Is the community waitlist application open?
No. We are only accepting waitlist applications from individuals who are actively connected to TRU as a student, staff or faculty member or will be by the time their child needs daycare. It is the same for Beyond the Bell, children must be attending, or expect to be attending, South Sa-Hali Elementary School when they need out of school care.
When should I register my childcare needs with Cariboo?
You are welcome to add your name to our waitlist as soon as you know you will be needing childcare.
We encourage everyone to register their childcare needs with multiple community facilities as the demand for care far outweighs our available spaces.
How do I know which program I should waitlist my child for?
- Cariboo Child Care holds space for children whose parents/guardians are Thompson Rivers University students, staff or faculty. Care is provided to children aged 2 months to five years old.
- Beyond the Bell After School Program holds space for children attending South Sa-Hali Elementary School only. Children younger than kindergarten age are not old enough to attend this program.
How do I put my child’s name on a waitlist?
To waitlist your child for Cariboo Child Care or Beyond the Bell please go to our ‘Program Information’ page and complete the waitlist application form there.
Is my child guaranteed a space if they are waitlisted?
No, demand for care far outweighs available places. Please register with other community centers as well as ours.
How does Cariboo allocate places?
When places become available consideration is given to:
- the age of the child
- availability of places for the child to move into the next age category of care
- siblings already attending
- time spent on the wait list
- program eligibility criteria (parent status at TRU or child’s enrollment at South Sa-Hali)
Families best matching these criteria are invited to interview with their child.
After interviewing, if we are confident that our childcare philosophy aligns with a families care requirements we will reach out by email to offer a space.
Will my child’s space be theirs until they graduate the program?
Yes, when we offer a place to a child we anticipate they will remain with us until they graduate from our center. Occasionally we provide temporary, short term places at Cariboo for children aged between three and five years old. These are typically for the months of January through May.
Children graduating from Cariboo Child Care are not automatically awarded a place at Beyond the Bell.
Can I visit the center while I am on the waitlist?
As part of the interview process families will have the opportunity to visit our center and meet staff. We are unable to provide tours before then.