Balsillie Family Branch – Peterborough
YMCA Licensed Child Care
Child Care Parent Handbook
Peterborough & Lakefield
The YMCA of Central East Ontario operates licensed childcare (licensed by the Ministry of Education) programs for families in Peterborough and Lakefield for infants (Lakefield), toddlers and preschoolers on a full time or part time basis (minimum of two days per week).
The philosophy of our licensed centres is to stimulate each child’s interest in the world around them by satisfying their need to discover, explore and socialize. This is done through our “Playing to Learn” curriculum, which provides an understanding of how play provides the foundation for learning. Play is the primary way all children learn and it is essential for healthy social and cognitive development.
The qualified staff at the centres provide the best possible care in a warm, loving environment. Our goal is to allow each child participating in our programs to grow in confidence and self-esteem, as well as to promote and encourage each child’s creative expression and social and cognitive development.
The YMCA of Central East Ontario has licensed Child Care facilities in Peterborough and Lakefield. Normal Child Care hours in Peterborough are 7:30am to 6:00pm, and in Lakefield 7:00am to 6:00pm. Financial assistance is available through the City of Peterborough Children’s Services.
http://www.peterborough.ca/Living/City_Services/Social_Services/Children_s_Services.htm
We offer care for school age children that includes full day care, before and after school programs in two schools in Lakefield: Lakefield District Public School and St. Paul’s Elementary in Lakefield.
| Ages 3.8 – 12 years Before School – $9.20 per day After School – $15.00 per day P.A. Days & March Break |
Locations Lakefield District Public School – Before & After St. Paul’s Lakefield – After School only |
Our Curriculum – “Playing to Learn”
Playing to Learn is an interactive curriculum that reflects true play as the way a child learns, manipulates their environment, and fosters continued enthusiasm to learn through a choice based approach. The cornerstone for this childcare curriculum is children’s PLAY which is understood to be essential to the healthy social and cognitive development of all children. YMCA Playing to Learn provides the means for early educators to protect your child’s need to play, ensuring a sound base for healthy development and future academic success. The curriculum provides the foundations for language and literacy, mathematics, science and technology and the arts. Throughout the day your child will play to experience, explore and understand the world around them by listening to stories, building with blocks, classifying and sequencing, creating pictures or music, experimenting and theorizing and entering into make believe play in a natural and living environment. True play is the way your child will learn.
For more information, please download the YMCA Playing to Learn brochure.
For more information, contact the centre supervisors:
Peterborough: (705) 748-9642 ext 224 Crystal Read
Lakefield: (705) 652-7782 Lisa Barcroft
Licensed Child Care
| Infant (Lakefield) | 1 Educator : 3 Children |
| Ages 0-18 months | |
| Fees $59.00 per day |
| Toddler | 1 Educator : 5 Children |
| Ages 18 months to 2.5 years | |
| Fees $45.50 per day |
| Preschool | 1 Educator : 8 Children |
| Ages 2.5 to 5 years | |
| Fees $43.50 per day |
Preschool: Our preschool program care for children 2.5 – 5 years of age. Educators in the program provide a stimulating, creative and challenging environment based on the observation and the interest of the children. Many times the preschool group are off on adventures looking for bugs, walking to Home Depot for supplies they need to create something, heading out for a neighbourhood walk to see the birds building their new nest in the spring or having a picnic across the street to watch the construction work going on. Afternoon tea, playing princess, building a race car track, molding cakes, cookies and/or spaghetti with the play dough are some of the natural play experiences that each child engages themselves in. Educators support experiences by being “Play Partners” and promote each child’s development to be confident learners in anything that they may do.
Ontario Childcare Tax Credit
As announced in the 2019 Budget, the province introduced the new Ontario Child Care Access and Relief from Expenses (CARE) tax credit. Please note that this child care tax credit is now referred to as the Ontario Childcare Tax Credit.
This new tax credit will provide about 300,000 families with up to 75 per cent of their eligible child care expenses, and allow families to access a broad range of child care options, including care in centres, homes and camps. Families will be able to claim this tax credit when they file their 2019 income tax return in 2020.
Additional information on the Ontario Childcare Tax Credit is now available on the Province of Ontario’s website: