Frequently Asked Questions & Definitions

Please see the Enrollment Process page for a detailed explanation.

As early as possible. Note: Applications received prior to the child's birth will be discarded.

For the school age external waitlist, you can apply as soon as you receive a confirmed space offer from University Highlands Elementary, Seaforth Elementary or Armstrong Elementary.

No.  A guess is not possible as it all depends on withdrawal requests received.  Typically, we cannot estimate space availability more than 30 days in advance.

New children are enrolled provided we have spaces to offer.  The month that sees the most spaces become available is September.

Your child will remain on the 3-to-5-year waitlist up until they are 4.5 years of age.

Note:  your child is not automatically added to the external school age waitlist.  A seperate school age waitlist must be submited once your child has a confirmed space in either University Highlands, Armstrong or Seaforth Elementary schools.  

No. Part-time space offers depend on availability.   

For example, if a part-time child withdrawals and they were enrolled on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, those would be the only days available to offer.

Your child's space is only guaranteed after you sign the parent agreement. 

No, you can apply as soon as your child is born.

If you have  not  been offered an infant and toddler space by the time your child turns 30 months, they will be automatically moved up to our 3- to 5-year-old waitlist.

The waitlist is not static and therefore it is not possible to give a number that indicates your position on the waitlist.  Each month, the waitlist fluctuates due to various reasons, but not limited to, start dates requested, priority criteria, status changes, SFU Childcare Staff applicants added to the waitlist, and siblings added to the waitlist, etc. 

When the space offer is made, you will be notified of the acceptance deadline. If you have not accepted the space by the deadline, your space offer will be rescinded without further notice. 

If you want your child to attend SFU Childcare Society, you must attend the orientation and gradual entry required for your age group even if your child has completed orientation in a different program here or at any other organization.

We do not allow lateral transfers. A child stays in the same program they started until transitioning to a different age group.

45 days notice.

Please Note: For School Age programs 60 days notice is required for the following withdrawal dates;

• June 30
• July 31
• August 31

For both Burnaby Mountain and Sapperton programs:

• Weekends
• Statutory holidays (or in lieu) including Easter Monday and Boxing Day.
• A 3-day closure between December 27 and 31 coinciding with the SFU closure on the same days.  
• Please see the Holidays list for the full list.

The enrollment administrator will provide information on how to obtain 20-minute parking privileges for drop-off and pick-up purposes.

An Enrollment Change Request form is available on the Parent Resources page. Or you may make this request via email: ccsinfo@sfu.ca. A decrease or increase of days is not automatic; it will depend on space availability. 

You only need to apply one time for infant/toddler or 3–5-year spaces. 

For the school age external waitlist, you need to apply when you have a confirmed space in one of the following three schools we serve:

1. University Highlands Elementary School
2. Armstrong Elementrary School
3. Seaforth Elementary School

Your payment by direct debit is due on the first day of the month of attendance. Please note the direct debit from your account will typically be processed 3 -5 days prior to the 1st of each month. It will come out of your account on the 1st or the next business day.

The fee is for the entire month irrespective of attendance. If you have accepted a space, you are responsible for paying for the full month.

We follow the recommended healthy food choices from the updated Canada's Food Guide as well as our Nutrition Policy. Lunch and snacks at SFU Childcare are intended to compliment the meals that children receive at home.

Our Chef, Brad Janes, has obtained his Red Seal certification. The Red Seal Program is recognized as the interprovincial standard of excellence in the skilled trades and is the highest level of government certified endorsement available. As a Red Seal chef, education on menu planning and nutrition has been incorporated into the many thousands of hours of training and supervised practical experience necessary to obtain this recognition. We feel very fortunate to have the benefit of his experience, knowledge, and expertise.

The food program is offered as a complimentary service to parents. We do not charge extra for this service and there is no opt-in or out option related to the fees. This means there are no cost savings for any child who does not participate in the program. Breakfast is not served but lunch and snacks are provided (lunch is provided in Infant/Toddler & 3-5 programs only).  Offering parents the convenience of a lunch program is simply one of the benefits associated with attending SFUCCS and great value for money. 

If your child has allergies please inform the educators in your child’s program. Depending on the severity of the allergy, different options may be suggested to make sure that your child is kept safe. If your child has an allergy, please notify your program. Additionally, we ask that you email enrollment administrator (sfuccs@sfu.ca) with the details, your child’s full name, and the program you are in. This information will then be kept on your child’s file and your child’s program will notify our chef each month. This information follows your child to each program as they move through SFUCCS.  

Please also let us know of other dietary considerations (e.g., vegetarian, cultural, religious, lactose intolerant, or similar). When making food choices we do try to avoid common allergens, however it is important to be aware that we are not able to guarantee against cross-contamination. Depending on your child’s allergies, other arrangements may have to be made for your child’s food other than participating in the lunch program. We rotate menu items to create variety for children attending part time. The menu identifies possible allergies. Additionally, almost all foods that are served at SFUCCS have trace amounts of peanuts. Unless the packaging states otherwise most food products cannot claim to be made or packaged in a peanut free zone (e.g., cereals, cookies, pastas, whole grain bread products, etc.). 

Portion size is set by what is recommended by dieticians. Educators in the programs have been given instruction on what a typical serving size should look like and contain. However, our childcare licensing regulations clearly state that it is the child who decides when they are no longer hungry; the educator does not put limitations on how much a child may eat. If the child requests more food we are obliged by childcare licensing regulations to offer it to them.

Sometimes. All breads, loaves, and baked goods – other than the focaccia and French rolls, are made from rye, bran, or most commonly, whole wheat. The only white flour used is for focaccia bread which is served occasionally. For example, the dinner buns are whole wheat, and the pancakes are whole grain. The rice that we serve is not plain white, it is either white jasmine or basmati. 

On the Parent Resources page of our website, there is a link to the current week’s menu.  Parents can check the menu for the week and decide if they would like to send extra or alternate food to their program for their child as well as think about dinner plans for the week that work well with what their child has already eaten for the day. Each program has a binder with common menu items which have ingredient lists for the educators and parents.

The pasta is in fact semolina durum pasta rather than plain white pasta. In the past, we did try to serve whole wheat pasta but unfortunately most children refused to eat it, and the food ended up in the garbage. Parents felt disappointed that their children would come home hungry. For these reasons, we switched back to durum semolina pasta as a more realistic alternative that still offers a high nutritional value since it is a whole grain. 

Fast Facts: 

• Durum wheat is valued for its high protein content and is most well-known for its use in pasta. 
• Durum wheat is a coarsely ground whole grain but is not as dark as something labelled ‘whole wheat’. Whole wheat of any variety is wheat that contains all three parts of the wheat grain – germ, bran, and endosperm. Whole wheat, whether it is durum or another variety, is more nutritious than its refined counterparts. 

Over time, and with trial and error, we have worked to find a balance between the maximum nutritional density of the foods and finding foods that the children will enjoy. Although we strive to help children have the most nutritious food options possible, we have noted certain things. For example, children tend to enjoy bread that is softer. Buns made from harder grains are harder to chew, especially for younger children, and therefore do not get eaten.

Carbohydrates are divided into two types, simple and complex. The classification is based on the chemical structure and reflects how quickly they are digested and absorbed. Simple carbohydrates are often considered simple sugars and are chemically made of one or two sugars. Simple carbs are absorbed quickly and increase the glucose level in the blood quickly. A simple sugar could be just what the name implies -the sugar in your sugar bowl - but is also included in foods such as fruit and milk. However, fruit or milk are better sources of simple carbohydrates because they contain vitamins and fiber, and also important nutrients that your body needs, like calcium.

Complex carbohydrates are made of three or more linked sugars. Whole grains, bread or pasta made from less processed grains, as well as oatmeal and rice are complex carbohydrates. Also, some vegetables like broccoli, corn, and legumes such as kidney beans and chickpeas are considered complex carbohydrates. They take the longest to digest and therefore do not raise the glucose level in the blood to the same extent but, as a result, do not give a person the quicker shot of energy that simple carbohydrates provide. Instead, due to their slower digestion rate, complex carbohydrates offer a more slowly accessible but longer lasting energy boost for the body. 

Source: "Carbohydrates." Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source. 2006. Harvard School of Public Health. 29 Nov 2006  

Items like jam and sugar are used and ordered in moderation. A small container is meant to last for a significant amount of time. Educators know that sweeteners are meant to be limited and make an effort to only allow small portion sizes. As well, sugars are decreased by providing plain yogurt and fruit as a snack as opposed to flavored yogurt that tends to be sweetened, or having apple sauce does not jam as a topping for pancakes. 

We realize that kids love treats, but these types of items are meant to only be served in small quantities. The amount of sugar in individual foods and in the overall meal plan is something we continue to monitor. 

Fifty percent of the food served for lunch is prepared in-house. (e.g., soups and pasta). When preparing food in house our chef considers the following: 

1. we purchase fresh fruits and vegetables 
2. local ingredients when possible 
3. best quality seasonal items when possible 

We purchase prepackaged food where we do not have the capacity to prepare it in-house. When purchasing prepackaged food our chef considers the following: 

1. sugar and salt content is kept as low as possible 
2. meat items we serve are simply, meat 
3. We try to purchase products with the least number of preservatives/additives within the budget 

On the Parent Resources page of our website, there is a link to the current week’s menu.  Parents can check the menu for the week and decide if they would like to send extra or alternate food to their program for their child as well as think about dinner plans for the week that work well with what their child has already eaten for the day. Each program has a binder with common menu items which have ingredient lists for the educators and parents.

We are always evolving and open to trying new options within the limitations that have been outlined. We are willing to try new things but if they don’t work, children won’t eat them, or if there are other problems, then we are forced to either try something new or go back to the options we have offered previously. Our Chef works closely with our suppliers to find new options for food choices that work for SFUCCS and its members. Also, feedback from families, children, and the staff is incorporated into the decisions we make regarding the meal plan. Menus are also influenced by seasonal choices.

We do our best to accommodate the needs of as many people as possible. It should be kept in mind that specific needs must be considered in the context of the needs of the wider community and the limitations that we have outlined above. This said, if there are ideas that people have regarding the replacement of a food item with one that compares in terms of nutrition, price, and prep time, we welcome these suggestions. We are happy to address any concerns on a one-on-one basis and will always take the time to speak with parents individually. Please contact your Senior Educator and/or Program Director for more information on our food program. 

 It’s a contract between the SFU Childcare Society (SFUCCS) and the BC Government and Services Employees’ Union (BCGEU) local. The agreement specifies the terms and conditions of employment (e.g., wage scale, benefits, working conditions for our childcare educators) and management rights. It also specifies a grievance process for resolving any dispute between educators and the employer (SFUCCS) regarding interpretation or application of the collective agreement. You can read our 2015-2019 collective agreement on the BCGEU website: http://former.bcgeu.ca/sites/default/files/colle ctive-agreements/03031919.pdf

The SFUCCS Board forms the Bargaining Liaison Committee (BLC), whose members are officers of the Board who provide finance, sustainability, and communications expertise. The Board at large is kept informed of major developments but is not directly involved until there is an agreement on which to vote.

At the negotiating table, unionized SFUCCS educators are represented by a negotiator appointed by the provincial BCGEU office and a bargaining committee comprised of three educators elected by their peers.

SFUCCS is represented by a negotiating team comprised of our Executive Director and a Program Director(s), with support from a labour negotiator or lawyer as needed, and a note taker.

All updates will be sent out from the Executive Director via email and will also be posted onto our website: SFU Childcare Please direct any questions or comments regarding the bargaining process to the Executive via phone (778-782-3226) or email (ccsadmin@sfu.ca). Asking educators questions about the bargaining process can put them in a difficult position due to union confidentiality. In order to support the educators during this process, they have been advised to direct any questions to the Executive Director.

“Enrollment” means any combination of full-time and part-time care that ensures that each licensed space within a program is filled on a full-time or full-time equivalent basis. A child shall be considered to be enrolled in a program upon signing of the parent agreement.

Transitioning from one age group to another is also Enrollment. This “Date of Enrollment” means the first day of the month the child starts attending a new program. If a child’s enrollment in SFUCCS is not continuous, the most recent date of enrollment will be considered the date of enrollment for priority purposes.

“School Age” means care for children attending the designated elementary schools from kindergarten to grade 7.  All School Age spaces are for Full-Time Care (5 days/week) only. They are not drop-in or part-time spaces.

To retain a School Age space, the minimum attendance should be a combination of three afternoons and mornings per week for a minimum of 2 hours per day on average, unless the child is on vacation or unwell. Should attendance drop below this on a regular basis, SFUCCS will contact the family to discuss continued eligibility for a Full-Time Care space.

“SFUCCS Staff Families” means the families of a current permanent full or part-time employee of SFUCCS. SFUCCS staff does not include temporary or on-call staff.

“Non-SFU Families” (wider community families) means those families, including SFU Alumni, who are not SFUCCS Staff Families, SFU Families or UniverCity Families.

“Full-Time Care” means the provision of care five days a week, regardless of whether or not the child attends each day or portion thereof. The child is expected to start attending in the month of Enrollment. If, for some reason, this is not possible, the Parent must inform the enrollment administrator at the time of Enrollment. Each such case will be assessed case by case as we do not encourage holding spaces for children who do not attend (see 6.1).

“Part-Time Care” means the provision of care less than five days a week.

“SFU Families” means the families of current students, staff, faculty and contract service workers of SFU Burnaby, who are included in the SFU Living Wage and Campus Benefit Program where their contract meets the eligibility criteria of the program.

“UniverCity Families” means the families of current residents in the UniverCity residential development on the east side of the SFU campus.

“Seaforth and Armstrong Families” in the Sapperton childcare site are those families whose child/ren attend Seaforth Elementary and Armstrong Elementary schools and have priority in the Sapperton school age programs as per the agreement with School District 41.