Financial Resources

How Subsidized Child Care Works

Subsidized childcare is available through specific licenced child care providers and funded Recreation Programs within the City of Kingston and the County of Frontenac. Our child care providers page shows providers with subsidies, and the City of Kingston's Community and Family Services, Childcare Programs can supply you with a complete listing of subsidized childcare programs.

Parents/guardians are responsible for contacting the centre of their choice to secure a space for their child. Each individual program manages their own waiting list for spaces and sets their policies regarding admission priority. This does not mean that you will necessarily be disadvantaged in any way on the waiting list, but different centres may use different policies to determine priority. As always, it is best to keep your name on more than one waiting list at a time.

Eligibility

Subsidies are available for children ranging in age from infant to twelve (12) years of age where the parent(s) is/are employed or enrolled in an educational or re-training program. Fees vary based on family income. Appointments are required to determine eligibility and level of assistance. Eligible hours of care are based on parent(s) hours of attendance in an education/training program and/or hours of employment.

To apply for subsidized child care you must:

be a Canadian citizen or a landed immigrant.
be a resident of the City of Kingston or the County of Frontenac.
file an income tax return annually to apply for and maintain eligibility.
bring your Federal Notice of Assessment (NOA) from the Canada Revenue Agency.

If you live outside of Kingston or the County of Frontenac (e.g. you commute to Queen's), you can still apply for subsidy, but you must do so at the designated office for your region.

Applying for Subsidized Child Care

Once you have selected several child care centres that suit your needs, you should consider whether you wish to apply for subsidized child care. If you desire a subsidy, you must make this clear at the centres to which you applied. Once you receive a space, the centre will send a Confirmation of Space form to Community and Family Services, Childcare Programs. Upon receipt of the Confirmation of Space form, Childcare Programs will contact you by telephone to book an appointment to determine eligibility for child care subsidy.

Please Note: When booking a child care subsidy appointment, please be aware that both the parent/guardian applying for subsidy and their spouse or partner are required to attend the appointment.

Childcare Programs is located at 362 Montreal Street, Main Floor. Please note that if you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment you will be asked to reschedule. Missed appointments and cancellations may affect your eligibility for subsidy.

Home visits can be arranged to assist those who may be in need of this service (hospital, disability etc).

At the scheduled appointment, all information relevant to the family’s circumstances is required. Childcare Programs will provide you with a list of the material they need, or you can read it online at the City of Kingston web site. Applications for subsidy will not be processed until ALL required information is received by Childcare Programs.

If you do qualify, you may receive either a full or partial subsidy. If you receive a full subsidy, no parent fee is charged. If you receive a partial subsidy, a parent fee will be charged. The exact amount you will receive is determined by an income test which takes into account your family's income and the number of hours spent working. Students should keep in mind that the number of days approved for child care subsidy will be based on your timetable (in class hours). However, if you can obtain proof of attendance for lab time, group projects, etc. from a professor then these hours may be eligible as well.

A reassessment appointment for child care subsidy, under normal circumstances, is mandatory every year with a file update within the year.

Even if you are uncertain about your eligibility for a subsidy, you should apply. There is no salary cap for subsidized child care; financial eligibility is based on your previous year's Notice of Assessment or Reassessment from the Canada Revenue Agency. In particular, students who receive OSAP are not necessarily ineligible for subsidized child care. The meetings to discuss eligibility are only an hour long. Even if you do not qualify, Childcare Programs may be able to refer you to other resources, such as free play groups, that could be of interest.

Other Financial Assistance

Queen's University Childcare Support Plans

The child care support benefit is available to eligible Queen's University faculty and staff. The benefit allows faculty and staff to claim child care expenses for reimbursement by the university. The principle features of the benefit are described on the Childcare Support Plan website. Questions can also be directed to the contact listed on the opening page of the plan website.

Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)

"Child-care funding may be available as part of your OSAP loan. You do not need a separate application form. Your loan is automatically calculated using the estimate of your child-care costs that you provided on your OSAP application.

A non-repayable bursary from the OSAP Child-Care Bursary Plan may be available if you have child care costs for three or more children. You must submit an OSAP Child-Care Bursary Application Form."

OSAP Website

More information is available at the Ontario Student Assistance Program web site.

Note that, in addition to the other required documentation, in two parent families where your partner is not employed nor a full-time student, you must attach a letter to your application explaining why child care is needed.

The Student Awards Office will also have OSAP forms on hand and can provide you with more information. They can be reached at 533-2216.

Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB)

This program, run by the federal government, provides tax-free monthly payments to eligible families with children under age 18. Most families are eligible for at least some funding. The degree of funding is based on the number of children you have, their ages, your family income, and on the income tax information of you and your spouse. You must file a return every year to receive the benefit, even if you have no income.

The application form for the CCTB should be completed as soon as your child is born since the government will pay retroactively claimed benefits for only the prior 11 months. The CCTB may include the National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS), an additional monthly benefit for low income families with children, and the Child Disability Benefit (CDB).

More information can be found at the National Child Benefit web site. There is also a Child Tax Benefit information line at 1-800-387-1193. Up-to-date information about the value of and eligibility for the CCTB and NCTB can be found at the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency.

Ontario Child Care Supplement for Working Families (OCCS)

The Ontario government also provides a monthly tax-free benefit to help with the costs of raising children under 7 years of age. Most families are eligible providing that they meet the financial need requirement (which is changed annually). In addition, it is worth noting that the child(ren) need not be in day care to claim the benefit.

The Ontario Ministry of Finance will send out application forms to families who are eligible based on information they receive in your application to the CCTB. More information is available at the Ontario Ministry of Finance web site, including a detailed information pamphlet. They can also be contacted at 1-877-533-2188.

The Child Care Expenses Deduction

The Child Care Expenses Deduction allows parents to claim some or all of the cost of child care on income tax. You may be able to claim this deduction if child care enabled you to earn income from employment, attend an educational institution (in most cases), or carry out research for which a grant was received. You will not qualify for this deduction if you are receiving a full subsidy for child care. For two parent families, usually the person with the lower income claims the deduction. The application form is updated each year. It can be found by searching the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency's website for "Child Care Expenses Deduction." In addition, you can contact Revenue Canada at 1-866-668-8297 for more information.

Ontario Works

If you are a single parent not receiving OSAP, contact the City of Kingston, Social Services (Ontario Works) at 546-2695 for information about assistance.

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