RisingOaks
Early Learning
Smithson
140 Belleview Ave.*
Kitchener ON, N2B 1G7
519-497-0818
RisingOaks' newest centre is scheduled to open December 2026. The centre is being built using a modular construction approach and is a partnership of the Region of Waterloo, Waterloo Region District School Board and RisingOaks Early Learning Ontario.
The centre will have 88 licensed child care spaces (10 infant, 30 toddler, and 48 preschool) and will operate within the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system with reduced rates for families.
* This new address is currently being finalized with Canada Post. The centre will be co-located with the Smithson Public School (150 Belleville Avenue),so prospective families can use that addresss for now.
Centre Details:
Hours of Operation: 6:30am* - 6:00pm
Ages Served: 3 months to 12 years
* subject to change
This location serves:
Infant (3 - 18 months)
Toddler (18m - 2.5 years)
Preschool (2.5 - 4 years)
Meals & Snacks:
A nutritious morning and afternoon snack, plus a healthy lunch is prepared fresh onsite daily by our in-house cook.
Click here to read more about our menus
Leadership Team
Tours and Availability:
Tours are typically arranged by contacting the centre supervisor or assistant supervisor after a space has been offered to your family.
As our new Smithson location is currently under construction, in-person tours of the centre are not yet available.
To help families learn more about the program, we encourage you to:
- View the virtual tour of our RisingOaks Early Learning | St. Patrick location (above).
- Review our Parent Handbook to learn more about our programs and policies.
- Explore our Diversity + Equity + Inclusion = Belonging principles and action plan to better understand our culture and commitment to ensuring every child, family, and employee feels a genuine sense of belonging.
- Connect with Deb, our centre supervisor, who would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
We recognize that some families may wish to visit one of our centres before deciding to enrol. While we encourage families to review the virtual resources first, Deb can arrange a tour of our RisingOaks Early Learning | St. Patrick location if an in-person visit would be helpful. Given the significant number of families expected to enrol at Smithson, we appreciate your understanding that tour availability may be limited during this busy enrolment period.
Wait List & Registration
OneList is the centralized system used for all applications to licensed child care in Waterloo Region. Through OneList, families can also apply for financial assistance with child care fees and access to special needs supports.
Applications for RisingOaks Early Learning | Smithson will open on Monday, July 27.
To ensure a fair process for all families and to help prevent system slowdowns on opening day, all applications submitted between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 27 will receive the same Application Date and Timestamp.
- Submitting your application earlier during this time period will not increase your chances of receiving a space.
- Spaces will be offered in accordance with our Wait List Policy. In addition, for new centres, including RisingOaks Early Learning | Smithson, the following procedures apply:
- Priority will be given to families who live within the designated neighbourhood, as determined by the Service System Manager (Region of Waterloo), for the initial enrolment of the centre.
- Once all applicable priorities have been assessed, if multiple applications share the same Application Date and Timestamp from opening day, a random number generator will be used to determine the order in which offers are made.
These procedures are intended to support a fair, equitable, and accessible enrolment process. Neighbourhood priority helps support families in accessing child care closer to home, particularly those who may experience transportation challenges. Similarly, assigning the same Application Date and Timestamp to all opening day applications recevied between 7 am and 5 pm helps ensure families are not disadvantaged by their ability to submit an application the moment registration opens.
What's Next?
Starting in August, the centre supervisor will begin contacting families to offer spaces. Offers will continue over the following months until all spaces have been filled, in accordance with our Wait List Policy and the priorities outlined above.
If you require fee subsidy, to further reduce the $22/day CWELCC fee, please use the Income Calculator provided by the Region to determine your eligibilty and to apply for subsidy via your OneList portal. Spaces allocated to the Subsidy Access Pilot are offered to those who have confirmed subsidy eligibility with the Region. More details can be found at: Fee Subsidy | Child Care Waitlist
