Infant & Toddler
A safe, nurturing start where your little one can grow, explore and develop at their own pace.
- Ratio
- 1 educator to every 4 children · Maximum 12 children
- Hours
- 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM · Monday to Friday, year-round
The first three years are about trust before anything else. A baby who feels securely attached to a familiar adult will explore, take risks and learn. A baby who does not feel safe spends their energy on being worried instead.
So this room is deliberately small and deliberately calm. Every child receives individualized attention and care, and is assigned a primary educator who learns their specific cues — the particular cry that means overtired rather than hungry, the sign they make for 'more', the song that settles them at nap.
We know that starting daycare is hard on the child and often harder on the parents. We work closely with families through a staged settling-in so the transition is smooth and genuinely happy, rather than something everyone endures.
We follow your child's schedule, not ours. Bottles, solids and naps happen when your child needs them, and the youngest babies sleep entirely on demand. We do not wake a sleeping baby to fit a room routine.
This is the lowest ratio in the centre, matching BC's licensing regulation for children under three.
A typical day
- 7:00 – 8:30
Arrival & connection
Soft landings. Your educator takes your child, hears how the night went, and notes anything we need to know.
- 8:30 – 9:00
Breakfast
A shared table. Self-feeding is encouraged and mess is expected.
- 9:00 – 10:00
Morning naps & sensory play
Younger babies sleep on demand while toddlers explore water, dough, scoops and containers.
- 10:00 – 11:00
Outside
Stroller walks, the covered patio, or the toddler yard. We go out in light rain.
- 11:00 – 11:45
Books, songs & movement
One-to-one reading, action songs, tunnels, ramps and safe climbing.
- 11:45 – 12:30
Lunch
Served family-style. Toddlers practise spoons and open cups.
- 12:30 – 2:30
Rest
Own crib, own sleep sack, own routine. Nobody is woken up.
- 2:30 – 3:00
Snack
Fruit, vegetables and something substantial.
- 3:00 – 4:30
Outside again
A second outdoor block for gross motor play and fresh air.
- 4:30 – 6:00
Quiet play & handover
Calm activities, and a real conversation with you about how the day actually went.
What your child will learn
Safe & nurturing
What we do
- A primary educator assigned to your child, consistent day to day
- A clean, secure environment designed specifically for little ones
- Gradual, staged settling-in over your child's first two weeks
- Comfort objects from home welcome and always within reach
- Responding to distress promptly rather than letting a baby cry it out
What you’ll notice
- Separates at drop-off with less distress over time
- Seeks out a familiar educator for comfort
- Explores further from an adult, checking back in
Communication & language
What we do
- Narrating everything — nappy changes, meals, what we can see out the window
- Simple baby sign for more, all done, milk and help
- Books read one-to-one on a lap, many times a day
- Songs, rhymes and repetition toddlers can anticipate and join in with
What you’ll notice
- Babbles with intent, then first words
- Uses a sign or word to make a need known
- Follows a simple one-step instruction
- Points at pictures and names them
Movement & physical skills
What we do
- Daily supervised tummy time for the youngest babies
- Low, safe climbing structures, ramps, steps and tunnels
- Push toys and sturdy furniture at pulling-up height
- Fine motor work: posting, stacking, threading, tearing paper
What you’ll notice
- Rolls, sits, crawls, cruises and then walks
- Climbs steps with support
- Uses a pincer grip to pick up small food
- Begins using a spoon and an open cup
Discovery & early thinking
What we do
- Arts, crafts and imaginative play matched to what each child can manage
- Water, sand, dough, oats, ice and paint — supervised and frequent
- Treasure baskets of real objects rather than plastic toys
- Cause and effect: light switches, drums, things that pour
What you’ll notice
- Looks for an object after it is hidden
- Repeats an action to make something happen again
- Explores new textures without hesitation
- Sorts and posts objects by shape
In the room
- Separate, darkened sleep room meeting safe-sleep standards
- Individual cribs and labelled bedding for every child
- Low, open shelving so children can choose their own materials
- A dedicated messy-play area
- Direct access to an enclosed toddler-only outdoor yard
- Adult floor cushions — a lot of care here happens at floor level
What to bring
- Two full changes of clothes (three if toilet learning)
- Diapers and wipes — cloth or disposable, whichever you use at home
- A sleep sack or comfort blanket that smells like home
- Bottles and formula, or labelled expressed milk
- Weather-appropriate outdoor gear, including a rain suit and boots
- Indoor grip socks or soft shoes
Ready to apply for Infant & Toddler?
Infant spaces are usually the hardest to come by. Apply early — there is no cost and no obligation.