September 27th, 2024

The Waterloo Region District School Board is committed to providing high quality and affordable before and after school programs (Extended Day).

In the 2024-25 school year, the WRDSB has seen a significant increase in interest in our programming and the demand continues to exceed the number of spaces available. The reduction in fees for child care programs as a result of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Program (CWELCC) has led to an increase in demand for child care across the entire province.

As of September 19, 5,809 children have registered in WRDSB Before and After School programs for the 2024-25 school year. This represents an increase of 1,665 students (40.2%) compared to the 2023-24 school year.

We continue to work with the online registration vendor, OneHSN, to process all requests and communications with families in a timely manner. We are working with the vendor to resume normal processes (schedule changes, new registrations). This is subject to quality assurance testing which is ongoing.

We recognize that some WRDSB families will continue to be placed on waitlists until a space opens up. The process for those on the waitlist is guided by the Extended Day Program Wait List Policy and Procedures.

The priority for registration is always based on the date and time it is received. Families and caregivers are required to re-register each year. This practice has been in place since 2010. As we always do, we will be evaluating our current practices to determine whether there is an opportunity to streamline the registration process for families moving forward.

WRDSB uses a pre-registration sign-up method to estimate demand for our programs. Pre-registration for Extended Day occurs between January and April each year, which provides us with a crucial planning tool to gauge demand and assess where resources are needed. However, it is important to note that pre-registration does not guarantee placement, as program viability is dependent on staffing levels and the number of interested families. While we closely monitor enrolment, a number of constraints (staffing, facilities and budget) remain a barrier to expanding our programs.

We will continue to look for opportunities to increase programs, as staffing and facility constraints allow. WRDSB is proud to have led the way provincially with providing this before and after school care for families. Our commitment has always been and continues to be to provide high quality and affordable child care to support our families.

Learn more information about Before and After School Programs.

Read Extended Day Programs – Frequently Asked Questions.

2024-25 Extended Day Registration Process

At the start of the school year, the vendor used for processing Extended Day registration applications, OneHSN, experienced technical difficulties which resulted in delays and disruptions for families and caregivers. The technical issues that affected families in August have since been resolved, but some functionality remains unavailable (schedule changes, new registrations) as the vendor works through their testing process. The WRDSB apologizes for the frustration and inconvenience this caused. We understand the importance of families having reliable and affordable access to before and after school programs.

Communications about the technical issues were shared with families and caregivers on June 17, June 26, July 31 and August 28.

We remain committed to providing the excellent child care service that families have come to expect from the WRDSB. We are working closely with OneHSN to ensure that the errors experienced this summer are not repeated.

Since September 2022, all WRDSB-operated Before & After School programs have operated as licensed child care programs under the Child Care and Early Years Act.