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McMaster Students Union

Child Care Centre

The Child Care Centre is a service of the McMaster Students Union which provides educational care for the McMaster student community as well as the community at large. Our staff functions as a team to ensure that every child feels relaxed and secure in their environment. The staff responds to each individual child’s needs while being sensitive to social, cultural or developmental differences. Children receive verbal encouragement and praise to inspire self-esteem and positive behaviour.

McMaster Students Union Child Care Centre is enrolled in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care System (CWELCC) to reduce fees for families. For more details, please contact Miranda Vanderveen, the centre Director.

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We are located at 1145 King Street West, Hamilton at the corner of King Street West and Haddon Avenue in Westdale.

Hours of Operation

Monday-Friday: 7:30am-6:00pm

Summer Hours (July-August)

Monday-Friday: 7:30am-5:30pm

The Centre provides a play-based, developmentally enriching program for children ages 18 months to 4 years old in an inclusive family-focused facility.

We provide an educational program incorporating the children’s needs and interests. Programming is planned to foster creativity, curiosity, independence, physical activity developing gross and fine motor skills, interaction, communication and respect for others. The program is based on the Ministry’s “How Does Learning Happen” document and the four Foundations of belonging, well-being, expression and engagement.

Our learning stations include:

  • dramatic play centre
  • sensory bin
  • block centre
  • creative materials
  • library centre
  • play-dough centre
  • science centre
  • gross motor skills
  • puzzle centre
  • shelf toy centre
  • carpentry area

Gathering times and small group activities enhance the program with stories, creative movement, songs, and hands on experiences.

Community building is encouraged through special events such as a family picnic in June, potluck supper in October and a holiday party in December.

The Centre is staffed by seven Registered Early Childhood Educators. The daily nutritious snacks are prepared on-site by a full-time cook. The centre also hires 6 McMaster Students as teacher’s assistants through the Ontario Works program on a part-time basis. All program staff have their Early Childhood Education Diplomas, are trained in First Aid and CPR, the Hanen Language program, and the ECERS (Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale).

The Centre also has a corporate membership to the professional resource centre – ASCY (Affiliated Services for Children and Youth)

The Centre’s first line clients are the children of McMaster undergraduate students. We also accept, on a priority basis, enrollment of children of graduate students, McMaster staff and faculty, and the community at large.

The MSU Child Care Centre application form is available in PDF & Word format by clicking the links below:

Child Care Application Form- PDF

Child Care Application Form- Word Doc

Completed applications can be emailed to: msuchildcare@msu.mcmaster.ca

FULL-TIME (5 days/wk)
Toddlers $ 593.02 / month
Preschoolers $ 500.72 / month
 
PART-TIME (3 days/wk)
Toddlers $ 355.81 / month
Preschoolers $ 300.43 / month
 
PART-TIME (2 days/wk)
Toddlers $ 237.21 / month
Preschoolers $ 200.29 / month

Registration Fee: $11.81

Please download our helpful Parent Handbook for new families as well as a reference for current families below.

MSU Childcare Centre Parent Handbook

The staff of the McMaster Students Union Day Care Centre is frequently complemented by Mohawk College students who are enrolled in Early Childhood Education, who participate in delivering the Centre’s program as part of their field placement. In addition, students looking to work as volunteers at the Centre as part of their co-op in Family Studies Programs or students from McMaster looking to volunteer are always welcomed.

For more information please contact us at: msuchildcare@msu.mcmaster.ca

Note: all volunteers must have a Vulnerable Sector Policy Check done in order to work at the centre.