Child Care Information for Graduate Students
Whether it’s full day, half day or just an evening that you need to work on your research or to catch up on rest and relaxation, we want to help you find child care services that suit you and your child(ren)’s needs.
You can get additional help looking for Child Care by contacting UW Parents on Campus (click for info).
Before viewing the child care services offered in the Waterloo Region and the University of Waterloo community, here are three questions that may assist you in planning for grad studies (or just go straight to the guide):
1. What is my budget? As a grad student, you may be eligible for a GSA daycare bursary or a child care subsidy through the Region of Waterloo. For tips on preparing a budget and details on the documents you’ll need to apply for a bursary or subsidy <click here>.
2. What is my schedule? In general, a grad student’s schedule is flexible and unstructured. However, the workload follows the trajectory of a rollercoaster usually peaking just before exams and deadlines with a quick freefall thereafter. Planning ahead of time for yourself and for your child(ren) will certainly reduce your stress during those peaky times. For examples of real grad students and their schedules <click here>.
3. What are my expectations? They say that the first five years of a child’s life are the most important. Defining your expectations for the care that your child receives will help you select from the alternative services that are offered throughout the Region of Waterloo and in the University of Waterloo community. For a sample list of attributes that you can expect <click here>.
Equipped with the answers to the above three questions, we hope that the following guide to child care services for grad students is a helpful resource. If you have further questions, comments or concerns, we invite you browse our guide and post your questions or answers for the benefit of other grad students. Comments specific to a certain service or facility can be left on it’s corresponding webpage. General comments can be posted at the bottom of this page. (In order to post, you will be asked to sign in once, and your post will be moderated. Once your post has been successfully screened you will be able to post without moderation.)
Grad Student’s Guide to Childcare
This guide is meant as a first point of contact where you will be able to get introduced to the many childcare services offered on and around the UW campus. We hope that students will share their experiences with these services and post comments. If you want to check the availability in a daycare, you will have to inquire with the organization or centre directly. If you qualify for a Region of Waterloo childcare subsidy, then Child Services will help you find a childcare provider as well.
Click on the any of the following links to search the childcare database by category.
Infant, Toddler, Pre-school, Mixed
Full-time, Part-time, Early, Late, Weekend, Flexible
UW Parents on Campus
UW Parents on Campus, a recently-formed group featured in Imprint, is dedicated to helping student parents find help and support. You can contact them by email or you can visit them at the Waterloo Women’s Centre in the SLC.