Child Care Fee Subsidy Program

Fee subsidy supports eligible families with the cost of child care expenses by paying a portion of the total cost, as funding permits.

Use the Child Care Fee Subsidy calculator see what your daily parent fee could be.

Children's Services Portal

The City of London is updating its Children's Services Portal to support safe and secure communications about your fee subsidy account on January 1, 2024.

By creating an account on the Children's Services Portal you will be able to:

• safely and securely upload your personal documents,
• communicate with your Community Support Associate (CSA), and
• make changes to your account including contact and address information.

If you applied for child care fee subsidy after June 2021, your Children's Services Portal account was created when you applied.

If you received child care fee subsidy before June 2021, you will need to create a Children's Services Portal account.

Please Note: If you had Child Care Fee Subsidy in the past, and require subsidy again, please send a message, along with updated documentation through the Children’s Services Portal . As of January 1, 2024 your Community Support Associate no longer be accepts documents or communications via email. All communication and documents are required to go through the Children's Services Portal.

Create child care account

Select "Sign In" in the top right corner of screen.

Select the "Create An Account" command.

Complete the required information (first & last name, date of birth, email and password) and select the "create account" button.

Shortly after, you will receive a confirmation email from Children's Services Portal account. Sign into your email, find the message from Children's Services Portal account and click the link within the email to confirm your account.

After confirming your account, you will automatically be redirected to the sign in page of Children's Services Portal account.

Updating address & phone number

The Children's Services Portal account allows you to quick and conveniently update your address and phone number.

You can update your information in your Children's Services Portal account by following the steps below:

Select the person icon and and then select the "profile" from the drop-down menu.

Select the "update address" or "update phone" to make the required changes.

Complete the required changes and select the "submit" button.

You will receive a confirmation message when your address/phone number change is successful.

Uploading documents

The Children's Services Portal account provides a convenient, safe, and secure way to send messages and upload documents to your Community Support Associate. These documents are required to determine eligibility for Child Care Fee Subsidy.

Before you upload any documents:

• Ensure documents are clear and legible - no blurred photos - and all required information and pages are included.
• Make sure the file or files you want to upload do not exceed 4MB.
• Allowed file types - PDF(.pdf), JPG (.jft jfif, .jif, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg)

You can upload to your Children's Services Portal account by following the below steps:

Select the "Sign In" in the top right corner of the screen.

Select the "New Message" button

Complete the "title" and "body" sections.

Select "Add Message" button

From this screen you have the option to upload a document by selecting the "select files" button.

Choose the file you would like to upload and select the "open" button.

You will now receive a message to show your file was successfully uploaded.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I communicate with my Community Support Associate when I have a question about my subsidy?

• Utilize the Children's Services Portal to ask your question.
• Call your Community Support Associate at their extension or via the general phone line at 519-661-4834.
• Visit the office at Citi Plaza to speak directly with a Community Support Associate.
• Please note that sensitive information can not be sent via email.

What do I do if I can't remember my password?

• Click on the "Forget Password" link in the 'sign in' window of the Children's Services Portal.

• Enter the email associated with your account and follow the instructions in the email to reset your password.

I'm trying to upload a document but it won't accept it. What should I do?

• Ensure your document meets the Children's Services Portal requirements.
• Check the file type. Only .jfi, .jfif, .jif, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg, .pdf are accepted.
• Ensure the file size is within the limit. Maximum file size allowed is 4MB.

Can I inquire about my subsidy through email if I don't want to use the Children's Services Portal?

We are unable to send sensitive information through email, however; you are able to:

• Use your Community Support Associate at their extension or call 519-661-4834 to connect with the team.
• Visit the office at Citi Plaza to speak with a CSA in person.
• Receive information via mail.

Applying online is the fastest way to find out if you qualify for fee subsidy.

Please note that:

• If you are applying online, it is your responsibility to submit all required documents to our office as outlined on the application form. Our office will not contact you for your documents.
• If you are leaving OW/ODSP, please indicate this on the application form; you may not be subject to the wait list.
• Therapeutic Referral Forms for child care must be completed and signed by your doctor or other professional.

Supporting documents for your fee subsidy application can be uploaded through the secure portal, faxed, mailed or dropped off at the Child Care Fee Subsidy Office.

Print versions:

Centre-based: Licensed child care centres provide care for infants, toddlers and pre-school children, some centres may also offer programs for school aged children. These centres include nursery schools, full-day, and before-and-after school programs, all licensed by the Ministry of Education

School-based: Before-and-after-school programs are offered for children attending full-day kindergarten up to grade six (ages 4-13). Full Day school age care is also provided for non instructional days (i.e. PD days, Christmas, March Break and summer). These programs are licensed by the Ministry of Education.

Home-based: Licensed home child care agencies contract individual caregivers to provide care for infants, toddlers and pre-school aged children within their own homes. Some home caregivers may also offer before-and-after school care. These programs are licensed by the Ministry of Education.

• Have one or more children aged 0-12 years of age
• Live in the city of London
• Are currently employed
• Are attending an education institution, training program or course
• Your child has special needs
• Are ill, experiencing stress, or have a family circumstance
• Have a doctor or another professional recommending licensed child care

Community Support Associates receive fee subsidy applications. They are responsible for determining eligibility, providing updates to families about their ongoing subsidy, and providing referral information and supports available in the community.

For more information regarding your Community Support Associate, contact childcare@london.ca .

Children will be placed in child care programs based on the order of their application, using their date of eligibility. If budget allocations reach their maximum for the year, no new placements can be considered and the family will be placed on a waitlist.

Full day kindergarten is available at all elementary schools for children turning 4 or 5 by the end of the year. As a result, full day child care fee subsidy will not be provided for children this age. “Before” or “after” care and care for “school closure days” may be subsidized for eligible parents with children attending full-day kindergarten.