does not hear back, the parent will then be removed from the waitlist.

While we understand the urgency for care, we will not tolerate harassment or abuse (verbal or otherwise) towards any of our staff, and any such behaviour will result in your child's name being removed from our waitlist, with no opportunity for future enrollment.