Guidelines and FAQ’s for Parents

For safety reasons, only childcare staff are permitted to enter the childcare room. 

  • Arrival and Pickup: Please arrive no more than 5-10 minutes before your class begins and pick up your child promptly after your class finishes.  To ensure a safe and smooth transition for all the children, we ask that moms drop off and pick up their babies at the door.  
  • Baby Care: Please remove your baby from their car seats before arriving at the childcare door and have them ready to be handed over to our staff. Car seats can be left in the hall outside the childcare room.  Babies will be placed in a crib or stroller for sleeping or in baby chairs and on mats for playtime. 
  • Items to Bring: A disposable bag with essentials such as a diaper, wipes, a change of clothes, bottle, snack, or pacifier.  If your child can walk, please bring indoor shoes. Please label everything. 
  • Snacks: Our childcare is strictly peanut/nut-free. 
  • Breastfeeding Mothers: Please let the staff know if you prefer having your baby brought to your class for feeding or being notified to come and pick up your baby to feed in the lounge. 
  • Children with EpiPens: If your child requires an EpiPen, please complete a waiver form and provide a photograph of your child for staff awareness.  
  • Parent Location: Parents must stay in the building while their children are in childcare, unless they are participating in an outdoor fitness class with a signed waiver.  

Health and Safety Measures: 

  • Health: To help prevent the spread of illness, children with a fever, rash, runny nose, cough, or cold should not be brought to childcare. We care for tiny babies and ask that everyone helps protect the little ones by staying at home if your child is sick.  
  • If your child has been exposed to an infectious disease, please inform us immediately. We will notify other members, though the Centre cannot be held responsible for exposure to such diseases.  

Important Information: 

  • Cancellations: If you will not need childcare during your class (e.g., vacation, another caregiver, sickness), please email childcare@wiwc.ca as soon as possible. Last-minute illnesses are understandable, but please notify us to adjust our staffing.  

No-Show Fee: Members who fail to cancel 24 hours in advance will be asked to pay $2.00 per child per class. 

FAQs 

  • How do I register for childcare during my class at the Women’s Centre?  
  • Each course with available childcare will list a separate childcare option. Register online for both your class and the corresponding childcare. It is important to register for childcare for each of the classes you are taking. 
  • Please do not register for childcare unless it will be used regularly.  
  • My child has a PED day from school. Can I register for childcare?  
  • Yes, occasional childcare is available for members whose children are 8 years or younger and need care due to a change in their regular childcare situation. A $5 fee per child applies. Please note: a child who is at home from school or daycare because they are sick will not be accepted in childcare. 
  • How do I register for occasional childcare? 
  • Email childcare@wiwc.ca 24 hours in advance to reserve a spot. Provide the class name, time, and your child’s name and age. You will receive a confirmation email with a link to register and pay the $5 fee.  
  • My child is in daycare but may need occasional care. Can I register for free childcare?  
  • If your child only occasionally needs care, register for occasional childcare as needed. A $5 fee per class applies.  
  • Waiting for a daycare spot—can I register for childcare in the meantime?  
  • Yes! Once your spot in daycare is secured, please notify us. 
  • Volunteering at the Women’s Centre but have children at home?  
  • Members who volunteer during the day can benefit from our free childcare service. Please ask for more information when you sign up to volunteer. 
  • Can I breastfeed my baby during my class?  
  • Yes! You can either choose to be called from your class to breastfeed in the lounge or have your child brought to you to breastfeed in your class.  
  • I am a secondary guardian and would like to take a class at the Women’s Centre. What is the process?  

If you are a secondary guardian (e.g., daycare provider, grandparent) bringing a child to childcare, the mother/legal guardian must become a member of the Centre and complete a special childcare registration form outlining your responsibilities.