Welcome to Kids Come First school age programs. We are excited to meet you and are looking forward to the upcoming school year! For those of you who are returning we look forward to seeing you again.
Operators/Directors: Laura-Lee Kowal & Juli McManus Office Phone- 403 241-3052
Program Phone Numbers: Program Directors:
Banff Trail 403 220-1797 Dora Galdi/Hayan Jeon
Cambrian Heights 403 289-4466 Erin Burnie /Michelle Lim
Highwood –403 861-1615 Shiyu Zhuang/Salvador Balauag
Hawkwood – 403-701-3606 Emilse Ortega/Maria Garcia
Evanston – 587-228-4797 Kelsey Bridgett
Bowcroft-587-578-1557 Keiko Sato/Shelley Fox
Catherine Nichols Gunn 587-226-6408 Britt Stothert/Kecen Shi
North Haven 403 990-5099 Joey Tan
Please contact your director with any questions you may have.
Website: www.childrencomefirst.ca
You will find useful information about our programs, including monthly newsletters, parent handbooks, and general information about the program. Help us save paper and explore our website.
Email Address: kcf93@telus.net Emails are checked frequently and addressed in a timely manner. When emailing, please ensure that you state your child’s name and program. Please do not email if your child will be absent. You must call the program directly!
Pick-ups and Drop offs– All locations are locked and parents are required to ring the Kids Come First doorbell to access the program. An educator will greet you and your child at the door. Children need to be signed in and out daily by their parents.
Sick children cannot attend the program. If your child requires medication to be taken at the program, please see a staff. Medication release forms are mandatory and must be completed in full before an educator may administer any medication. Medication cannot be sent in your child’s back pack or lunch kit. Call us if your child is not attending. All programs have voicemail which is checked during business hours. Do not email if your child is not attending!
Meet and Greet – Program open houses – Wednesday August 31 – 4pm-5pm except for CNG which operates on a modified calendar. It’s your opportunity to meet the staff and see the programs!
First day of school: Let us know if your child will attend the first day of our program. All new children need to meet our educators prior to school starting. Please come to the school and ring our door bell. An educator will meet you and your child at the door. All new children to the program will be asked to wear a Kids Come First wrist band as a reminder that they’ll attend our program. If your child will not attend the first day, please call the program directly.
Kindergarten Children: First day of care is the first day of school.
Kinder programs – Children will be walked to and from their class by our educators.
Kinder Lunch Program & Snacks (programs that offer lunch care): Please refrain from sending your child’s lunch in a grocery bag. Microwave lunches are permitted at Highwood Kinder, Cambrian Kinder, Bowcroft Kinder, Banff Trail and North Haven Kinder. Provincial licensing recommends 4 food groups in your child’s lunch. Many “lunch-ables” and pre- packaged processed foods (i.e., chicken nuggets with fries, lunchables and canned pasta) are not healthy and should not be sent. Pop is not permitted. Be sure to send your child with healthy snacks for the mornings and afternoons. Snacks are not provided by the program.
Non School Days and School Breaks are not included in your monthly fees. A fee of $30/day will be charged to offset the extra staffing hours. The deadline to sign up will be 2 weeks prior to the non-school day. If you do not sign up and pay the $30 fee, we will assume you do not need the spot for that day; the deadline will be posted and kept!!! Friday early dismissals are included in your monthly fees. Payment method : E -transfer ( noting child’s name/location) or cash.
Monthly Fees:
Fees are due on the first of each month. Kids Come First will accept pre-authorized debit or cash only. Your PAD form and void cheque/account information for electronic funds transfer needs to be submitted by June 6. Fees will be debited on the first of each month. Transactions that are NSF will incur a charge of $20.00. We will contact you to pick a date to debit your account again, separately or cash may be paid directly to the program.
Parents paying fees after the first are subject to a $10.00 late charge. Parents not paying fees on time may risk their child’s spot in the program. Repeat offenders may also be asked to leave the program.
School Age- Grade 1-6- AM or PM -$400 per month. AM and PM -$450 per month
Kindergarten Affordability Grant
This grant of $450.00 is available for kindergarten children who attend our program during school hours. Cambrian Heights, Highwood, Bowcroft, Banff Trail and North Haven kindergarten children qualify. Kindergarten Fees – $350.00 after the affordability grant. Kinder children who attend after school only with the school age children do not qualify for the grant! (Evanston, CNG, Hawkwood,)
Subsidy Parents: Ensure that your subsidy is up to date and that the location you choose is the proper program location. Subsidy is your contract with the province. We cannot contact subsidy on your behalf. If subsidy doesn’t cover the full amount, you are required to remit to the program the amount that wasn’t paid. We will require a copy of your subsidy as it lets us know start/end dates and your monthly amount. If you are a new applicant, make sure you complete the CRA consent form. This will help expedite your application.
(Monthly fees – subsidy amount = parent portion) Maximum subsidy for gr. 1-6 $366.00/ month. Kinder subsidy maximum is $366.00 for those children attend out of school time only, either before school or afterschool when the older children are dismissed. For those Kinder children who attend our program during and after school hours subsidy will pay a maximum of $ 266.00/month.
Late Arrival Fees:
There is a late fee of $1/ minute if you arrive after 6:00 pm. Please make alternate arrangements for your child’s pick up if you think you are going to be late. Those months where the weather can make commuting difficult, please ensure you give yourself sufficient time to arrive at the program by 6pm.
Files: All children’s files are to be reviewed and updated frequently. Changes to contact information, addresses, medical, emergency contacts must remain up to date.
Clothing: Children need to be dressed appropriately for the weather. All children are required to have indoor shoes. It is a licensing requirement. Belongings: Label all of your child’s belongings. Toys from home are permitted, however there is a risk of broken or lost toys!
Flight Curriculum – Our programs have begun the new Flight program which encourages a program plan directed by the children. Children are encouraged to help develop, implement and review the program.
Kids Clubs
Encourage your child to be involved at Kids Come First by joining a Kids Club. Kids Club activities are planned by the children and educators.
Parent Participation
Parents are an integral part of the program. You are welcome to give suggestions regarding programming. You are also welcome to share your talents, traditions and culture during kids’ clubs and special events. Please see a staff if you’d like to participate!
Withdrawal Policy – Kids Come First requires 2 months written notice on the first of the month to withdraw from the program. Your pre-paid deposit will be refunded to you after your last months’ fees have cleared and your child has finished the program. Subsidy parents deposit will be held until the subsidy program has paid for the last month of care and the child has been terminated by subsidy. Take note: subsidy pays actual hours for the first and last months of care. If your child does not attend the full 50 hours required for grade 1-6 or kinder hours of 100 for the last month, fees for that month will be pro-rated, hence incurring an extra fee paid by you to the program. If you withdraw without adequate notice, you will be required to pay the fees owing for early cancellation and you will forfeit your deposit.
After Hours Emergency Number: Call 403.241.3052
Suggestions, Comments: Kids Come First are happy to hear from our clients. If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please address them to the director. You may also email Laura Lee/Juli @ kcf93@telus.net or call 403 241-3052. Please refrain from approaching the school administrators with questions regarding the program. The school administrators are not up to date on best practices in the school age child care field nor are they aware of our policies and procedures.
Kids come First does not operate a summer program. Our last day of operation for this school year is Tuesday June 28. If you need to contact us during the summer, email is the preferred method.
We are looking forward to a great year! Please feel free to speak/email us or the Program Directors during business hours.
Kindest regards,
Juli & Laura-Lee
Children Come First Dates to Remember 2022/2023 Traditional Calendar
2022
September 1- School starts for CBE, all school age programs resume
September 5-Labour Day- Closed Care not permitted
September 23 – CBE No school – non-instruction day
September 30 – CBE No school -National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – Care not permitted
October 10- Thanksgiving Day / Closed Care not permitted
October 28- CBE No school – non-instruction day
November 11 –Remembrance Day – We’re closed Care not permitted
November 25- CBE No school – non-instruction day
Dec. 22 – Last Day of school
Dec 23– Care provided, location TBA
December 26 – December 30, 2022 Winter Break / Kids Come First is closed Care not permitted
2023
January 2- We’re closed in lieu of New Year’s Day Care not permitted
January 3-6, 2022 – Winter Break Location TBA
January 9 – School Resumes, all programs open
February 3- CBE No school – non-instruction day
February 16 -17, – Teacher’s Convention – no school-Open @ TBA
February 20 – Family Day / Closed Care not permitted
March 10- CBE No school – non-instruction day
Mar 24- last day of classes CBE
Mar 27- TBA
CBE Spring Break March 28- 31
April 3-Classes resume
April 7 / 10- we’re closed for Good Friday and Easter Monday Care not permitted
May 22 – Victoria Day – we’re closed Care not permitted
May 27- CBE No school – non-instruction day
June 9- CBE No school – non-instruction day
June 29- CBE last day of classes and last day of the program until school resumes.
Note – Dates Subject to change
July and August – Closed for Summer Break – Email kcf93@telus.net if you need to contact us!
Children Come First Dates to Remember 2022/2023 Modified Calendar CNGunn
2022
August 15- School starts for CNGunn, school age program resumes
September 5-Labour Day- Closed – Care not permitted
September 23 – CBE No school – non-instruction day
September 30 – CBE No school -National Day for Truth and Reconciliation- Care not permitted
October 10 – Thanksgiving Day – We’re closed – Care not permitted
October 11-14 School Break TBA
October 17- School Resumes
October 28- CBE No school – non-instruction day
November 11 –Remembrance Day – We’re closed – Care not permitted
November 25- CBE No school – non-instruction day
Dec. 22 – Last Day of school
Dec 23– Care provided, location TBA
December 26 – December 30, 2022 Winter Break / Kids Come First is closed
2023
January 2- Closed – in lieu of New Year’s Day – Care not permitted
January 3-13, 2021 – Winter Break Location TBA
January 16- School resumes
February 3 – CBE No school – non-instruction day
February 16 -17, – Teacher’s Convention Location TBA
February 20 – Family Day / Closed – Care not permitted
March 10- CBE No school – non-instruction day
March 24 Last Day of school
March 27 – TBA
Spring Break March 28- April 6
April 7/10- KCF closed – Care not permitted
April 11-School resumes
May 22 – Victoria Day – we’re closed – Care not permitted
May 29 – CBE No school – non-instruction day
June 9- CBE No school – non-instruction day
June 29 –last day of classes
June 30 – We’re closed
Note – Dates Subject to change
July (ALL) and August 1-12– Closed for Summer Break – Email kcf93@telus.net if you need to contact us!
