How to Choose a Daycare in Lethbridge: 12 Questions to Ask on Your Tour

Choosing a daycare is one of the first big decisions you make for your child, and it can feel like a lot. Every centre has a website that says caring, safe and fun. The way to see past that is the tour: one visit, the right questions, and a few minutes of simply watching the room.

This guide is written for Lethbridge parents, but the questions work anywhere in Alberta. Print it, save it to your phone, and bring it with you.

Before you book: check the basics yourself

In Alberta, licensed child care programs are listed on the province's own directory, Alberta Childcare Search. You can look up any centre by name or by area and see what type of care it is licensed for and which ages it serves. It takes two minutes and it is the most reliable starting point you have.

It also helps to know the difference between a daycare and a day home. A daycare is a centre with several rooms and a team of educators. A day home is care in a provider's own home, and in Alberta day homes can be licensed, agency-approved or private. Both can be wonderful. Just ask which kind you're looking at, so you know what rules apply.

The 12 questions to ask on your tour

About the people

1. What training do your educators have? In Alberta, educators in licensed centres need early childhood educator certification. Ask whether everyone in the room has it, and what ongoing training looks like.
2. How long have the educators in my child's room been here? Children attach to people. A team that stays is one of the best signs you can find.
3. How many children and educators will be in my child's room? Alberta sets required ratios by age. Ask what they are for your child's group and how the centre covers breaks and sick days.

About the day

1. What does a typical day look like? Listen for a rhythm: arrival, play, meals, outdoor time, rest. Young children feel safe when the day is predictable.
2. How much time do children spend outside? Fresh air and big movement matter at every age. Ask where they go and what happens in cold weather.
3. What is your approach to learning? Montessori, play-based, emergent, a mix? There's no single right answer, but a good centre can explain theirs clearly, with examples.
4. What happens at nap time? Ask about where children sleep, what they bring from home, and how they handle a child who doesn't nap.

About food, health and safety

1. What do children eat, and who makes it? Ask whether meals are cooked on site, whether you can see a menu, and how allergies are handled in the kitchen and at the table.
2. How do you keep the building secure? Who can come in, how pick-up works, and what happens if someone unfamiliar arrives for your child.
3. What is your illness policy? Knowing when your child has to stay home helps you plan your work week before it happens.

About you

1. How will I know how my child's day went? Many centres use an app for photos, meals and naps; others prefer a quick chat at pick-up. Pick what suits you.
2. What are the fees, and what's included? Ask for the full picture: monthly fees, registration, deposits, and what happens with holidays. Then ask about subsidy (below).

What to watch while you're in the room

Questions tell you what a centre intends. The room shows you what actually happens. Spend five quiet minutes just looking.

• ★Are the children busy and calm? A happy room hums. Some noise is good; constant chaos or eerie silence is worth asking about.
• ★How do educators speak to children? Look for warm voices, eye level, and real conversations rather than instructions shouted across the room.
• ★Can children reach things themselves? Low shelves, open materials and child-size furniture mean children are trusted to choose.
• ★Is it clean and cared for? Not spotless, since children are messy, but tidy, safe and well kept.
• ★Does it feel like a place your child would want to be? Trust that feeling. You know your child.

Fees, subsidy and the affordability grant in Alberta

The cost of child care in Alberta depends on your child's age, how many days they attend, and whether the centre takes part in the province's affordability programs. Many families also qualify for the Alberta child care subsidy, based on household income.

Ask each centre two things: are you approved for the child care subsidy, and do you take part in the affordability grant? Then check what your family may qualify for on the Government of Alberta child care subsidy page. Numbers change from year to year, so the government page is the place to confirm them.

After the tour

Write down your impressions the same day, while they're fresh. Compare centres on the things that matter most to your family, not on the one with the nicest lobby. And if you're unsure, it's completely fine to ask for a second visit.