Prior to registration, our School Supervisor will ensure that your child’s needs are clearly understood, so all necessary measures can be taken for a smooth and positive transition. From day one, every child at Tender Years receives individualized attention from experienced RECEs who are dedicated to student success and development.

Active Families

As a co-operative, we rely on our families to be actively engaged and assist us in running the centre, activities, and events (such as by serving on a committee or team). We welcome your involvement as an integral part of Tender Years and offer a discount on monthly fees for those interested in participating. Families can get up to $110 back on student fees each month for their participation in the centre ($22 per hour is earned for a maximum of 5 active hours per month).

Non-Active Families

Tender Years respects the fact that not every family is able to be actively involved with the centre and offers a limited number of spaces for non-active families. Please note that tuition will be higher for non-active families in order to reflect the contribution of active families.

Child Care Fee Subsidy

Should a family require fee assistance, they can apply with the Region of Peel. Full eligibility details and a child care fee subsidy estimator can be found at peelregion.ca/hsapply or by calling 905-793-9200.

You can find more details about Tender Years’ operations in our Parent Handbook.

Yes, there is a Non-Refundable registration base fee of $37.80, which is a one-time payment to reserve your child’s spot within a classroom. Upon registering, we collect the registration fee, a special events fee ($50.00) and the first and the last month payment. A General Meeting Deposit of $100.00 applies to active members ONLY, and it is refundable with a 30-day notice. While our preferred monthly method of payment at this time is by e-transfer or credit card, we will still accept payment by cheque. Tender Years will provide parents with more details and payment schedules upon registration.

Toddler classrooms are led by a minimum of one teacher with a diploma in Early Childhood Education and two teacher assistants. In preschool classrooms of 24 children, two teachers hold a diploma in Early Childhood Education and there is one teacher assistant. All staff members and volunteers are required to have Level C First-Aid & CPR, vulnerable sector checks and completed health assessments.

Tender Years believes that children deserve to be surrounded by knowledgeable and qualified educators. Adults, like children, deserve to have the opportunities to further their knowledge and expand on their career aspirations. Among other initiatives, Tender Years promotes and supports each staff’s professional development with a team lead specially hired to develop their skills, helping the RECEs to thrive in the classrooms.

At Tender Years, we understand that mealtime is as important as playtime to the kids’ development. Our menus are rotated on a four week cycle, which provides variety for all of our children. We offer fun, colourful and nutritious meals with milk, water, fruits and vegetables every day. Select programs offer two healthy snacks and a hot lunch catered by Yummy Catering, and Tender Years is happy to accommodate certain dietary needs/restrictions in our allergy sensitive and nut-free environment.

Our child-centred approach to learning includes time both indoors and outdoors in our two enclosed playground areas, one specifically designed and designated for our toddlers and a second for our preschool and kindergarten classes. Each classroom is allotted at least 2 hours of outdoor play per day. Each playground is equipped with a different variety of interactive equipment to promote physical activity and gross motor development.

At Tender Years, we believe that we can help children with self-control, self-esteem and positive behaviour by providing enriched programs, a safe environment, interactive materials and positive role models in each of our classrooms. We do not condone timeouts or the raising of voices in our classrooms. Teachers address inappropriate behaviour in children by bringing themselves to the level of the child and speaking to them in a calm voice about their actions. The teachers then positively redirect the child to another activity.

In the unlikely and unfortunate event that you need to withdraw your child from Tender Years, a minimum of 30 days written notice is required in order to avoid payment for the following month. Monthly fees are refundable with the exception of the non-refundable registration fee. The General Meeting deposit is refundable in full or in part dependent on the time of withdrawal and the number of general meetings attended.

In the case of prolonged illness or absenteeism (i.e. vacations), a place will be held in the centre as long as fees are paid and the parents fulfill their co-operative agreement.