Preschool Child Care
Full day programs for children aged 30 months – 3.6 years.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 7am until 6pm
Locations Across Hamilton
We operate full day early learning and child care centres for infant, toddler and preschool children, as well as before and after school programs for kindergarten and school age children. All Umbrella programs are located within Hamilton Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) facilities.
Play-based early learning
Research tells us that children learn best through play, especially in the early years. Our play-based preschool programs provide children with rich and diverse opportunities to learn through play. This encourages children to engage in their environments with curiosity and to explore at their own pace. The materials and experiences offered to children provide them with endless possibilities to build on existing knowledge and skills and learn new information from the environments as well as from others.
I couldn't be any happier with our experience! The kids absolutely love the staff and friends they have made. The meals are exceptional and healthy. I would highly recommend Umbrella to anyone!!
Umbrella Parent
We use Storypark to involve you in your child’s learning journey.
The Storypark app allows educators to communicate with individual families, send messages to groups and share information about children’s daily routines. Most importantly, they can share stories highlighting the incredible play-based learning experiences that children engage in throughout the day.
How can I enroll my child?
The first step is to visit our online portal and enter your care request. The portal will show you the locations that are closest to your address for the program/age you need for your child.
Subsidy accepted here :)
Families can apply for Child Care Fee Subsidy through the City of Hamilton, which helps with the cost of licensed child care. Families may continue to be responsible for a daily fee, but the amount is based on the individual circumstances of the family.
FAQ
The first step is to visit our online portal and enter your care request (program, start date, etc.)
Once your request is received, staff will get back to you regarding availability and next steps. (This process also is how you are added to our waitlist.)
When a child care space in our programs is offered and accepted, families must complete the full registration package (provided by the centre) and pay a non-refundable administrative fee, of $50.00 per child.
A date will be set up for a play visit. During the visit, educators will have an opportunity to observe your child interacting with others and provide you with information to determine the level of support the child may require in adjusting to the program.
After the child has been attending for six weeks, an opportunity will be provided for the Supervisor, staff member(s) and parents/guardians to discuss the child’s adjustment to the program. This provides both parties with an opportunity to ask questions, share information and ideas, and determine whether the centre is able to meet the child and his/her family’s needs.
When all spaces in Umbrella Family and Child Centres (UFCC) are full, UFCC is committed to maintaining a wait list that ensures respect for each family and maintains their confidentiality. This is done in a fair, equitable and transparent manner. Parents may request information as to their child’s position on the wait list at any time from the site’s Supervisor.
In accordance with the Collective Agreement between UFCC and CUPE Local 3491, priority is given to employees’ children on the wait list. Whenever possible, priority is also given to siblings of children already registered in a UFCC program or to children transferring from one UFCC program to another.
UFCC does not request or require a fee or deposit from families for placement on the wait list.
Umbrella’s child care centres are located throughout the Greater Hamilton Area and are operated within Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board schools. Please visit our Locations page for a full list of centres and the programs offered.
Our current fees and a schedule of upcoming payments can be found here.
The City of Hamilton (Public Health and Social Services Department) provides child care subsidies to eligible families, depending on a number of variables. In order to obtain child care subsidy, parents must schedule an appointment with the Child Care Subsidy department, where they will be asked a number of questions to determine their eligibility. Parents may continue to be responsible for a daily fee, but it is based on the individual circumstances of the family. For more information, please click here.
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