If you've been searching "daycare near me" in Coquitlam and wondering who you can actually trust, here's what you need to know about us. Love Kids has been serving families in Coquitlam and the Tri-Cities area for over 16 years. We're fully licensed, fully ECE-certified, and genuinely care about every child who walks through our door.
This isn't a drop-off spot where kids watch TV until you show up. Your child will have a real day here. They'll know their caregiver by name. They'll have a routine that feels familiar and safe. And you'll have the peace of mind that comes from knowing exactly where your child is and what they're doing.
We accept children from 3 months old through preschool age. So whether you have a baby, a toddler, or a preschooler getting ready for kindergarten, we have a spot for them at our daycare serving Coquitlam and Coquitlam.
Licensed Childcare - ECE Certified Educators
Every educator on our team is on the BC Early Childhood Educator Registry. That means real post-secondary training, a criminal record check, and ongoing certification renewal with the Ministry. Fraser Health licenses our facility and drops in for routine inspections plus a full annual review. We follow BC safe-sleep rules for babies, and family child care groups cap at seven children by law. Sixteen years in Coquitlam, families feeding kids into SD43 schools, and a licence in good standing you can look up yourself.
What a Day at Love Kids Looks Like
Kids do better when they know what's coming next. A predictable day helps them feel safe, and when they feel safe, they actually learn and play instead of worrying. Here's what a typical day looks like at our daycare in Coquitlam:
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 7:30 am. 8:30 am | Arrival and morning free play, children settle in, choose activities, reconnect with friends and caregivers |
| 8:30 am. 9:00 am | Morning snack and breakfast, nutritious food together as a group, practicing table manners and conversation |
| 9:00 am. 10:30 am | Structured learning activity, circle time, stories, music, art, or hands-on sensory and early literacy activities |
| 10:30 am. 11:30 am | Outdoor time, fresh air, gross motor play, nature exploration, and physical activity in our yard |
| 11:30 am. 12:15 pm | Lunch, a warm, balanced meal; children help tidy up and transition calmly to rest time |
| 12:15 pm. 2:30 pm | Rest and nap time, quiet time for all children; younger children sleep while older ones rest or do quiet independent activities |
| 2:30 pm. 4:30 pm | Afternoon activity, creative play, dramatic play, building, puzzles, or another outdoor session depending on the weather |
| 4:30 pm. 5:30 pm | Afternoon snack and pickup preparation, children wind down, belongings are gathered, caregivers share highlights of the day with parents |
The rhythm stays the same every day so kids feel grounded. But the themes, art projects, books, and activities change all the time so they stay curious and excited. Consistent structure, fresh content, every single day.
Who Our Child Care Provider Is Right For
Working moms who need full-day care they can count on. You need to know your child's day is handled from drop-off to pickup. We're open 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday. No surprise closures, no shuffling kids between rooms, no guessing. If something comes up during the day, we call you. That kind of reliability isn't a perk here. It's the whole point.
Parents who want more than just supervision. Our ECE-trained staff plan every day with real learning in mind. Early literacy, basic number concepts, social skills, creativity, building and moving. Your child isn't just waiting to be picked up. They're actually growing, every single day.
Families with more than one child. If you have a toddler and a preschooler, or a baby and an older kid, having them all in one place is a huge relief. One pickup, one team, one provider who knows your whole family. We are set up for exactly this. Check out our family daycare options if that sounds like you.
Our ECE-Certified Team
ECE stands for Early Childhood Education. In BC, getting this certification means completing a post-secondary program, passing background checks, and keeping up with ongoing training. It's not a weekend course. When someone has their ECE, they've genuinely studied how children grow and learn at every age.
Every caregiver at Love Kids holds their ECE certification. Several also have the Infant Toddler specialization, which is extra training for caring for babies and children under three. Caring for a 4-month-old is a totally different job than caring for a 3-year-old. Our team is trained for both. See our infant care program if you have a baby.
We've been open for over 16 years. Families who came to us with their first child are now bringing their second and third. Our staff have been here for years, so your child builds real relationships with people who actually know them, not a new face every few months.
We keep our group sizes small on purpose. BC licensing sets a minimum standard for ratios, and we go beyond that. Fewer kids per caregiver means more attention, calmer days, and better care all around.
Nine steps to vetting any child care provider in BC
These come from sixteen years of running a licensed daycare in Coquitlam, the things we find ourselves telling parents on every tour.
- Look up the inspection history first. Fraser Health publishes inspection reports for every licensed facility in Coquitlam. Read the last two reports before you even book a tour, and ask the provider about anything you find.
- Verify the ECE certificate. BC keeps a public Early Childhood Educator registry. Any legitimate provider will hand over their certificate number without blinking.
- Ask the ratio question directly. How many children, how many adults, right now and at peak. In licensed family child care the legal cap is seven children. A provider who answers vaguely is telling you something.
- Confirm CCFRI participation before signing. The Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative lowers your monthly fee automatically at participating providers. Ask, because the difference is real money every month.
- Get on multiple waitlists and check in monthly. Coquitlam infant spots move on phone calls, not on forms. A polite monthly check-in keeps you top of mind when a spot opens.
- Call two current families. Not the references chosen for you, ask for parents with a child the same age as yours. Two five-minute calls beat fifty online reviews.
- Read the contract's exit clauses. Withdrawal notice, fee changes, closure days, late-pickup charges. The boring paragraph protects you later.
- Trust the unannounced vibe. Arrive five minutes early to your tour and listen from the door. Calm hum, adult voices low, children busy: good. Chaos or silence: ask why.
- Watch your child's first week like data. Appetite, sleep, and mood at home tell you how the transition is really going. A rough first three days is normal. A rough third week is a conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours is daycare available?
We're open Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. That covers most full-time work schedules with room on either end. If you have a specific situation, like shift work or an unusual schedule, give us a call at (604) 338-8020 and we'll talk it through.
What ages do you accept for daycare?
We welcome children from 3 months old up to about 5 years old. Our multi-age setup means younger kids learn by watching the older ones, and older kids build confidence by being the "big kids" in the group. Everyone is always in age-appropriate activities, though. A baby and a 4-year-old have very different needs, and we plan for that.
Is your daycare licensed in BC?
Yes, fully licensed through the Province of BC under the Child Care Licensing Regulation. We're inspected regularly, we meet all provincial health and safety requirements, and our license is something you can actually look up and verify. We see licensing as the floor, not the ceiling. In many areas, especially staff credentials and ratios, we go further than what's required.
Do you accept the BC Childcare Subsidy?
Yes, we do. If your family qualifies for the BC Childcare Subsidy (CCSS) or the Affordable Child Care Benefit, we can apply that to your fees. The application goes through the Province, and we're happy to point you to the right resources if you haven't applied yet. Reach out and we'll walk you through it.
What's the child-to-staff ratio at Love Kids?
It depends on the age group. BC licensing caps infants at 4 per ECE, toddlers at 4 per ECE, and preschoolers at 8 per ECE. We keep our groups small, at or below those numbers, because we've seen firsthand how much calmer and more engaged kids are when there's enough adult attention to go around. Ask us about current enrollment when you come in for a tour.
How do I enroll my child?
Start by coming in to meet us. We offer tours so you can see the space, meet the team, and ask whatever's on your mind. If it feels like a good fit, we'll go through the enrollment paperwork together. It covers things like emergency contacts, health info, and your child's daily routine, so we can hit the ground running from day one. We do have a waitlist for some age groups, so the sooner you reach out the better. Call (604) 338-8020 or email lovekidsdaycare@outlook.com to set something up.
How can I verify a child care provider's licence in BC?
Every licensed provider in Coquitlam is inspected by Fraser Health, and the reports are public. Ask the provider for their licence, then look up their inspection history online. We're fully licensed and happy to walk you through ours on your tour, that transparency is the point of licensing.
What questions should I ask on a daycare tour?
Ask about ratios, staff credentials, what a typical day looks like hour by hour, the illness policy, how discipline is handled, and what happens when the provider is sick. Then watch the room: are children engaged, are adults at eye level with them, does it feel calm? The room never lies.
How far ahead should I start looking for child care in Coquitlam?
For infant care, start while you're pregnant; those spots are the scarcest in the Tri-Cities. For toddlers and up, six months ahead is comfortable. Either way, get on several waitlists, check in monthly by phone, and tour in person, spots often go to the family who stayed in touch.