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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCUL 120 Access to Recreation Policy Procedure Title: Access to Recreation Policy Number CUL 120 Reference Resolution #222/14 Resolution #962/26 Date Originated (m/d/y) April 22, 2014 Date Revised (m/d/y) March 23, 2026 Pages 5 Approval: Chief Administrative Officer Point of Contact Director, Community Services Policy Objective The Corporation of the City of Pickering (City) recognizes that recreation is essential to the wellbeing and healthy development of children, youth, seniors, individuals, and families, especially among those experiencing financial barriers to participation. The City provides and participates in program subsidies to low-income residents through the Access to Recreation Policy/Program. This policy will: • Establish a standardized and transparent procedure for the administration of financial assistance for recreational programs and services delivered by the City; and, • Establish criteria for the review and approval of requests for financial assistance for recreation programs and services. Index 01 Definitions 02 Roles and Responsibilities 03 General 04 Program Guidelines 01 Definitions 01.01 Recreation Program – means 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. Policy Title: Access to Recreation Page 2 of 5 Policy Number: CUL 120 01.02 Services – means recreational programs or memberships available through the purchase of membership and pay-as-you-go activities including but not limited to fitness, aquatics, and skating. 01.03 Session – means the length of time a recreation program runs or the length of a membership term. There are four registration sessions that include winter, spring, summer, and fall. 01.04 Financial Assistance - means an approved reduction in user fees charged by the City for participation in a recreation program or service. 01.05 Jumpstart Program – means a subsidy program for children 4 to 18 years of age participating in introductory level recreation programs. 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) – means income thresholds set by Statistics Canada below which families will devote a larger share of income to the necessities of food, shelter and clothing than the average family would. The LICO thresholds increase in communities with higher populations and households with more people. Pickering is considered a census metropolitan area with a population between 100,000 and 499,999 inhabitants. 01.07 User Fees - means recreation programs and services are 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. 02 Roles and Responsibilities 02.01 The Council of the City of Pickering to: a) approve and uphold the Access to Recreation Policy and any amendments; and, b) act as an advocate for access to recreation for low-income residents through subsidy programs. 02.02 Chief Administrative Officer to: a) uphold the Access to Recreation Policy and any amendments; b) act as an advocate for access to recreation for low-income residents; and, c) support access to recreation through subsidy programs through the annual budget process. Policy Title: Access to Recreation Page 3 of 5 Policy Number: CUL 120 02.03 Director, Community Services to: a) uphold the Access to Recreation Policy, along with any amendments; b) recommend any changes to the Access to Recreation Policy, as needed; c) implement standard operating procedures to provide staff with direction on the Access to Recreation program administration; and, d) recommend the budget annually to support subsidized programs. 03 General 03.01 The City provides program subsidies to low-income residents through the Access to Recreation Policy/Program. Eligibility to receive subsidization is based on financial need and residents can access subsidies through the following five programs: a) Recreation Program Card: The Regional Municipality of Durham (The Region) partners with the City of Pickering through a service agreement to provide free recreation programs to Ontario Works clients who are residents of Pickering. The Region provides a flat rate of funding to the City annually from the Social Investment Fund for program costs. Residents of Pickering who are Ontario Works participants receive a recreation program card from The Region and are eligible for one activity per season. The funding agreement for this program is as follows: The Region administers an annually determined amount of funds to the City which is managed through an agreement, 50% covered from the Region and 50% coverage from the City for one activity per session for adults and children, as well as two one-week summer camps, one winter camp or one spring camp for children. Pickering residents must present their Recreation Program Card and proof of Pickering residency to be eligible for this program. b) Child Care Fee Subsidy: The Region partners with the City through a service agreement to deliver the Child Care Fee Subsidy program. The Region provides a subsidy to low- income residents for their children to participate in City winter break, spring break, summer camps and/or PA Day Camps. The Region assesses each family and determines the rate of the subsidy. The Region provides a list of approved participants to the City. Families register for camp programs directly with the City and pay the City the approved subsidized rate, which is unique to each family. The City provides the Region with proof of payment for each subsidy participant and the Region then pays the City the remaining user fee rate. Policy Title: Access to Recreation Page 4 of 5 Policy Number: CUL 120 c) Pickering Low-Income Cut-Off Subsidy: Statistics Canada sets and posts the LICO Cut-off thresholds. The Pickering Low-Income Cut-Off Subsidy program applies an additional threshold at $5,000 above the LICO. Pickering residents whose income falls below $5,000 and above the LICO Cut-off are entitled to participate in one program per session for a total of four sessions in a calendar year or can obtain an annual Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex (CHDRC) membership. The patron pays 50% of the program or service fee and the remaining 50% is paid by the City. Residents must complete a Financial Assistance Application Form, provide a Notice of Assessment for each adult in the household from the most recent year, provide a copy of the Canada Child Tax Benefit statement listing all eligible children, if listing the children on the application, and proof of Pickering residency. Residents must apply for the subsidy annually. d) Pickering residents on Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP): The ODSP program is managed by the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services. To be eligible for ODSP, residents must be 18 years or older, have a physical or mental health disability and are low-income. Pickering residents on ODSP are entitled to participate in one program per session for a total of four sessions in a calendar year or can obtain an annual CHDRC membership at a subsidized rate. The patron pays 50% of the program fee and the remaining 50% is paid by the City. Residents must provide proof that they are clients of ODSP annually. e) Jumpstart Program: Pickering residents that meet the Statistics Canada LICO financial criteria are eligible for Jumpstart program subsidies. Children between the ages of 4 to 18 are entitled to participate in physically active recreation programs or a youth membership annually. Pickering residents can apply to Jumpstart for children's physically active programs, and these requests are designated by Jumpstart who approve and allocate funding. Total funding allotments are subject to Jumpstart. 04 Program Guidelines 04.01 Promotion: The availability of financial assistance will be communicated to residents via the City’s website. The process of obtaining financial assistance will be non- intrusive, eliminate stigma, and respect a person's dignity and confidentiality. Policy Title: Access to Recreation Page 5 of 5 Policy Number: CUL 120 04.02 Program Criteria: • Subsidy discounts cannot be applied retroactively to an expired CHDRC membership or a registered program from a current or previous session that has closed. • Residents must apply for the programs that are fully administrated by the City annually. The Region and Jumpstart have their own program criteria. 04.03 Monitoring and Evaluation: Staff will measure the utilization of financial assistance rates annually to assist with revenue forecasting.