Third party programs: linkages to the school day

Transitions around the school day

Requirement

Agreements must include how third party programs and schools ensure the safe arrival and departure of children enrolled in third party programs as they transition between the school day, before and after school programs and home.

Considerations

Children have differing experiences and connections with their school. It is important that school boards and providers are considering transition requirements that support the individual needs of children in the program. A child may have an individualized education plan where specific supports may be required to transition children from the school day to before and/or after school programming. At the discretion of the board, a transition plan may also be developed for students who receive special education programs and/or services but do not have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and have not been identified as exceptional.

Individualized transition plans that reflect a student’s strengths and needs provide the foundation for successful transitional experiences that support the building of student resiliency. Articulating student transition needs can also be a valuable component of developing an individual student profile.

Safe schools

Requirement

In accordance with section 28 of O. Reg. 221/11, agreements must include that operators of third party programs must ensure that when its employees or contractors become aware that a student of the school board may have engaged in an activity for which suspension or expulsion must be considered, that these staff or contractors report the matter to the school’s principal.

Programs offered off school premises

Considerations

School boards may choose to offer programs off school premises through a third party provider. For example, an after-school program for 4-12-year olds may be offered at a municipal community centre where the space may be more developmentally appropriate for the children. Although this is permissible, school boards should ensure that appropriate transitions (including transportation to the location, where applicable) are provided to support the safety and well-being of all children.

This is intended to recognize existing partnerships between school boards and municipalities and service providers to serve children and better integrate existing services to support local planning, particularly for after school recreation programs.

Communication to parents

Requirements

As soon as possible, school boards are required to provide the following information to parents and guardians in writing and post on the school board’s website:

• the fees for before and after school programs
• the process and approach for determining sufficient demand and viability
• schools that will and will not be offering a before and/or after school program
• information on how to apply for financial assistance for before and after school programs
• notice that if a third party program ceases to operate, the school board will ensure that another program will be available but the fees, days and times of operation may change

Considerations

School boards may wish to work with their Indigenous and community partners and co-terminous board to help communicate information to parents.

Reporting to the ministry

Requirements

School boards are required to report information to the ministry each school year:

For the current school year, the following should be provided as a summary:

• how the school board consulted with the local service system manager(s), First Nations^{footnote 5[5]}, existing service providers, urban Indigenous organizations and parents
• total number of schools that will be delivering a before and after school program
• the maximum number of spaces for children in before and after school programs excluding non-instructional days
• names of all schools exempt from the duty
• range of daily fees (for example, lowest fees and highest fees) for before and/or- after school programs (excluding non-instructional days)
• affirmation signed by applicable local service system manager(s) and First Nation(s) that:
  • sufficient demand and viability was determined
  • there is agreement that the schools that are not offering a before and/or after school program is exempt from the duty because a program was not viable or had insufficient demand
  • affirmation that third party and board-operated programs meet the requirements under the Education Act

Considerations:

School boards may also wish to provide the following information:

• What additional information and data were used or collected to support planning (surveys, asset mapping, demographic projections, wait list information)