Families: schools, child care and child benefits Settling your children in.

1. School: who can go, and who pays

• Kindergarten is free and lasts two years, for 4- and 5-year-olds. In Thunder Bay a child who turns 4 by December 31 can start junior kindergarten that September.
• School is compulsory from the September a child is 6 until they turn 18.
• A school can't refuse a child because the child or a parent is in Canada without legal status.

Public school is free for your children if you (the parent or guardian) are in Canada:

• on a work permit, or waiting for a decision on one;
• as a permanent resident, or waiting for a decision on your PR application;
• as a refugee claimant or protected person;
• on a study permit and studying full time at a publicly funded Ontario university or college.

If none of these fits, for example if you're a visitor or studying at a private school, the law requires the board to charge international student fees, unless another exemption applies. The list above isn't complete, so ask the board before you register.

Sources: Ontario Education Act, sections 21, 49 and 49.1; Government of Ontario, "Kindergarten"; Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board, "Kindergarten"

2. Registering at a Thunder Bay school

Which school your child attends depends on your address. Register online. Families new to a board create an account first.

Lakehead District School Board (public, English)

lakeheadschools.ca/register · 2135 Sills Street · 807-625-5100. Bring proof of your child's age and your address. French Immersion starts in senior kindergarten, and you register for it separately, even if your child is already in the board's junior kindergarten.

Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board (English)

tbcschools.ca/register. Children don't need to be Catholic, and no baptism certificate is needed. French Immersion starts in the first year of kindergarten, and parents don't need to speak French.

French-language schools

• Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales runs École secondaire catholique de La Vérendrye and École catholique Franco-Supérieur in Thunder Bay (csdcab.ca).
• Families who don't have an automatic right to French schooling can apply to an admission committee, and the board has a faster process for immigrant families who speak French or another language.
• Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l'Ontario runs École publique des Vents du Nord, 511 Victoria Avenue West.

Ontario tells schools to check:

• your child's legal name and date of birth;
• your address (a utility, property tax or phone bill);
• the year your child came to Canada;
• whether they can attend without fees.

Schools are told not to keep copies of passports or birth certificates.

Ontario schools also offer language support to students who learned English somewhere else. Most Kenyan children won't need it, but you can ask when you register.

Sources: Lakehead District School Board, "Register" and "Kindergarten"; Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board, "Register"; CSDC des Aurores boréales; Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord; Government of Ontario, enrolment and registration instructions (PDF) and "Improve your English and French"

3. Vaccination records from Kenya

Ontario requires school pupils to be vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal disease and whooping cough (pertussis), and chickenpox for children born in 2010 or later. Exemptions exist for medical reasons or for conscience or religious belief.

• You report your child's vaccines yourself. Doctors don't do it for you. A child can be kept out of school if the record isn't up to date.
• Bring the Kenyan clinic card. The Thunder Bay District Health Unit lets you upload a photo of a paper record through its secure link. Don't email records.
• If old records can't be found, some vaccines may need to be given again. The health unit says this is not harmful.
• Health unit: (807) 625-5900 or toll free 1-888-294-6630.

Sources: Government of Ontario, "Vaccines for children at school"; Thunder Bay District Health Unit, "Report your child's immunizations" and school vaccines

4. Help settling in at school

The Thunder Bay Multicultural Association's federally funded newcomer services include Settlement Workers in Schools, which help newcomer students and their parents understand how school works here. Ask the association how to reach a worker: 17 N. Court Street, 807-345-0551, toll free 1-866-831-1141, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Its youth program also helps with homework.

Sources: Government of Canada, grant record for the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association; Thunder Bay Multicultural Association, "Contact us" and "Youth program"

5. Child care and EarlyON

• Join the waitlist early. In the Thunder Bay district, the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB) manages one waitlist for licensed child care. Apply online through the Thunder Bay child care waitlist (thunderbaychildcare.ca). The centre contacts you when a space opens.
• Lower fees for under-6s: at centres in Ontario's reduced-fee program, fees are capped at $22 a day, and Ontario has committed to keeping the average at $19 a day until at least June 30, 2027. You don't apply for this; the centre charges the lower fee.
• Fee subsidy: parents who work, go to school, are on Ontario Works or have a special or social need can ask for help with fees, for children up to age 12. Tick "Fee Assistance Required" on the waitlist application. The amount depends on your family income on your tax assessment.
• Fee subsidy on a work or study permit: call TBDSSAB at (807) 766-2111 to confirm you qualify before counting on it.
• EarlyON centres are free programs for children from birth to 6 years old and their parents or caregivers. They are open to all families in Ontario. Ontario lists them as a place to play, meet other families, and ask an early-childhood professional for advice.

EarlyON at Communities Together for Children

Communities Together for Children runs EarlyON Child and Family Centre Northwood. To attend their EarlyON programs, create an account at keyon.ca. TBDSSAB also publishes EarlyON locations for the district.

425 Edward Street N., Suite 11, Thunder Bay, ON P7C 4P7

(807) 624-5691 ctctbay.org keyon.ca

Sources: TBDSSAB, "Early Years"; Communities Together for Children; Government of Ontario, "Find an EarlyON child and family centre", "Canada-Ontario Early Years and Child Care Agreement"; Government of Canada, "Canada and Ontario agree to four-year extension" (September 29, 2026)

6. The four library branches

• Residents: a Thunder Bay Public Library card is free if you live in Thunder Bay or one of the nearby communities the library lists. Bring ID that shows your address and sign up at any branch.
• Students: elementary, secondary and post-secondary students get a free card wherever they live in the Thunder Bay area, and a student does not have to prove a Thunder Bay address.

The main phone is 807-345-8275.

Sources: Thunder Bay Public Library, "Get a card"; Brodie Library; library Connect newsletter, fall 2026, hours and addresses

7. City recreation and the 55 Plus Centre

The City's program registration line is 807-625-8463.

Parks, outdoor skating and what the provincial parks charge are in free things to do in Thunder Bay.

Sources: The Key; City of Thunder Bay, "Register for an activity" and "Thunder Bay 55 Plus Centre"

8. Child benefits

The Canada child benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment for each child under 18. The Ontario child benefit comes in the same payment, with nothing extra to apply for.

• Permanent residents, protected persons and citizens can apply as soon as they arrive. Newcomers apply with form RC66 and schedule RC66SCH, and report income earned outside Canada, including in Kenya, for up to two years before they arrived.
• On a work or study permit: you (or your spouse) qualify only after living in Canada for the previous 18 months, and only if you hold a valid permit in the 19th month that doesn't say "does not confer status".
• With only a Refugee Protection Claimant Document: you can't get it on your own status, but you may qualify through a spouse who does, or once you're found to be a protected person.
• How much: from July 2026 to June 2027, up to $8,157 a year per child under 6 and $6,883 per child aged 6 to 17, based on 2025 family income. The Ontario child benefit adds up to $146.66 a month per child. Both go down as family income goes up, and are recalculated every July.
• File a tax return every year, you and your spouse or common-law partner, even with no income, or the payments stop.
• Baby born in Ontario? You can apply for the CCB on the birth registration form.

Sources: Canada Revenue Agency, "Canada child benefit: before you apply", "How to apply", "Keep getting your payments", "Newcomers to Canada", "How we calculate your CCB" and "Ontario child benefit"; Government of Ontario, "Ontario Child Benefit"

9. Ontario Trillium Benefit and the disability benefit

File a tax return, and the ON-BEN form, for the July 2026 to June 2027 Ontario Trillium Benefit. File even if you had no income.

• Northern Ontario Energy Credit: up to $189 for one person, or $290 for a family, in Thunder Bay and the other northern districts.
• Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit: up to $1,307 from ages 18 to 64, or $1,488 at 65 and over.
• Add $25 if you lived in a designated college, university or private-school residence in 2025. On a reserve or in a public long-term care home, this credit is up to $290.
• Ontario Sales Tax Credit: up to $378 for each adult, and $378 for each child under 19.
• Canada Disability Benefit: up to $204.20 a month from July 2026 to June 2027, for adults 18 to 64 who are approved for the Disability Tax Credit and have filed taxes.
• You must be a citizen, a permanent resident, a protected person, or a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the previous 18 months. Your spouse files too, if you have one.

Sources: Government of Ontario, "Ontario Trillium Benefit"; Government of Canada, "Canada Disability Benefit: how much you could receive" and "Do you qualify"

10. What high school asks for

Students who started Grade 9 in 2024 or later need an Ontario Secondary School Diploma made up of:

• 17 compulsory credits, including 1 Grade 9 or 10 technological education credit, plus 13 optional credits.
• The literacy requirement, which is the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test.
• At least 2 online learning credits.
• 40 hours of community involvement.
• Students who started Grade 9 in 2025–26 or later also complete a financial literacy requirement in Grade 10 Career Studies. That requirement takes effect in the 2026–27 school year.

Source: Government of Ontario, "High school graduation requirements"

11. OSAP from August 2026

• For programs that start on or after August 1, 2026, Ontario changed the provincial part of OSAP.
• At public colleges and universities, grants are capped at 25% of OSAP funding. At least 75% is a loan you repay.
• At a private career college, the provincial part is all loans. There is no provincial grant.
• The full-time application is for Ontario residents who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons.

Sources: Ontario Newsroom, February 12, 2026; Government of Ontario, "Learn about OSAP"

12. Free math help: TVO Mathify

TVO Learn Mathify is free one-on-one math tutoring with an Ontario Certified Teacher, for Grades 4 to 12.

• It is for students in Ontario's publicly funded English-language schools.
• Sign-up asks for an Ontario Education Number. Tutoring hours are on the Mathify site.

Source: TVO Learn Mathify and information for parents

13. Summer camps and youth programs

Sources: Superior Science; Science North, "Summer camps"; Shad Canada, "Campuses"; Government of Ontario, "Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program". Checked October 28, 2026.

Health care for the whole family, including the Northern Health Travel Grant, children's dental care and midwifery without OHIP, is in our health care guide.

Quick answers

Do I pay school fees for my children in Ontario if I'm on a work or study permit?

Not if you're on a work permit, waiting for a decision on one, a permanent resident or PR applicant, a refugee claimant, or on a study permit and studying full time at a publicly funded Ontario university or college. Otherwise the law requires the board to charge international student fees unless another exemption applies, so ask before you register.

Can I get the Canada child benefit on a work or study permit?

Only after you or your spouse have lived in Canada for the previous 18 months, and you hold a valid permit in the 19th month. Permanent residents and protected persons can apply as soon as they arrive, with form RC66 and schedule RC66SCH.

How do I get on the child-care waitlist in Thunder Bay?

Apply online at thunderbaychildcare.ca, the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board's waitlist. Tick Fee Assistance Required if you want help with fees. At centres in Ontario's reduced-fee program, fees for under-6s are capped at $22 a day, and Ontario has committed to keeping the average at $19 a day until at least June 30, 2027.

What do I do with my child's Kenyan vaccination card?

Report it to the Thunder Bay District Health Unit yourself by uploading a photo through its secure link. Doctors don't report it for you, and a child can be kept out of school if the record isn't up to date. If records are missing, some vaccines may be repeated, which the health unit says is not harmful.

Where are the Thunder Bay library branches?

Brodie Library is at 216 Brodie St. S., Waverley Library at 285 Red River Rd, Mary JL Black Library at 901 Edward St. S., and County Park Library at 1020 Dawson Rd. Cards are free for city residents and for students in the area. Call 807-345-8275. Waverley closes on November 23, 2026 for a renovation.

Where can families find free programs for young children?

EarlyON programs are free for children from birth to 6 and their caregivers. Communities Together for Children runs EarlyON Child and Family Centre Northwood at 425 Edward Street N., Suite 11, (807) 624-5691. To attend its programs, create an account at keyon.ca. City recreation is listed in The Key and booked on the City's registration page or at 807-625-8463. The 55 Plus Centre at 700 River Street is for people 55 and older, with no membership fee.

How much is the Ontario Trillium Benefit in 2026–2027?

File your tax return and the ON-BEN form for July 2026 to June 2027. The Northern Ontario Energy Credit is up to $189 for one person or $290 for a family. The energy and property tax credit is up to $1,307 from ages 18 to 64, or $1,488 at 65 and over, plus $25 for a designated college or university residence in 2025, or up to $290 on a reserve or in a public long-term care home. The sales tax credit is up to $378 per adult and $378 per child under 19.

What is the Canada Disability Benefit?

Up to $204.20 a month from July 2026 to June 2027, for adults 18 to 64 who are approved for the Disability Tax Credit and have filed taxes. You must be a citizen, a permanent resident, a protected person, or a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the previous 18 months. A spouse files too, if you have one.

What does a student need to graduate high school in Ontario?

Students who started Grade 9 in 2024 or later need 17 compulsory credits, including 1 Grade 9 or 10 technological education credit, plus 13 optional credits, the literacy test, at least 2 online learning credits, and 40 hours of community involvement. Students who started Grade 9 in 2025–26 or later also complete a financial literacy requirement in Grade 10 Career Studies, taking effect in the 2026–27 school year.

How did OSAP change in August 2026?

For programs that start on or after August 1, 2026, grants at public colleges and universities are capped at 25% of OSAP funding, so at least 75% is a loan. At a private career college, the provincial part of OSAP is all loans. The full-time application is for Ontario residents who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons.

Is there free math tutoring for school students?

TVO Learn Mathify is free one-on-one math tutoring with an Ontario Certified Teacher for Grades 4 to 12, for students in Ontario's publicly funded English-language schools. Sign-up asks for an Ontario Education Number.

This page is general information. Rules, fees and benefit amounts change, so confirm on the linked official page before you register, apply or pay.

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