Policy Summary

• Only Canadian residents with up-to-date compulsory immunizations, or a certified exemption, can be accepted at our program.
• Children, families and staff can choose to wear medical masks at any time.  We do encourage children who are ill to be kept at home to help prevent the spread of infections (which could cause unexpected group cancellations due to lack of staffing).
• If a full camp week is cancelled before starting due to requirement by the City of Hamilton Health Unit or the Province of Ontario, full payment for the week will be refunded.
• We can not refund for any illness, voluntary absences, cancellations or withdrawals.
• We may offer children a space in a closely-aged mixed grouping (either younger or more senior to their usual age group). This normally means that Grade 1 – 2’s can be grouped in a Junior Explorer Program group, or JK/SKs can be grouped in a younger Senior Adventurers group if required to fill our capacity or to meet educator to child ratios. Mixed age groups also occur naturally in the Extended Care Hours program at the beginning and ending of each day as children are dropped off and picked up before the main program.
• Although we can’t guarantee the exact age range, our experienced adult leaders ensure that all children are appropriately placed and engaged in the programming at their level, and it is a perfect placement for siblings wishing to be in the same group.
• We are unable to offer “friend” or “staff leader” placement requests. We will be able to offer sibling placement requests only if their ages allow us to do so.
• We have established guidelines for behavioural conduct of staff, parents and children with specific remedies that may include required withrawal from the program. These can be found in our Parent Handbook.

Payments

Payment is required in full upon registration and in advance of attendance.

Payments will be accepted by PayPal (Credit or VISA Debit cards) or INTERAC eMail Money Transfer.

No refunds will be offered for cancellations after payment (special circumstances can be reviewed by request).

Split payments can only be received by INTERAC Email Money transfer and must be fully memoed with Child Name and Program Name. We will only issue separate receipts to payees if arranged in advance and only where a child resides at more than one location during the period of care. All payments will be final except as noted.

Families require alternative payment options should contact our registration team at register@campwaterdown.com

Some families may be eligible for care subsidization through the City of Hamilton.

Instructions for Payments will also be sent to you by email upon placement and available in your Family Registration page.

All registrations (paid or not) are tentative pending program approval by the Ministry of Education, HWDSB, The City of Hamilton and other related authorities.

Changes

 Please be aware that restrictions, additional fees and no-refund policy will apply.  Camp Staff will not be able to make changes for you although they must be contacted by phone for any daily absences or questions or information sharing needed that may affect your child’s well-being at camp.  We require written instructions in advance for any new alternative pick-up arrangements not noted in your registration as per our Safe Arrivals Policy. Camp Staff will report on your child’s day when asked by phone or upon pickup. We do not accept absence notifications by email.

Refunds

• Should a Full Program Week be cancelled in advance due to a requirement by the Minister of Education, the Hamilton-Wentworth School Board or Hamilton Public Health, then we will refund your paid fee for that week in full.
• You must pay the balance of your fee upon registration, addition, or after offer of placement from our Wait List.
• No refunds are offered for voluntary cancellation of your registration unless approved by the Executive Director of the program for limited reasons.
• No discount or refund is given for partial week attendance.
• Credits or refunds are not given for late cancellations, late arrival, early departure, illness, absences, dismissal, or program / facility closures due to emergency, weather.
• Credits or refunds are not given for absence due to any personal occurrence of communicable illnesses or parasites (cold, flu, chicken pox, mumps, lice, etc.), elective or scheduled medical/dental reasons.
• Cancellations due to serious and unexpected emergency medical reason (requiring hospitalization or affecting ambulatory mobility and ability to participate) for all programs are subject to the Executive Director’s approval and receipt of an original and verifiable doctor’s letter.
• Insufficient Funds Returns are subject to a $50 administrative fee.
• Any refunds granted will be returned within 4 weeks time.

Please understand that the financial obligations of Camp Waterdown / WDCC (a registered charity and not-for-profit organization, are fixed for each program and the withdrawal of a camper does not lessen our operating expenses.

Camp Waterdown (WDCC) reserves the right to terminate the registration of or to withdraw a child from program participation at any time, at the Program Director or Executive Director’s discretion, in the interest of the child and / or the Camp Waterdown (WDCC) program. In the case of temporary withdrawal or permanent termination of a registrant’s participation, an affected child in attendance will remain in care until safely discharged to the designated parent or guardian. In such cases, a proportional refund for full days terminated will be considered.
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Wait List Policy

Space in our programs is limited (and we adhere to Ministry guidelines for safe and effective Adult/Child ratios, as well as any restrictions imposed by Hamilton City Health Department guidance).

We reserve the right to cancel and refund paid enrolments if an accidental overbooking or program cancellation occurs.

Wait List priority is not guaranteed as we do not take deposits until space if offered for acceptance. Our Wait List is reviewed using our existing Priority Placement Protocol (that favours existing client families) among other considerations, as well as any optional considerations provided by the Ministry of Education or Hamilton Public Health. We will only contact you when we are able to offer you a space but that can occur right up to the Friday before the start of the Camp Week in some cases.

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