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.
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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.
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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.
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