Apply for Child Care Assistance

How to apply

• Step 1: Create an account

  Applying does not confirm your eligibility for financial help.

  Create an account and complete the online application form.

  When completing the form, you will be asked for:

  • Personal information about yourself and your spouse (if applicable), including date of birth, gender, marital status, source of income, immigration status and date of arrival in Canada (if applicable)
  • Contact information for yourself and your spouse (if applicable), including address, phone and email
  • Work / school information, including start date and type of work / school. A reason for needing child care, such as attending school, working
  • Information about other adults living in your home, including name, date they started living with you and relationship to you
  • Personal information about your child(ren), including name, date of birth, preferred choice of child care and preferred start date for child care.
  • Contact and appointment preferences
• Step 2: Required documentation

  You'll need to provide the most recent Notice of Assessment or Canada Child Benefit for each parent or caregiver on your child care subsidy application.

  To complete the application, you will also need to upload the following.

  Identification for all family members
  Any one of the following:

  • Birth certificate
  • Statement of Live Birth
  • Canadian Passport
  • Citizenship or immigration documents as verification of Canadian citizenship, permanent resident or landed immigrant status
  • Work permit / visa (if temporary resident)
  • Temporary visitor permit (child only)

  Documentation regarding custody

  • Family composition form
  • Additional documentation may be needed, such as legal custody / separation agreement / guardianship documents, if applicablean or kinship letter - letter from Family and Children's Services with temporary custody, if applicable

  Documentation of residency in Niagara
  Any one of the following:

  • Lease agreement or landlord letter including landlord's name and contact number
  • Mortgage statement or proof of purchase
  • Most recent utility bill, such as cable, hydro, gas
  • Driver's licence
  • Additional documentation may be required

  Documentation for reason for service

  Employment:

  • Employment letter, pay stubs may be required
  • Self-employment: master business licence or business name registration or official document stating HST number if available / applicable or Certificate of Incorporation and self-employment declaration form

  Attending school / training:

  • OSAP information if applicable
  • Receipt of payment for school / training, if applicable
  • Confirmation of enrolment
  • Schedule of classes / training showing dates and expectations, such as in-person, online, course outline, syllabus, etc.

  Medical or exceptional circumstances

  • Request for child care assistance medical referral form must be completed by a medical or other relevant professional. It is important to note that for the purposes of this referral, a determination about whether a person has a disability may only be made by a health practitioner whose profession is regulated under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 and who is acting within the scope of his or her practice.
• Step 3: Eligibility meeting

  After all required documents are received, an in-person appointment will be scheduled with a Children's Services caseworker to verify eligibility.

  If more information is needed to help with determining your eligibility, the caseworker may request additional documentation.

  If you are eligible for fee subsidy, you will need to review and sign a Parent Agreement and Responsibility form.

• Your responsibilities while receiving subsidy

  Once receiving child care subsidy, you're responsible to:

  • Renew your Child Care Subsidy Agreement every year with your Children's Services caseworker
  • Respond to all communication about your child care
  • Ensure your child attends the program every day they are scheduled. Contact the child care program if your child is ill and unable to attend. Contact the Children's Services caseworker if your child is ill for three days or more
  • Inform your Children's Services caseworker of any changes to your work or school situation, living arrangements, address and contact information
  • Give at least two weeks notice to the child care program and Children's Services caseworker before withdrawing your child(ren) from care. This is important to avoid costs being charged that cannot be covered by subsidy
  • Ensure that you contact your Children's Services caseworker before registering your child in any program or switching your child to a new program

  Details of all responsibilities are included in our standard Parental Agreement and Roles and Responsibilities.

Child Care / Assistance

• Child Care Centres
• Home Child Care
• Child Care Registry
• Financial Assistance
• Service Providers
• EarlyON Child and Family Centres
• Unpaid Student Positions
• Contact Children's Services