Full-time Daycare
Playing is a full-time job, looking for quality childcare shouldnt have to be
We’ve ensured our daycare has all the right elements to exceed your needs. Our daycare follows a holistic play based program for children aged 19 months to five years.
Our curriculum aligns with Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework called Flight. This emergent curriculum is focused on children's interests and supports their play and explorations within a responsive learning environment. Play gives children the opportunity to question, communicate, solve problems and develop critical and abstract thinking skills.
Physical literacy is also an important part of our programming. We encourage indoor and outdoor activities for children to develop their gross motor skills with confidence and mastery.
Daycare features:
- Healthy snacks and nutritious lunches following the Canada’s Food guide
- Play centres equipped for blocks, dramatic play, science, a library, art, water, sand, and a manipulatives area
- Gardening program with a horticulturist
- Music classes offered through the Mount Royal Conservatory (Kodaly Music Program) for 3-5 year olds (additional fees apply)
- Annual screening, assessment, and treatment offered by Kin-Dir Education Foundation
- MRU Academy - an afternoon Kindergarten program in partnership with Kin-Dir Education Foundation
Daycare Waitlist & Registration
Our daycare program operates at capacity year-round with an extensive waitlist. In order to be considered for enrollment, you will need to download and complete our waitlist form as soon as possible. We are a licensed facility that must follow regulated age and class size ratios. While on the waitlist, we suggest you also consider other child care options as there are no guarantees for enrolment. (See Guide to Quality Care for help)
Priority on our waitlist is given to:
- Siblings
- MRU Students
- MRU Employees
- General public
Step 1: Please download the Waitlist Form and submit either electronically or hard copy along with a $30.00 non-refundable administrative fee to our Centre (Fees are accepted by cash, debit or cheque to our main office or creditcard online through Plastiq)
Step 2: Once the form and administration fee is received, your child will be added to the waitlist according to the date the application and payment are received. It will then be filed by the child's birthdate
Step 3: We ask that families contact our Centre once a year to confirm that you would like your child’s name to remain on our waitlist. We will also periodically email families to review their contact information and spot on our list. If there is no response you may be removed from the list
NOTE: If there are any changes to your contact information while on the waitlist, please notify our centre right away.
When a child leaves our centre:
- The classrooms go through an internal ‘shuffle’ (unless the child is in our youngest classroom) and move eligible child(ren) to their age-appropriate classroom(s).
- We review our waitlist to identify the next eligible child in order of priority and age.
- Prospective parents will have 24 hours to respond, if declined or there is no reply, we will continue to call and offer a spot to the next eligible child. This process continues until the spot is filled.
- A deposit of one month’s fee is required to secure registration. Deposits go towards your child’s fees for the last month of care.
For a quick look inside our playspace visit our Child Care Virtual Tour (located under Institutional Areas)
Kindergarten at MRU Academy
In partnership with Kin-Dir Education Foundation, MRU Child Care offers afternoon kindergarten classes, Monday through Friday for eligible children at the Centre and also those in the community. Mount Royal Academy programming is based on a child-led model focusing on social emotional learning in a safe and stimulating environment. Kin-Dir Education offers Program Unit Funding (PUF) and Mild Moderate (MM), along with a dedicated learning team to extend learning opportunities outside the classroom and assist student’s individual needs.
Our program will offer your child a safe and stimulating learning experience, involving a great deal of both indoor and outdoor play. Your child will enjoy learning in a variety of ways through play and exploration, books and sensory experiences, listening and creating, and more while our team focuses on building relationships and social emotional learning.
MRU Academy follows the Alberta Curriculum and focus on these specific areas:
- Early Literacy
- Mathematics
- Citizenship & Identity
- Environment & Community Awareness
- Personal & Social Responsibility
- Physical Skills & Well-Being
- Creative & Cultural Expression