Frequently Asked Questions

Families can apply for the Ontario Child Care Subsidy. The Ontario government, municipal governments and First Nations communities share the cost of this program. To inquire about regional child care subsidy, please contact your local regional subsidy office:

At the YMCA, our focus is on helping children develop six core values: Respect, Responsibility, Inclusiveness, Caring, Health, and Honesty.

We integrate these values into our Centres’ everyday actions and activities. By doing this, our aim is to provide your children with opportunities to discover themselves, develop social and recreational skills, and strengthen their self-esteem. By teaching increased responsibility, our school age curriculum helps children put their values into action to become strong leaders and strong citizens. At the same time, our program encourages children to demonstrate caring and support for others, regardless of their background or life experiences.

At the YMCA, our focus is on helping children develop six core values: Respect, Responsibility, Inclusiveness, Caring, Health, and Honesty.

We integrate these values into our Centres’ everyday actions and activities. By doing this, our aim is to provide your children with opportunities to discover themselves, develop social and recreational skills, and strengthen their self-esteem. By teaching increased responsibility, our school age curriculum helps children put their values into action to become strong leaders and strong citizens. At the same time, our program encourages children to demonstrate caring and support for others, regardless of their background or life experiences.

Our standard hours of operation are 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM; however, some centres' hours may vary. Please contact your child's centre directly if you would like to confirm their operating hours.

Looking for extended care? This year, extended care is included in the Summer Club fee for all regions except the City of Toronto.

Please note: Extended care is available for an additional fee in the City of Toronto

• Visiting your child’s program location is the best way to learn more about their experience. Call ahead, directly to the location to make arrangements to meet your child’s group at the designated meeting area. You will be asked to wear a visitor badge and sign in and out.

• Healthy and nutritious snacks are offered in the morning and afternoon.
• Please ensure your child comes with at least two snacks and a hearty lunch to ensure they are fueled for the day! When you plan your child’s lunch please keep in mind that there are no refrigerators or microwave ovens available.
• Some children in our care have various severe allergies and we ask families to pack nut friendly snacks and lunches as well as familiarize themselves with the programs known allergens to help minimize risk to all participants.

Lunch option:

• This summer, we’re serving up wholesome lunches that will fuel your child’s body and brain so that they’re ready for an afternoon of fun and excitement. The Real Food LunchBox program provides children at select Summer Club locations with nutritious and delicious meals prepared fresh by Real Food for Real Kids. For more information on how you can place your order, visit Real Food for Real Kids.

• Please dress your child in light weight comfortable clothing that can accommodate a variety of activities. It is a good idea to layer clothing as mornings can be cool and days can be very hot. Running shoes and closed-toe shoes are preferred footwear to ensure your child’s safety while participating in activities.
• A swim suit, towel, and swim shoes/sandals will be required for swim/water play.

• Along with comfortable, lightweight clothing, your child should also have a backpack filled with these essentials all labelled with their name: hat, sunscreen, refillable water bottle, swim suit, towel, and swim shoes/sandals.

• Our staff will do their best to ensure children keep their belongings in their backpacks, but sometimes things get left behind. Please check daily to make certain your child is coming home with all of their belongings. Encourage your child to bring only what is needed for the program each day.
• If your child loses something, call your Summer Club program directly, or next time you arrive at the program take a few minutes to look through the lost and found bin. Any found items at the end of the day are collected and stored at each Summer Club program.

• On the registration form you are able to include two main contacts and one emergency contact. If you require additional adults to be authorized to pick up your child from a Summer Club program, please send a note to your child’s Summer Club Leader with the date and your signature. All persons our staff have not met will be required to provide photo identification when they arrive. The person must be over the age of 16.
• If someone comes to pick up your child without your written authorization, we will contact you for verbal permission before releasing your child.