Table of Contents 

Waitlist 

• How does the waitlist for WCAS work? 

• How do I apply to be placed on the waitlist? 

• Is there a fee to join the waitlist? 

• Does WCAS offer Part Time Care? 

• What if I'm offered a space for my child but am not ready to take it yet? 

• Can I find out where my child is on the waitlist? 

• What if I only need care during the summer? 

• How does the seamless day program work at Qayqayt School? 

• Am I able to add an infant to the waitlist if they haven't been born yet? 

 

Registration and Fees 

• My child has been offered a space into one of the facilities. What happens next? 

• How much does it cost? 

• Does WCAS accept families who are interested in joining the ACCB (Affordable Childcare Benefit) program? 

• How do I withdraw my child, and do I get my deposit back? 

• My child attended during one of the breaks (Spring Break, Summer Break and/or Spring Break). Does this mean that they will have a space during the school year? 

• Is WCAS a part of the Childcare Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI) and how does that work? 

• Are all facilities included in the Childcare Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI)? 

 

Program Structure 

• What kinds of activities do you offer the children?  

• What kind of field trips do you take the children on?  

• Can I have a tour of the centre that I'm interested in?  

• Does WCAS offer drop in spaces?  

• What if my child has additional support needs? 

• What can I expect my child to do while in care? 

• What are your hours of operation? 

​

​

WCAS Waitlist 

1. How does the waitlist for WCAS work?  

 

• WCAS manages 460 licensed childcare spaces for children who have started in Kindergarten (4 ½-5 yrs old) up until the end of their 12th year at 11 locations throughout New Westminster. There are several priorities taken into consideration for enrolment such as: sibling groups, internal transfers from one facility to another if they do not service the same school and children that are currently in one program who will be aging into the next age group (ie: from an elementary school to middle school).  This is also why we are not able to guarantee a space for your child for your requested start date. 

​

2. How do I apply to be placed on the waitlist?  

 

• Parents are invited to complete the waitlist form found on our website.

 

• After the form is completed, their child will be placed on the waitlist(s) of their choice and a confirmation email will be sent from admin@wcass.com.  

 

• Please keep this email for your reference. 

 

•  It is also important to add admin@wcass.com to your safe sender list so as to not miss any important emails from us as this is our main point of contact with families. We will not be held responsible for any missed emails or emails that may end up in spam/junk folders.  

 

• We send an email to all waiting families on a yearly basis asking if they would like to remain on the waitlist. You will be given two weeks to respond to this email.  If you do not respond to this email your child will be removed from the list but you would be able to reapply.  We will not backdate any applications to the original dates if no response is received from you within the given timeframe. 

 

• If your needs have changed (ie: Centre, date of preferred start) or any contact information changes after applying to have your child added to the waitlist, then it is the Parent/Guardians responsibility to inform WCAS of this by sending an email to admin@wcass.com  

 

3. Is there a fee to join the waitlist?  

 

• No, there are no costs associated with joining any WCAS waitlists. 

 

4. Does WCAS offer Part Time Care?  

 

• WCAS does not currently offer part time registration choices  

 

5. What if I'm offered a space for my child but am not ready to take it yet?  

 

• If your child is of age to attend and is the next eligible child on a facilities waitlist, we will contact you via email.  You will be given one week from the date this email was sent to respond to it. 

 

• If there is no response or, if you decline the offered space, your child will be removed from our waitlist and you will be able to reapply.  We will not backdate your application to what was your original date. 

 

•  If you are interested in reapplying for your child to be on the waitlist then you are welcome to do so by completing a waitlist form from our website   

 

6. Can I find out where my child is on the waitlist?  

 

• We do not provide families with waitlist numbers and are unable to respond to requests related to where your child is on the waitlist.  

 

• It is difficult to forecast when your child can expect to receive an offer for a space. As mentioned in previous questions, there are many factors that go into offering a space, and therefore, we will not be able to answer questions related to where your child is on the waitlist. 

 

7. What if I only need care during the summer?  

 

• WCAS maintains a separate waitlist for the summer months. Families currently registered and actively attending during the school year are given priority and will be given a summer registration form first. After they have submitted their registration form along with payment, any remaining available spaces are then offered to the public.  

 

• There is a separate waitlist for the summer months only and families are contacted as soon as registration opens. Spaces are filled on a first come-first serve basis. The summer waitlist is reset every September and, if a family is interested in care for consecutive summers, they must complete another waitlist form each calendar year.  

 

• Only children who have completed Kindergarten will be eligible to register and attend our summer camp as per the BC Child Care Licensing regulations for School Aged Care on School grounds care type. If your child does not meet these requirements and you request to have them placed on our Summer Care waitlist, they will not be added. 

 

8. How does the seamless day program work at Qayqayt School? 

 

• The school board, Qayqayt School and WCAS are working collaboratively and share a waitlist for children whose families are interested in this program.  

​

9. Am I able to add an infant to the waitlist if they haven't been born yet? 

• No, all children added to our waitlist must have already been born. If you would like to add your infant to our waitlist, please ensure that they have a definitive date of birth and birth certificate. 

 

​

​

Registration and Fees

1. My child has been offered a space into one of the facilities. What happens next?  

 

• If you receive an email offering your child a space into one of our programs, you would respond to the email that you are interested. After you indicate your interest, a registration package will be emailed to you. You must complete the registration package and pay our $100 deposit in order to keep your space.  

 

• The space deposit is non-refundable after being paid, unless our withdrawal policy is followed.  

               Our withdrawal policy is one full calendars months written notice.   

 

• WCAS does have policies in place for families who are interested in taking a space with us but must provide a specified amount of notice to their current child care provider. So, if this is applicable to you when offered a spot, please connect with us about it. 

 

• You may return your registration package and deposit to the Team Coordinator at the facility in which your child will be attending. There will be instructions in the acceptance email.  

​

2. My child attended during one of the breaks (Spring Break, Summer Break and/or Spring Break). Does this mean that       they will have a space during the school year?  

 

• External children who may attend periodically during any full days are not automatically registered to attend during the school year as they follow a different process during registration. If you would like to have your child(ren) join us during the school year, please complete the waitlist form on our website.  

​

3. How much does it cost?  

 

• There is an initial deposit fee of $100 to hold your child’s space until their first day of attendance with us.  

• Space fees are currently $541 per month/per child and are payable via pre-authorized debit on the first of each calendar month, the month your child is enrolled to start is when you can expect your first fee withdrawal to start.  

• Summer care is based on a completely separate fee and registration structure. 

• Summer care is payable weekly or daily and is completely voluntary.  Internal families are given first priority for spaces after which any remaining spaces are opened up to external families wanting care. 

 

4. Does WCAS accept families who are interested in joining the ACCB (Affordable Childcare Benefit) program?  

 

• Yes, WCAS gladly accepts all families who are a part of the ACCB program. Families would inform their Team Coordinator of such and we will help you complete the necessary paperwork.

​

5.. How do I withdraw my child and how do I get my deposit back? 

• A $100 customer deposit is required upon registration. The deposit will be held on account. One full Calendar month’s written notice is required, before the end of the previous month, to withdraw a child from the Centre. A refund will be issued once the child has left the program, providing that all fees owing are paid and notice to withdraw has been given in time. If the child is withdrawn without prior notice, the $100 customer deposit is non-refundable

​​

6. Is WCAS a part of the Childcare Fee Reduction Initiative and how does that work?  

 

• Yes, Westminster Children's After School Society has applied and been approved for the Childcare Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI)

​

• Parent fee reduction amounts that WCAS will receive per child are prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Child Care, they are based on the type of child care provided and are split into two separate age/grade categories.  ​The maximum amount our facilities could receive to reduce parent fees for full-time care, per child, are listed below, part-time and or daily enrollments (ie: drop in and or summer care) would be eligible to receive pro-rated amounts:

                                            • Up to a maximum of $320/month – Group care for Kindergarten

                                     • Up to a maximum of $115/month – Group care for Grade 1 to age 12- starting from

                                                                                 September 1, 2023 onwards

​

6. Are all facilities included in the Childcare Fee Reduction Initiative? 

• Yes! All of our facilities have been approved for the CCFRI

​

​

​

Program Structure 

1. Can I have a tour of the centre that I'm interested in?  

 

• No, we do not offer tours of facilities to the general public prior to having a completed and submitted registration package. After a registration package has been submitted and all fees paid, a short tour of “your” facility can be arranged with your Team Coordinator prior to your child attending.  

 

2. Does WCAS offer drop in spaces?  

 

• WCAS does not currently offer “drop in” spaces during the school year. Should there be available spaces during Winter Break or Spring Break you may be able to register your child provided that a registration package is complete.  

 

3. What if my child has additional support needs?  

 

• We are an inclusive program and welcome all children that may have extra support needs. Should your child require additional support, please indicate this on your waitlist form so that we are able to have a staff in place prior to their registration. This will ensure that we are able to provide them the best care possible and set them up for success.  

 

4. What can I expect my child to do while in care?  

 

• All of our facilities have the same loosely based program structure but, this schedule may differ from centre to centre based on the needs of the children in care.  

 

• Every facility schedules a carpet chat where staff inform children about what types of activities they can expect during the afternoon as well as the type of food is going to be served for snack. At this time, children may choose to also debrief about their day, share stories and ask questions. After snack, children will have the opportunity to complete homework assignments or, partake in a quiet independent activity. This is typically followed by a structured activity which can include but is not limited to: group games, arts and crafts, sports activities, science experiments, etc. There is always an option for children to participate in child led free play after the structured activity and/or outside free play until closing.  

 

• On full days during the summer months or spring break as an example, children may be taken on “field trips” to local parks, far away parks and other venues such as Science World and Playland. ​

​

5. What are your hours of operation? 

​

• During the school year, all facilities are open from 7:00am to 9:00am and then from 2:00pm to 6:00pm. In the summer months, WCAS facilities are open from 7:00am to 6:00pm

• All facilities with WCAS are open for from 7:00am-6:00pm on professional days. Registered families are welcome to attend but must sign up for professional days with their Team Coordinator

• All WCAS facilities are open for early dismissals. Please check with the Team Coordinator at your centre for times

• There are no extra fees associated with attendance during professional days or early dismissals