Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about registration, fees, our policies, or our programs?
Please see the information below before contacting us!
Registration
Registration is done online through our website. We do not accept registration in person or over the phone.
Please visit the Registration page of our website and read the documents provided and complete the online registration form. You will receive notice of the status of your registration (space available or waitlisted) within 2 business days.
Yes, annual registration is required. Children in grades 1-5 currently attending KidZinc will have access to priority registration before public registration opens. Incoming siblings can also be registered at this time. Space is not guaranteed for returning clients.
Kindergarten children attending KidZinc are required to register through public registration.
Once your registration form is submitted, we will notify you if space is available or if you have been placed on the waiting list.
Although each of our program have a licensed maximum capacity, there may be times where we are not able to register the program to full capacity.
Registration for the 2023-2024 school year opens to the public on March 7, 2023.
Registration opens in the early spring (late February-March) for the following school year.
Once registration opens for the year, it is ongoing until the following spring. Registration for the current school year is paused during the registration period for the upcoming year while, and will reopen depending on space availability.
Due to high demand at our programs, KidZinc does not offer drop-in or part time care.
KidZinc is not open during the summer; we only offer care during the school year. We open on the first day of school and close on June 30th.
KidZinc programs offer open houses to registered families in late summer, prior to the first day of school. In some cases, we are able to provide tour for Kindergarten families during the school Kindergarten Orientation evening.
Generally our programs are unable to provide tours. As our educators are expected to give their full attention to the children in the program, we are not able to accommodate tours during program hours. In addition, our programs operate out of shared spaces in schools or community groups that are in use by other groups or unavailable outside of our operating hours.
If you would like to speak with us regarding a tour, you can contact the head office at info@calgarykidzinc.ca.
Waiting Lists
When a spot becomes available to accommodate your child(ren), families will be contacted by email and will have three business days to respond and accept the space by paying the registration fee.
If no response is received, we will offer the space to the next family on the list.
KidZinc does not provide waiting list numbers. Children are placed on the waiting list in order of registrations received, but due to a variety of factors (sibling groups, school, grade) waiting lists may not move in order.
We are unable to speculate when a space becomes available, as generally spaces will only be available when a current family cancels care. Families are required to give one months notice of cancellation and we will contact the next eligible family at that time.
No. Waiting lists do not carry over from year to year. If you are interested in care for the next school year, please visit our website in early February for updated registration information, including public registration opening dates.
Once a waiting list reaches 50% of the program capacity, the waiting list will be closed to new applicants.
Fees
KidZinc charges an annual $100 registration fee to cover administrative costs. This fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
Monthly fees for the 2023-2024 school year are:
Grade 1-6
School days only: $490
Add PD day/non-school day care: $25
Kindergarten
School days only: $800-$825/month*
Add PD day/non-school day care, including CBE alternating Fridays off: $25
*Kindergarten students are eligible for the Childcare Affordability Grant, which will be finalized in April 2023. The parent portion will be $350-375 after the grant is applied. The final fee for the school year will be set by May 31, 2023.
For more information regarding our fees, please see our fee schedule at the top of the page.
Fees are processed on the 1st of the month. If the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday, fees are processed on the next business day.
Yes. Applications for child care subsidy can be made online through the Government of Alberta. Subsidized rates vary. Parents are responsible for providing KidZinc with a copy of the subsidy approval indicating the subsidized amount and for ensuring their status with the subsidy office is up to date.
Programs
School days
Monday – Thursday: 7:00am-6:00pm
Friday: 7:00am-5:30pm
Non-School Days (including PD days, kindergarten Fridays off, and Spring Break)
8:00am-5:00pm
Programs are closed during the school day while children attend classes.
KidZinc does not provide meals or snacks. On occasion, KidZinc may provide food as part of our programming (eg. for special events), and parents will be notified in advance and must grant permission for their child to participate.
KidZinc has implemented the Flight Curriculum Framework to plan emergent learning experiences based on the interests, skills, and needs of individual children in the program. For more information on the Flight Curriculum Framework, visit the website.
Each program uses the outdoor play space daily, so children should expect to be outside regularly and come prepared for the weather.
Children must have indoor shoes to keep in the program. These must be separate from the indoor shoes used for school. Each day children must bring weather-appropriate outerwear (eg: snow pants and coat in winter, hat in summer) and a water bottle.
Children who require emergency medication (eg. EPIPEN or inhaler) or daily medication (eg. prescription pills,
inhalers, etc.) are required to provide KidZinc with medication to keep on site.
Parents/Guardians must complete a medication authorization form and medication must be in the original container and is clearly labelled indicating medication name, dosage frequency and amount. Medication can not be expired, and prescription medication must have the child’s name on it (not shared between siblings). For safety reasons KidZinc staff cannot administer medication that contradicts the label instructions (i.e. cannot give children adult medication even with parental/guardian consent)
Please note that natural remedies (eg. vitamins), cough drops, and pain medication (Advil, Tylenol) are considered medication and the appropriate consent form must be signed, and can only be administered under the above guidelines.
All KidZinc educators have a valid first aid certification and a criminal record check, including a vulnerable sector search. All KidZinc educators are certified through the Child Care Staff Certification Office as a Level 1, 2, or 3 child care staff. Alberta Child Care Licensing requires at least 1 in 4 staff are certified as a Level 2 or 3, which requires a minimum of 1-year in a child development-specific program. In addition, a number of our educators have bachelors or masters degrees in a variety of other areas, including nursing, education, science, psychology, social work, and counselling.
KidZinc is licensed under the Alberta Early Learning and Child Care Act. This legislation provides guidelines ensuring the safety of all children in the program and confirming that that KidZinc meets the developmental, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of children in the program. KidZinc programs undergo regular, unannounced inspections from Alberta Child Care Licensing officers.
Additionally, KidZinc receives regular inspections from Alberta Health Services and the City of Calgary Fire Department to ensure that we meet health and safety regulations for licensed child care facilities.
No. Due to a variety of allergies and dietary restrictions, as well as our licensing regulations, we cannot accept food to share with other children in the program. We encourage parents to send non-edible treats (e.g. pencils, slime/playdough) for your child’s birthday celebration.