A Daycare or centre-based care is a licensed facility located in a fixed location – where there are groups of children of varying age groups, as small as 7 and as many as 200, depending on the standards determined by each province.. They may be operated by a community or parent board, or may be privately owned. The fact that a daycare or centre-based care is regulated, offers a structured setting with supervisory staff may be an advantage and work well for children as long as the centre is of high quality.

Researchers evaluate quality by looking at the way caregivers interact with children; small, manageable groups with low child to caregiver ratios; space size for each group within the facility; well equipped with toys and materials for children of all ages.

A curriculum promoting ‘high quality’ in centre-based childcare or daycare must offer developmentally appropriate programming and activities fostering a child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. The program must meet the individual needs of each child while supporting group care.

Daycares or centre-based childcare promoting quality care provides a setting to promote: daily programming supporting developmental needs of children; health and safety of children; cultural diversity; nutrition and parent education programs. In many instances daily programming is developed in collaboration with the children.

Caregivers working in centre-based childcare or daycare interact with children to provide programming and guide their group of children according to their age and level of ability. Most caregivers in centre-based childcare or daycare must have some form of training and credentials. Be sure to ask the centre you are considering about their caregiver’s credentials and ongoing training.

Many centre-based childcare programs or daycares provide before and after school program childcare as a service to their families. They will provide transportation to and from school or provide a walking service to and from school. They may also incorporate a summer program for children between the ages of 6 – 12 years.

Centre-based childcare or daycare can offer a wide variety of services to families in their community to accommodate families with children from infancy to school age. It is important to check each centre-based program in your community to determine if their program, services and staff support you and your family’s childcare needs. Start the search for centre-based childcare or daycare six months before childcare is required and be prepared, ask lots of questions and observe the program in action. Then make your informed decision. For some assistance in your search for centre-based childcare or daycare Care Finder.

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