Child Care FAQ's

Yes, it opened August 16, 2021.

Yes, we are licensed for 12 children aged 0-3.

Yes, are licensed for 25 spots for children age 3-5.

Yes, Preschool has 4 classes, Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday and Thursday. Parents and caregivers can choose either morning sessions or an afternoon sessions. 

Yes, we are licensed for 24 children. The Before School Care program will runs 6:30am to 8:30am and serves students attending Glenmore Elementary.

The After School Care program runs 2:30pm to 6:00pm and pick up is provided for Glenmore Elementary students. 

For Dilworth Mountain and all YMCA early years child care locations (0 to 5 years old), all families are placed on one central wait list for all YMCA locations in central Kelowna.

When a space becomes available the families are contacted in order from the top of the list. We will indicate which location has an available space, if you choose to take it we will require further paperwork and registration, if not you may pass and we can either hold your spot for one more opportunity or you may remove yourself from the list (Little Scholars, Kelowna Secondary School or Dilworth Mountain).  

Waitlist Form

• Queen’s Park Child Care Center- In Penticton 
• YMCA Little Scholars Child Care – Located at Okanagan College
• YMCA Child Care at Kelowna Secondary School 
• Dilworth Mountain YMCA Child Care 
• Okanagan Mission YMCA Child Care Centre
• Black Mountain YMCA Child Care Centre
• Kelowna Airport YMCA Child Care Centre
• George Elliot YMCA Child Care Centre – In Lake Country
   

• All centers are open from Monday to Friday
• Infant/Toddler program operates 7:30am-5:00pm 
• 3-5 year the program operates 7:30am -5:30pm
• We currently offer full-time child care spaces
   

No – at this time all of our Child care programs operate Monday to Friday

We closely follow Interior Health licensing regulations for all child care programs:

• Infant and Toddler child care (0 to 36 months)– a minimum of 1 Early Childhood Educator (ECE) to 4 children (Little Scholars only has 8 spots)
• 3-5 years child care – a minimum of 1 ECE to 8 children 
• Preschool runs with a ratio of 1 ECE to 10 children
   

• For programs aged 3 and up as per child care licensing regulations children are required to toilet independently
• This includes 3-5 year old child care and preschool programs
• Infant and Toddlers do not need to be toilet trained
   

• For Preschool our programs run Monday/Wednesday/Fridays or Tuesday/Thursday for ages 3-5 years
• We follow the public school calendar and operate from September to June
• Registration opens each February for the upcoming Fall session
• Each preschool location offers different start and end times please check which location best serves your needs
   

Yes, we require all children to be able to use the toilet independently.

Preschool 3-5 programs – a minimum of 1 ECE to 10 children as per Interior Health Licensing regulations.

For Out of School Care our programs require Monday to Friday registration from September to June. You can register for just Before School Care or After School care and are not required to register for both.  

• A minimum of 1 Child Care Leader to 12 children for Kindergarten and grade 1’s
• A minimum of 1 child care leader to 15 children for grades 2 and up

Before School Care (BSC):

• Before School Care is offered at Quigley Elementary School – Children are bused/walk to school who attend Rutland Elementary, Belgo Elementary & Pearson Elementary.
• Queens Park YMCA Child Care Centre – For children who attend Queen’s Park Elementary.
• Dilworth Mountain YMCA Child Care Centre – Children are bused to school who attend Glenmore Elementary.
• Black Mountain YMCA Child Care Centre – For children who attend Black Mountain Elementary.
• Okanagan Mission YMCA Child Care Centre - Children are bused/walk to school who attend Bellevue Creek & Dorothea Walker Elementary.
• George Elliot YMCA Child Care Centre – Children are bused/walk to school who attend Peter Greer Elementary.

After School Care (ASC):

• Quigley Elementary - For children attending Quigley & Belgo Elementary.
• Queens Park YMCA Child Care Centre – For children who attend Queen’s Park Elementary.
• Rose Velley Elementary – For children attending Rose Valley Elementary.
• Pearson Elementary – For children attending Pearson & Rutland Elementary.
• Dilworth Mountain YMCA Child Care Centre – Children are bused to the centre who attend Glenmore Elementary.
• Black Mountain YMCA Child Care Centre – For children who attend Black Mountain Elementary.
• Okanagan Mission YMCA Child Care Centre - Children are bused/walk to/from school who attend Bellevue Creek & Dorothea Walker Elementary.
• George Elliot YMCA Child Care Centre – Children are bused/walk to/from school who attend Peter Greer Elementary.

• Before School Care: 6:30 am to 8:30 am
• After School Care: 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm
   

• Yes we offer Spring Break Care and Summer care in Kelowna and in Penticton 
• Our programs are licensed and parents can apply for government subsidy for these weeks
• We offer weekly registration for our Spring Break and Summer Care programs
• Our camps run Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm
• To be registered in YMCA licensed spring break or summer camp, your child must be entering grades 1-6 in September. If your child has not yet attended kindergarten, you can contact the Kelowna Family Y or the H2O Adventure and Fitness Centre at 250-491-9622 to find out more information on their 3-5 years summer camp programs. 
   

For the upcoming school year registration opens in April.

As soon as you have a due date, you should complete the online waitlist form.  

Waitlist Form

• No, as of June 1, 2021 we are no longer requiring a deposit to be on the waitlist
• A $50 deposit will be required once your child is registered in the program, this will be applied towards your first month’s program fees
   

All applications will be processed on a first come, first served basis. Simply complete the online waitlist form (one per child) and press submit at the end. This will ensure your child has been added to the waitlist of your choosing. You will be contacted via email as soon as space becomes available in the appropriate program for your child. 

• When you are on a wait list for Kelowna Early Years Programs (0-5 years): we will contact you once a spot comes available. We will offer the first location that becomes available.  
• When you are on the waitlist for Queen’s Park in Penticton: this waitlist is separate and you will be contacted based on first come first served basis.
• Please note that YMCA Child Care Administrators are no longer able to provide updates regarding waitlist positions.
• There is a 1-3 year waitlist depending on the age of your child. We are working hard to open more locations to help with the child care shortage that the province and our region is currently experiencing.
   

Our waitlist procedure automatically moves children as they become of age over to the 3-5 year old child care waitlist.

All applications will be processed on a first come, first served basis. If the program is full, your child will be added to the waitlist and you will be contacted via email as soon as space becomes available in the appropriate program for your child.  

Our policy requires 30 days notice of cancellation from the 1st day of the month in writing via email to the Child Care Administrator at childcare@ymcasibc.ca.

Any changes or cancellations for September’s month of care must be made prior to August 1st for a full refund. No cancellations will be processed August 15th – September 15th due to the high volume of registrations. 

• Notice of 15 days or more prior to the start of care will receive a full refund less a $25.00 administration fee
• Notice within 8 to 14 days prior to the start of care will incur a cancellation fee of 50% of the full fee
• Notice within 7 days of care will not be refunded unless the withdrawal of the child is due to a family or medical emergency with a provided doctor’s note

As a licensed program, families can apply for The Affordable Child Care Benefit (previously called government subsidy) through the Ministry of Children and Family Development. The child care administrators can provide the appropriate forms once your child is successfully registered in one of our programs. 

The YMCA Financial Assistance for Licensed Child Care will be assessed by a child care administrator and will differ from YMCA Financial Assistance for Memberships. The child care administrators can provide the appropriate forms.  

Financial Assistance 

Yes, all of our licensed child care programs participate in the Ministry's Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative.