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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCUL 120 Access to Recreationiy,/ PiCKERiNG Policy Policy Title: Access to Recreation Policy Number: CUL 120 Reference Resolution #222/14 Date Originated (m/d/y) April 22, 2014 Date Revised (mIdly) February 2018 Pages 4 Approval: Chief Administrativ-Officer Point of Contact. Director, Community Services Policy Objective The City of Pickering recognizes and promotes the full participation of all Pickering residents in recreational programs and services regardless of financial circumstances. Programs and services will be planned, delivered and evaluated to ensure they are affordable, inclusive and responsive to the community need. Access to recreation is an important issue for children, parents of low income families and seniors as it is tied to their health, well-being and sense of municipal belonging. Index 01 Definitions 02 General 03 Responsibilities 04 Program Guidelines 05 Conclusion 01 Definitions 01.01 Recreation Program - activities of a recreation, sport, art or cultural nature that may be self-directed or instructional, providing skill development in a particular leisure pursuit. Programs may be introductory and are of an ongoing nature. User fees are often charged to offset the costs associated with the provision of the activity. 01.02 Services - refers to recreational and membership services available through the purchase of membership and pay-as-you-go activities including but not limited to Fitness, Aquatics, and Skating. 01.03 Financial Assistance - refers to an approved reduction in user fees charged by the Community Services Department for participation in a recreation/leisure program or service. 01.04 Region of Durham Social Services Financial Assistance Programs - includes, but is not limited to, Ontario Works, and Ontario Disability Support Program. Funding is administered by the Region based on an eligibility criteria set out in provincial legislation and by Regional Council. 01.05 Canadian Tire Jump Start Program -subsidy program for children 4 to 18 years of age participating in introductory level recreation programs. Canadian Tire Jumpstart allocates funding to Chapters across the Country. In each municipality, a Chapter is established to ensure funds are distributed to children residing within the municipality. The City of Pickering is a designated Chapter. 01.06 Low Income Cut Off (LICO) - refers to income thresholds (determined by analyzing family composition and expenditure data) below which families will devote a larger share of income to the necessities of food, shelter and clothing than the average family would. Data provided by Statistics Canada. 02 General 02.01 The City of Pickering provides program subsidies to low income residents through the Access to Recreation Policy/Program. Eligibility to receive subsidization is based on financial need under one of the following three categories: a) Pickering residents receiving Durham Region Social Assistance: Qualified Pickering residents that present a Durham Region Social Assistance Card are entitled to participate in one program per session to a maximum of $340/session. The Region pays 50% of the program fee, and the remaining 50% is absorbed by the City of Pickering. b) Pickering residents whose total family income is below the Low - Income Cut -Off: Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or Ontario Works Card are entitled to 50% off one program per session to a maximum of $200/session and/or 50% off the non -discounted memberships. The patron pays 50% and the remainder is absorbed by the City of Pickering. c) Canadian Tire Jump Start Program: Qualified Pickering children between the ages of 4 to 18 are entitled, up to a maximum of $200, to participate in physically active recreation programs (twice per year). This means $400 maximum in a calendar year. The City of Pickering approves funds for all Pickering residents for children's physically active programs and is designated as a funding budget annually, by the Canadian Tire Corporation to approve and allocate towards the City of Pickering, and community group sport organizations' programs. Access to Recreation Page 2 of 4 CUL 120 02.02 Pickering residents age 65 and older Qualified residents that present a government issued identification confirming the age of 65 years or older, or confirm a permanent disability (at any age), are entitled to 50% off the non discounted memberships. The patron pays 50% and the remainder is absorbed by the City of Pickering. 03 Responsibilities It is the responsibility of the Manager, Recreation Services to oversee this process. The policy extends to eligible programs and services directly offered by the Community Services Department. All requests and completed forms should be directed to the Manager, Recreation Services. This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure the needs of the community are addressed effectively as the City's population and composition continues to change. 04 Program Guidelines 04.01 User Fees: Recreation programs and services will be priced according to the Council approved "Summary of Fees and Charges", which requires a market rate analysis to help determine fees. User fees are intended to recover the direct operating costs of a program/service. Programs offered at a subsidized fee, or at no cost to participate are traditionally recreational. 04.02 Partnerships: The City will directly deliver programs, and seek out and maintain partnerships with community agencies to deliver partnership programs in order to retain and enhance universal recreational opportunities primarily for children, youth and families. 04.03 Promotion: The availability of financial assistance will be communicated to residents via the City of Pickering Leisure Guide Brochure and the City of Pickering Website. The process of obtaining financial assistance will be non - intrusive, eliminate stigma, and respect a person's dignity and confidentiality. An Access to Recreation Standard Operating Procedure will outline the process for residents and staff to follow to request, review, approve or decline a request for financial assistance in a manner which is fair and equitable. Staff will receive training on the administration of financial assistance. 04.04 Eligibility and Criteria: The Director, Community Services has the authority to review, approve and decline requests in accordance with the Access to Recreation Policy and Standard Operating Procedure. Approval for financial assistance is based on an income threshold below which financial assistance will be considered. The threshold will be established annually using the greater value between Statistics Canada's LICO, and the median income for households approved for financial assistance in the previous year. Access to Recreation Page 3 of 4 CUL 120 City approved financial assistance is to a maximum of 50% of a program's fee with balance paid by the client. Where discounts already apply, financial assistance will not be available. Requests will be assessed on a case by case basis. Staff will discuss options with any individual experiencing difficulty paying the non -subsidized portion of the user fee. Options may include staggered payments and/or a referral to external agencies (e.g., Canadian Tire Jumpstart, Region of Durham). Documentation identified in Section 2 (General) of this policy must be presented by the client. 04.05 Staff Training and Development: The Manager, Recreation Services will provide the necessary training and tools to assist staff in the development of programs as set out by this policy. 04.06 Monitoring and Evaluation: The Manager, Recreation Services will undertake an evaluation of the Access to Recreation Policy annually after it is fully implemented to assess its effectiveness. Staff will measure the utilization of financial assistance rates annually to assist with revenue forecasting. Subsidy levels will be reviewed annually and will be established based upon Community Services' operating budget capacity. 05 Conclusion The City of Pickering's Access to Recreation Policy provides equal opportunity for all Pickering residents to participate in its recreational programs. This Access to Recreation Program eliminates the financial barrier to participation while balancing the financial constraints of the municipality and continuing to meet the recreation needs of the overall community. Please refer to all associated Procedures and Standard Operating Procedures, if applicable, for detailed processes regarding this Policy. Access to Recreation Page 4 of 4 .CUL 120