Child Care for Student Parents
The Child Care Centre, located on-campus, is a service of the McMaster Students Union which provides educational care for the McMaster student community as well as the community at large. Our staff functions as a team to ensure that every child feels relaxed and secure in their environment. The staff responds to each individual child’s needs while being sensitive to social, cultural or developmental differences. Children receive verbal encouragement and praise to inspire self-esteem and positive behaviour.
McMaster Students Union Child Care Centre is enrolled in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care System (CWELCC) to reduce fees for families. For more details, please contact Miranda Vanderveen, the centre Director.
The Centre provides a play-based, developmentally enriching program for children ages 18 months to 4 years old in an inclusive family-focused facility. Programming is planned to foster creativity, curiosity, independence, physical activity developing gross and fine motor skills, interaction, communication and respect for others.
The Centre’s first line clients are the children of McMaster undergraduate students. We also accept, on a priority basis, enrollment of children of graduate students, McMaster staff and faculty, and the community at large.
Child Care for Staff
McMaster Children’s Centre at Sheila Scott House was instituted on campus of McMaster University to accommodate the need for child care in the McMaster community and surrounding area. McMaster Children’s Centre opened its doors in 1975 and continues to serve the Hamilton Area to this day.
McMaster Children’s Centre has an open-door policy with parents. We work to foster a positive relationship with the parents to build a bridge between home and daycare. Through phone calls, notes, emails, documentation, HiMama and parent/teacher meetings, teachers will keep parents informed of their child’s activities and development.
As part of the Total Rewards Package, McMaster offers a Child Care Allowance, and all faculty members who are employed on June 30 of a Benefit Period will be eligible to receive the full Child Care Allowance for each of their dependants under the age of 7 subject to b(ii-iv) outlined in the benefit.
“The total maximum Child Care Allowance pool available per year is capped at $500,000, which amount will be spread equally among eligible dependants, subject to a(ii), below.
a (ii). The maximum allowable Child Care Allowance per eligible dependent per year is capped at $2,500 (less applicable taxes and deductions).”
Low Income Parents
For persons with limited incomes, subsidies may be available through the City of Hamilton Child Care Services Management Program. For further information please see pg. 10 of the Parent Handbook, and contact the Child Care Centre Director.
The new Ontario Childcare Tax Credit will put more money in the pockets of families and provide the flexibility they need to choose the child care options that work best for them. Eligible families can claim up to 75% of their eligible child care expenses, including services provided by child care centres, homes and camps.