Info For Existing Families

Click here to learn all about Compass ELC

Frequently Asked Questions

What is your approach to child care?

Please read our Program Statement

Most of the questions below can also be found in the Parent Handbook.

Billing:

How do I make a payment? 

We encourage you to sign up for our Parent Portal. This allows you to view the details of your child’s care and gives you access to all of your invoices and bills. In the Settings Tab, you can enter your credit card number to make a payment from wherever you are!

If you wish for this method to automatically withdraw funds from your account, speak to your program supervisor.

We also take your payment over the phone! Just have your credit card ready.

Any further discussion about payment methods can be brought to your program supervisor.

When is my bill due?

Our billing is completed bi-weekly (1st – 15th  and 16th – end of the month). That being said, we do calculate based on the calendar date. Depending on where the beginning of the week falls, your invoiced amount may vary due to the number of days you would need care during that time period. If you have any further billing inquiries, contact your program lead. 

Do I get billed when my child is absent from program (ex. Sick, vacation, Stat Holidays, etc.)?

Compass is a not-for-profit organization and we do our best to keep our childcare fees as low as possible. We base our staff wages, nutritional purchases and rental agreements on the number of children scheduled to be in each room. Since we want to make sure that your money is going to the elements that bring quality to your child’s care, our fees must reflect the child’s agreed upon schedule. If a child is gone on vacation on a day that they would normally be in care, the money has already been allotted to the supplies needed for that child; therefore, the family must be invoiced for that day.

In the spirit of transparency, please view the infographic below that demonstrates exactly where your money goes.

If there are any extenuating circumstances that require you to change your payment schedule, please contact your program lead to discuss your options.

Why do I need to pay a security deposit?

Our security deposits include a registration fee of $40/family, plus a calculation of two weeks of your child’s care. Similar to your first and last month’s rent, your security deposit will be applied to your final invoice once you choose to remove your child from our care. If your security deposit was not applied, please contact your program lead and we will send you’re the refunded amount.

Affordability

Is there any discount or service that lowers my fees?

Here at Compass, we work very closely with the Social Service departments in the regions we operate within. It is our goal to work with our community in order to build a system that supports all families, including child care subsidies. Please contact your local Social Services Representative to find out if you qualify for subsidy, or read more below for more information.

What is Child Care Subsidy.

Do you have a child or children under the age of 13 who requires licensed child care because you are working, attending school or training?

Do you or your child have special needs?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above, you may be eligible for the Child Care Fee Subsidy.

For more information please contact the following community social service office in the community in which you live:

City or County of Peterborough

City of Kawartha Lakes or Haliburton County

Durham Region

Finding Child Care

Child Care Waitlist

CELC values opportunities to engage with families, share our work and have children live in our environments to ensure this is the right fit for you and your child. Waiting lists for families requesting child care is maintained by each municipality or program when child care spaces are not available. We encourage families to sign up to their regional Child Care Waitlist Registry (in Peterborough City/County or City of Kawartha Lakes,) or to contact the program they wish for their child to attend (Durham, Haliburton, Northumberland regions).

When a space becomes available, the first family on the list who meets the criteria is contacted by email and telephone.

For more details about our wait list and to view our wait list policy, please click here.

Weather

Do children still go outside in bad weather? 

We believe that “there is no bad weather, only bad clothing”.

Please provide your child with weather-appropriate clothing, as we invite children to play and explore outside on a daily basis as part of our holistic approach to experiential learning. If this is a barrier to your child’s participation, please let us know.

Frequently Requested Forms

You can find some of our most requested forms here.

If you require any other forms, please contact us here.

If you have any other concerns about our policies or procedures, see our Parent Handbook.