33 straight answers about childcare at Ideal.

Start with a short enquiry — it takes about a minute and asks only what we need to check availability. We reply with what is open for your child’s age and start date, invite you for a tour, and then send or hand you the full registration package. You can complete that package in person at the centre or have it emailed to you.

Yes, and we strongly recommend it. Book a family tour and come see the rooms, meet the educators, and watch how the day actually runs. Weekday mid-mornings show the centre at its busiest and most honest.

It depends on the age group. The infant room fills first and usually has a wait. Preschool, kindergarten, and out-of-school care move more often. Send us an enquiry and we will tell you honestly where you sit rather than keeping you guessing.

The first 2 weeks are an adjustment period for everyone. It is our responsibility to tell you if your child seems unhappy or if the arrangement is not working. During that period either side can end the agreement without notice, paying only for the days actually attended.

After the adjustment period, changes or withdrawal require 30 days written notice, and fees apply for that 30-day period.

From birth through Grade 6. Infant care covers newborn through 19 months, toddler care 19 months to 3 years, preschool 3 to 5 years, kindergarten 4.5 to 6 years, and out-of-school care Grade 1 through Grade 6. Our summer program is open to all ages.

Academic Pre-K is a newly approved, structured two-hour session running Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 9:00 to 11:00 AM for ages 3 to 5. It follows a deliberate scope and sequence for phonics, math foundations, fine motor control, and classroom readiness. Preschool is play-based and runs all day. Many families do both — Pre-K in the morning, preschool for the rest of the day.

Yes. Academic Pre-K combines with full-day daycare, preschool, kindergarten wrap-around, or out-of-school care. We build a single schedule and a single monthly invoice.

Yes, subject to availability. Full time is roughly 100 or more hours per month; part time is under 50 hours per month. Availability varies by age group and by day of the week, so ask us which days are genuinely open.

We follow Alberta licensing ratios: 1 educator to 6 toddlers, 1 to 8 preschoolers, 1 to 10 kindergarten children, and 1 to 15 school-age children. Academic Pre-K runs in small groups.

We are open Mon – Fri from 6:30 AM – 6:00 PM and closed on weekends and statutory holidays. Please drop off before 10:00 AM, and note that we provide no more than 10 hours of care per child per day.

Breakfast is provided in the morning for full-day programs. Lunch is not provided — please send a packed lunch. Food is not provided for out-of-school / after-school care. Tell us at registration about allergies, intolerances, and any dietary or religious requirements.

Allergies are recorded on your child’s file, posted in the kitchen and the classroom, and reviewed with every educator in that room. Include the symptoms that may occur on the registration form so staff know what they are watching for.

A rest period is part of the licensed day. Children who sleep get a cot with bedding laundered on site. Children who do not sleep have quiet activities on their cot for a shorter period, then rejoin quiet play.

Whenever conditions are safe, yes — usually twice a day. We have a fenced outdoor play area, and we take walking trips to Sakaw Park, St. Richard Park, and the fields around Millhurst Plaza. On extreme weather days we run indoor gross motor activities instead.

Indoor shoes kept at the centre, two full changes of labelled clothing, and season-appropriate outdoor gear. In summer add a sun hat and sunscreen; in winter add snow pants, boots, mittens, and a warm hat. Please leave money, toys, and valuables at home, and check that nothing unsafe travels in a backpack.

Yes. Unclaimed items are held in a lost and found box and donated to the Salvation Army every two months, so please check it regularly. We cannot take responsibility for lost or stolen articles, which is why labelling everything makes a real difference.

Only parents, guardians, and the people you list as authorised on the registration form. You can also list people who are specifically not authorised. If someone we do not recognise arrives, we will not release your child until we have reached you.

We will not release a child to anyone who appears intoxicated or otherwise unable to provide safe care, and we do not permit anyone on site who appears to be under the influence. Local authorities will be notified if necessary. The safety of the children and staff comes first, without exception.

We call you or your emergency contact. You will need to arrange alternate care for the days your child is unwell. Children who are sick cannot remain at the centre, both for their comfort and to protect the other children.

We contact you or your emergency contact immediately and administer medical aid. Depending on severity, your child may be taken to a doctor or to the Grey Nuns Hospital by staff vehicle, daycare vehicle, ambulance, or taxi. Costs incurred are the parent’s responsibility.

Ongoing medication must be recorded on the registration form and provided in its original labelled container with written instructions. Speak to the centre directly before the first dose so we can document the schedule properly.

We ask whether immunisations are up to date on the registration form and keep that on file along with your child’s Alberta Personal Health Care Number.

Fees are due on the first day of each month. There is no fee reduction for statutory holidays or for absence, including illness. A late fee of $20.00 applies after the 10th of the month.

Please pick up on time. Past 6:00 PM, $10.00 applies for the first fifteen minutes per child and a further $15.00 for the second fifteen. Late fees are due on arrival. Three or more late pickups may result in the discontinuation of services, so if you are running late, phone us and arrange an alternate pickup.

Call the centre so we can plan. For your child’s safety, if we cannot reach you or your emergency contact by 7:00 PM we are required to contact the Child Welfare Crisis Unit.

Yes. Please ensure your subsidy authorisation renewal is in place one month before the existing authorisation expires, and that a valid authorisation number is with us on the first of each month. If a number is not available in time, issue a cheque for that month and we will refund you once the subsidy payment arrives.

Returned cheques carry a $25.00 penalty, and certified cheques are required after one returned cheque.

Walking trips are included. Occasional outings carry an additional fee, always communicated ahead of time. Cheques are made out to Ideal Daycare, and a signed permission slip must be returned before departure or we cannot take your child.

We are at 6013 Millwoods Road South in Millhurst Shopping Centre, Edmonton, AB T6L 5X9 — in the heart of Mill Woods. There is surface parking directly in front of the centre.

Most of our families come from Mill Woods, Edmonton, Millhurst, Sakaw, Silver Berry, Tamarack and the surrounding southeast Edmonton communities.

Call (780) 450-1568 during opening hours, email idealdaycareedmonton@gmail.com, or send an enquiry through the registration form.

Yes, for kindergarten and out-of-school care children. Children are walked or transported in our daycare van, with a documented handover at both ends. Note that once a child is on school premises they are in the school’s care, not ours.