Our programs are currently very full. As vacancies open up, we will contact you by email so please ensure to monitor your email regularly! 

The District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB) has developed The District of Thunder Bay Child Care Registry. It is an online application and registry for families seeking licensed child care spaces.

The first step is to complete and submit an online application to register your child(ren) for any of the licensed child care options in the district of Thunder Bay that meets your family’s needs. The child care programs you apply to will contact you when a space becomes available. All families enrolled in a licensed child care centre must first register on the waitlist. To access the Child Care Registry, visit https://thunderbay.onehsn.com/.

It is always possible to email Intake to inquire about the waitlist and the possible wait times or to arrange a tour of our facilities. Please note that wait times are estimates only. If you are calling to inquire about the waitlist but no one is available to take your call, please remember to leave a voicemail including your child’s full name and we will get back to you by email. Due to a very high volume of calls regarding childcare space, we typically cannot return phone calls regarding space inquiries. 

Below are the documents required for registration at Mahmowenchike Family Development Centre once a child care space is secured. Generally, you will be given a copy of these documents during your tour and prior to your child(ren) starting at Mahmowenchike but it is always helpful to have them done ahead of time to give you and anyone else caring for the child time to think about helpful information for your child(ren)’s potential educator(s).

Mahmowenchike Registration Package – Infants
Mahmowenchike Registration Package – Toddlers/Preschoolers
Mahmowenchike Registration Package – Before/After School

Please note: tours of the facilities are available by appointment only to ensure there is sufficient time for supervisors to dedicate to your family. Miigwetch!

Mahmowenchike’s Waitlist Policies

1. Parents/guardians will be required to place their child(ren) on the OneList at thunderbaychildcare.ca. They will be placed on the waitlist in chronological order, based on the date and time that the application was submitted.
2. When space becomes available in a program, priority will be given based on the following criteria:
   1. Priority will be given to a family that wishes to enroll a sibling of a child currently attending a program at either site of Mahmowenchike.
   2. Priority may be given to children of employees of Mahmowenchike.
3. Once these children have been placed, other children on the waiting list based on the following criteria:
   1. Priority will be given to a family requiring a full-time space.
   2. If there are no requests for full-time care, Supervisors will offer part-time care to families with set schedules.
      1. Every effort will be made to match families that have complementary schedules (e.g., a family wishing to enroll their child on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays will be matched with a family wishing to enroll their child on Wednesdays and Fridays). This will ensure maximum use of the available spaces.
   3. Flex care will only be offered if no full-time or part-time clients are available.
   4. Flex care clients will be given a space on the understanding that if the space is needed for another family with a set schedule, they may be given two weeks’ notice that the space is no longer available.
   5. We will not provide for more than one flex space per program as the financial loss is too great.
4. Parents of children on the waitlist will be contacted occasionally to determine if their waitlist applications are up to date and are still considered accurate (if they still require care, if their schedule is still the same, if they require removal from the list).
5. Intake is the point of contact for parents who wish to inquire about the status of their child’s placement on the waitlist.
6. Intake will respond to parent inquiries and provide the child’s current position on the list and an estimated likelihood of the child being offered a space in the program.
7. The waitlist will be maintained in a manner that protects the privacy and confidentiality of the children and families on the list and therefore only the child’s position on the waitlist will be provided to parents.
8. Names of other children or families and/or their placement on the waitlist will not be shared with other individuals.