How to get a space at SFU Childcare (Infant/Toddler & 3-5 Programs)

1st: A space becomes vacant as a child withdraws or ages up to an older age program.

2nd: Any children within the existing program who wish to make changes (eg. part-time to full-time) will be given first priority to accept the vacant space.

3rd: If no child currently attending the program wants the available space, it is then offered to a child who is aging out of a younger program at SFUCCS.

4th: If there is no child at SFUCCS available/wanting to fill the empty space, it is then offered to children who have a sibling(s) already in attendance at SFUCCS. 

5th: If none of the above steps have filled the space, it is offered to children on the waitlist according to priority levels as described below:

When will I get a space for my child?

People looking for Infant/Toddler & 3-5 care for their children often ask us what "number" they are in line for a spot, or for more specific timelines on space availabillity than we are truly able to provide. While having a "number in the list" may be comforting, we have found it to be less transparent and misleading to try to provide such a number.

From September through to April there are VERY few new spaces available. Spaces often come available during the summer months of July and August, just prior to the older children moving on to Kindergarten; typically for that period, we send out emails in May to groups of families on our waitlist who could expect an offer on some of the spaces. If you receive that email while you are on the waitlist, it is important that you indicate that you are still interested in a space at SFU Childcare. 

When a space becomes available, available spaces will be matched to our waitlist based on the program characteristics, enrollment priority for the family in that centre, and the date of application. 

An example of how space availability is determined

In this hypothetical situation, assume a three day (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) part-time space becomes available for a 3-5 year-old program. Only those applications that have indicated a preference for a 3-5 year-old program, part-time for these specific days and those listed as being flexible for their first priority for spaces will be initially selected and contacted. The date of application(s) for waitlist members meeting these criteria will then be considered in order to make an offer for available space. 

Because there are so many variables, this sorting process can be complex in order to ensure that the selection process is as fair as possible. That means that we cannot give you a point in time answer as to your place "in line," and this is especially true when there are currently no spaces available. We will provide notice as soon as possible when we expect that we'll be able to make you an offer: prior to that, we feel that a "number" may be at best, misleading.

This information is based on our Enrollment Policy, a copy of which is available from office staff by request.