Where the maximum capacity of a program has been reached and spaces are unavailable for new children to be enrolled, the waiting list procedures set out below will be followed.
- No fee will be charged to parents for placing a child on the waiting list.
- The waitlist for childcare is managed by the supervisor or designate.
Receiving a Request to Place a Child on the Waiting List
- The Supervisor will receive parental requests to place children on a waiting list via applications on the Waterloo Region Onelist site, telephone, in-person meeting, or walk in.
Placing a child on the Waiting List
- The Supervisor will place a child on the waiting list in chronological order, based on the date and time that the confirmation request was received.
Determining Placement Priority when a Space Becomes Available
- When space becomes available in the program, priority will be given to children that need to move to the next age grouping, those that want to expand their number of days, to siblings of children current/previous children or those in the community with a referral with a high need of community support.
- Once these children have been placed, other children on the waiting list will be prioritized based on program room availability, when care is needed and the chronology in which the child was placed on the waiting list.
Offering an Available Space
- Parents of children on the waiting list will be notified via email and or phone call that a space has become available in their requested program.
- Where a parent has not responded to communication the Supervisor will contact the parent of the next child on the waiting list to offer them the space.
Responding to Parents who inquire about their Child’s Placement on the Waiting List
- The Supervisor will be the contact person for parents who wish to inquire about the status of their child’s place on the waiting list.
- The Supervisor will respond to parent inquiries and provide the child’s current position on the list and an estimated likelihood of the child being offered a space in the program.
Maintaining Privacy and Confidentiality
- The waiting list will be maintained in the Supervisor’s office in a manner that protects the privacy and confidentiality of the children and families on the list and therefore only the child’s position on the waiting list will be provided to parents.
- Names of other children or families and/or their placement on the waiting list will not be shared with other individuals.
- If contact is not made after several follow up attempts, the Supervisor may choose to remove the family for the Onelist registry.