Sibling Group Care in Coquitlam means both of your kids, or all three, in one licensed home daycare with one caregiver who knows your whole family. Same door morning and pickup. No juggling two schools on opposite ends of the Lougheed corridor.
We've run Love Kids in Coquitlam for over 16 years. Dozens of families have walked in with one child and grown into two, three, sometimes four. The older siblings settle the younger ones on day one. That's the quiet gift of sibling care.
A quick note on ages. We're enrolling ages 3 and up for September. Under-3 sibling spots sit on a waitlist. If your older child enrolls, the younger sibling gets sibling priority the moment a spot opens. Call (604) 338-8020 and we'll add both names now.
What Sibling Group Care Looks Like at Love Kids
We're a small licensed home daycare, not a big centre split into age wings. Your kids share the same yard, the same table at snack, the same caregiver's voice all day. Structured activities happen in age-appropriate small groups, so a 3-year-old isn't doing scissor practice next to a 4.5-year-old on kindergarten prep. Free play, meals, and outdoor time are one family group.
Parents tell us the older sibling becomes their little co-teacher within a week. The younger one wants to do what the big kid is doing. The big kid gets that quiet pride of being helpful. It just happens when kids from the same family share the same days.
A Day in Sibling Group Care
Same rhythm every day so both siblings feel grounded. Fresh themes and materials so they stay curious. Here's what a typical day looks like when your kids are together at our Coquitlam daycare:
| Time | What Siblings Are Doing |
|---|---|
| 7:30 am to 8:30 am | Arrival together, free play, siblings often reconnect before separating into age-appropriate stations |
| 8:30 am to 9:00 am | Family-style breakfast at one table, older siblings model manners for younger ones |
| 9:00 am to 10:30 am | Structured learning in small age groups, circle time, early literacy, hands-on projects |
| 10:30 am to 11:30 am | Outdoor play in the shared yard, gross motor games, siblings reunite for water play or sandbox |
| 11:30 am to 12:15 pm | Lunch as a family group, quiet chat, then a calm handoff to rest zones |
| 12:15 pm to 2:30 pm | Age-separated nap and rest, younger ones sleep, older ones do quiet independent activities |
| 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm | Afternoon creative play, siblings choose to build together or split off, second outdoor block if weather permits |
| 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm | Snack, wind-down, siblings share the day's highlights with the same caregiver at pickup |
The daily rhythm is the same for every child. The activities inside those blocks flex by age. That's how we protect the "one family group" feel and still deliver real, age-appropriate learning to a preschooler while a younger sibling gets what they need.
How Sibling Group Care Works Here
One caregiver, one household, one calendar
Every sibling in our care sees the same ECE-certified provider all day. No shift changes, no room rotations. If your older child had a rough morning, the same person handles the younger one's afternoon nap. Nothing gets lost in a hand-off between staff. And you get one calendar for closures, one holiday schedule, one set of policies. Coordinating two centres is a job by itself. Here it's just Wednesday.
Age-appropriate small groups inside the day
Sibling care doesn't mean everyone does the same thing all day. During structured blocks, a 3-year-old works on scissor skills and letter recognition while a 4.5-year-old does pre-writing and phonics. During free play, they can find each other. That balance is a big reason parents in River Springs and Eagle Ridge pick us over larger centres where siblings barely see each other.
Sibling priority on the waitlist
Under-3 sibling spots are on a waitlist right now. When you have one child already enrolled here, the younger sibling moves to the top of the list the day they're added. We don't restart the queue for new families ahead of siblings of existing families. If a spot opens at 8 am, you get a phone call by 9. That's the whole promise.
Shared paperwork, one enrollment conversation
Each child has their own file, that's licensing. But we walk your family through the paperwork in one sitting, one tour, one conversation about your kids' routines, food, allergies, and comfort items. Adding a second sibling later is a shorter conversation, because we already know your family. See the full family day care program for the parent silo this sits inside.
Why Coquitlam Parents Choose Us for Siblings
ECE-certified from day one
Every caregiver holds their Early Childhood Education certification through the Province of BC. Post-secondary program, background checks, ongoing training. Not a weekend orientation. Our infant care and preschool program pages have more on the training side.
16+ years, still open, still small
Love Kids has served families in Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam since 2009. Dozens of siblings have come through, one child at a time, then two, then off to SD43 kindergarten. Same owner, same space, same values. Longevity in home daycare is rare and it matters.
Maximum 7 children total, licensed
BC's licensed family daycare model caps our home at 7 children total across all ages. When two of your kids are here, they're a big chunk of the group. Not lost in a room of 20. Fraser Health inspects us on a regular schedule to confirm we're at or below cap.
One caregiver, straight through to kindergarten
Kids stay with the same caregiver from enrollment through their SD43 kindergarten start. Siblings who share the space share the whole arc. Your kids' provider knows their tells, their sleep patterns, their food preferences, and their friendship dynamics with each other.
Fees, Subsidies, and What's Included
We charge one monthly fee per child, not per drop-off or per hour. It covers a full 7:30 am to 5:30 pm day, Monday through Friday, all meals and snacks, materials, outdoor gear rotation, and the ECE-certified team.
CCFRI (Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative) drops the monthly fee for every family in a participating program. Love Kids participates. ACCB (Affordable Child Care Benefit) is income-tested and can further reduce or fully cover fees. Two kids in care means two applications, both counting toward your total household support.
When you tour we'll walk through the exact monthly number, the CCFRI amount, and whether your family likely qualifies for ACCB. No line items you don't understand, no "flat rate" hiding surcharges.
Nine things Coquitlam parents should know about sibling group care
Sixteen years of running a sibling-friendly home daycare in Coquitlam. Notes we give parents on every tour when they have two or more kids.
- Tour with both kids in the room. Watch how the caregiver splits attention between a 4-year-old asking questions and a 2-year-old grabbing a book. That's what your mornings will look like.
- Ask about the sibling priority policy in writing. Verbal promises drift. A written clause protects your younger child's spot when the waitlist gets long. Ours is in the enrollment package.
- Look up the Fraser Health inspection report. Every licensed daycare in Coquitlam has public reports. Read the last two before you tour. Ask about anything flagged.
- Sync nap windows two weeks before start. Both siblings do better when home naps already match the daycare's rest block. A rested toddler is a nicer toddler on drop-off morning.
- Label everything, twice. Two kids, two sets of jackets, boots, water bottles, blankets. A permanent marker on every tag saves a Friday detective hunt.
- Stagger start dates by a few days if you can. Starting one on Monday and the other on Wednesday lets the caregiver bond with each one individually. Not always possible, but nice.
- Pack two full changes of clothes per child. Puddle season in Coquitlam runs October through May. With two kids, the odds of a full wardrobe change double.
- Ask how sibling conflict is handled. Kids from the same family squabble. A good provider tells you exactly what they do, the words they use, and when they'd flag it for a parent chat.
- Confirm the pickup handoff covers both kids. Some centres give a card for the older and a hurried "he was good" for the younger. Get a real update on both. That's the whole trust loop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can both my kids really be in the same room together?
Yes. Love Kids is a small licensed home daycare in Coquitlam, so siblings share the same space, the same yard, and the same caregiver. They see each other during free play, snack, and outdoor time. Activities are planned for the right age, but the day itself is one family group. Most sibling parents tell us the older one settles their younger one faster than any adult can.
What ages of siblings can you take right now?
Ages 3 and up have open spots for September. If you have a baby or toddler sibling under 3, those spots are on a waitlist right now. When your older child is enrolled, the younger sibling moves to the top of the waitlist automatically. That's a sibling priority we hold to. Call (604) 338-8020 and we'll put your family on the list.
Is there a sibling discount on the monthly fee?
We keep our monthly fees straightforward and BC's CCFRI reduction and ACCB benefit already lower the out-of-pocket cost for many families with two kids in care. When you tour, we'll walk through the exact monthly number, what CCFRI takes off, and what the ACCB adds if you qualify. No surprise line items.
How does drop-off work with two or three kids?
One stop, one door, one caregiver at the gate. You bring the kids in together, hang jackets on the same hook row, and hand them off in one conversation. Pickup is the same. Most sibling parents tell us the biggest relief isn't the care itself, it's not driving to two different addresses in Coquitlam traffic.
What if my kids fight or one always dominates?
Siblings squabble. We plan for that. During structured activities, older and younger kids are in different small groups, doing different things. During free play they can choose to be together or apart. Our ECE-certified team coaches turn-taking and words for feelings, the same skills any good preschool teaches. Some days they're inseparable, some days they need space. Both are normal.
Do siblings nap and eat together?
They eat together at the same table, which is often a highlight of the day. Nap is separated by age, so the older sibling isn't woken by a fussier younger one and the younger one isn't kept up by an older child on quiet activities. Mats and cots are set up in age zones. Safe-sleep rules apply for anyone under about 18 months.
Are you licensed and inspected?
Yes. Love Kids is fully licensed by the Province of BC under the Child Care Licensing Regulation, and Fraser Health inspects us on a regular schedule. Every caregiver is ECE-certified, background-checked, and current on first aid. The license number and the last inspection report are things you can look up before you even call us.
What paperwork do I need for two kids?
One enrollment package per child. Immunization record, emergency contacts, medical form, photo release, and the CCFRI paperwork if you're using the subsidy. We walk through it together at the tour so nothing gets missed. For a second sibling joining later, we only need the child-specific forms updated, not the whole file redone.
How do I get on the sibling waitlist?
Call (604) 338-8020 or email lovekidsdaycare@outlook.com with both kids' names, their birthdates, and the earliest date you'd want care. We add you to the sibling priority list right away. When an under-3 spot opens up and one of your kids is next, we call you the same morning. No forms, no fee to join the list.
Ready to Book a Free Tour?
Bring both kids. Meet the caregiver. See the space. Then decide. Call (604) 338-8020 or email lovekidsdaycare@outlook.com. Love Kids Daycare Coquitlam, 3007 Pasture Cir, Coquitlam, BC V3C 2C3. Open Mon-Fri 7:30 am to 5:30 pm.