Although we did not end up using Tina's daycare because we were working on finding a short term…read moreplacement for our daughter while we were in the city staying for my medical appointments. We had emailed to inquire about the services, and while most would have probably ignored us because we weren't in their realm of care providing - we received a pleasant response that they offer longer term care and that they weren't what we were looking for and even gave some suggestions which was above and beyond. We really appreciated this and if one thing speaks to a parent more than anything when reaching out to daycare providers or nannies is that professional communication and understanding care goes along way anad can be seen through almost immediately. If you are looking for longer term daycare options then I definitely wouldn't hesitate to reach out to this daycare, and I hope you have a great experience from there!

Before Tina, we had poor experiences and she has opened our eyes to what positive learning and…read morefamily morale in the daycare environment is like. As a mom, I cannot possibly put into full words just how much Tina means to our family. She loves her kids like they're her own! And that takes a special kind of people to do.

One of our sons has been here since October 2019, so there was a few months they were closed and we…read moreleave the country this month. It was recommended to us by two neighbourhood families, who both said the care was the best they had experienced. Judy who owns it is amazing. Our son had never been anywhere for care and was very reluctant to be with strangers before this. But from the first week, he skipped in everyday. The care and attention is amazing, the staff are all very pleasant and loving towards the children. Judy is extremely good with all the kids, particularly ones struggling with settling ( I've seen a few kids on their first days with her, and she is great). They have a huge room and use of a gym upstairs a few days a week, along with a nice playground outside. They were always open to families coming to see the place at any time ( pre Covid). During the closedown, she kept us informed, and is running a very tight ship with the new regulations- the place is deep cleaned all the time and the set up adhere to the new guidelines. We're very sad to be leaving- I can't recommend them enough.

This daycare does a great job of watching children and helping them progress in their early years…read more They provide special attention to each child and makes them feel right at home. They even have before and after school programs where they will drop-off and pick-up kindergarten kids at Davisville Jr. PS. Overall a good daycare. Sad to leave but our kids have to grow up sometime.

- Both my children attend this daycare facility and I am quite pleased with the attention and care…read moremy children receives. -This daycare is very clean and all the staff are friendly. They work hard and still stay focused on child care needs. -Their food policy is that they provide meals and snacks and they do not allow "outside food or drinks". - The facility is children friendly with washrooms and toilets that are made specifically for little humans. - They are more than just a daycare, they strive to help your child/children build on fine motor skills and many other helpful skills that will enhance your child/children's day-to-day lives. - The staff are always trying to find new ways to incorporate a modern way of childcaring and they are very engaging. For Example: There are always activities for parents/child/children to participate in, raffle drawing for prizes, light refreshments, and so forth. They provide an opportunity for parents to participate, learn and grow with their child/children through these activities. - They use the Lillio App for smart devices so that you may be informed about your child/children's activities during the day and washroom breaks, meals times and how much was consumed, the menu, and even a photo or two per week of your little one.

The BEST director " MICHELLE". She respects all: children, families and her staff too.read more

Looking for daycare I wanted more than a simple place where my child was taken care of, I was…read morelooking for a place that provided more for both me and my son. I found that with Kids & Company, a partner that helps me educate my child in his early years with great activities and programs, provides amazing food, hosts family events and most of all has a wonderful and caring staff. This daycare has exceeded my expectations in every aspect.

In general, Mother Craft-Avondale provides a reliable service, but it is not up to par. It is a…read morepositive thing that there are a few good teachers who take care of the kids well. The Manager and a couple of teachers show signs of discrimination. Discrimination is not acceptable in any part of the world especially in Canada. Due to the fact that our kids are in day care, I am unsure where to file a complaint. They might be more affected if the complaints are straightforward. Couple of parents I spoke to also have the same issues. I am sincerely hoping the Director of Mothercraft Avondale, as well as the top management at Mothercraft Avondale, takes note of this review and warns or provides training to those teachers and manager.

Overall, I am quite happy. And yes, the waiting list is quite long, I went on the list when my son…read morewas 3 months, and we have started attending when he was 2.5 years old. Right now the preschool price is 1180 (for year 2012). The good: - I find the program to be quite varied, there is an ambudance of good toys and books, that are not just fund, but educational. - Right now there is Yoga and Music on alternating weeks and library visits for kindergarden group. - There is a water day every week during summer, when kids get sprinklers and all sorts of water toys. - most of the staff is great, the children get picked up and physically cared for when they're upset. They also seem to be quite sincere and genuinely interested in small children. - some food from home are allowed: we are bringing organic milk, bread and cereal. - a fair size yard for outdoor play, with sand box and, could be bigger and better of course, but compared to what most daycares have it's very good. And lots of outdoor toys. It's a bit too shaded, which is good in the summer, but no sunshine in the winter. I think I have only seen bigger yards in schools, or in a few suburb private schools such as Montesorri or Waldorf. - Also, weather permitting, kids stay longer outside than mandated minimum for the second outing, which is great! - GREAT: a report is put up of how much kid ate, when they slept and what was the program for day (this way on the way home you can follow up with your child a bit). Could be better: - food - breadsticks should not see daycare even as snack. Neither should wonderbread. It's better to serve local fruits and veggies - they have more vitamines. Porridges are unheard of here (except rice). It's not bad menu, but sure could be improved. I also don't see the merit of milk with lunch. I'm sorry, milk is food, not drink, just like soup. And drinking milk along lunch with meatballs is just wrong by any established cuisine. Morning snacks are cold, which in the winter is bad. Milk is always served right out of the fridge btw. Gee, skip all the GMO corn cereal and serve everyone a mug of organic hot chocolate (warmth, iron, calcium and calories). Or nice oatmeal, polenta or buckwheat porridge (either can be prepared day of or day before and reheated). - too much sanitization w/ clorine. Better don't let street shoes and sick kids in and wipe runny noses promptly. And it seems to have been established that triclosane soap (anti-bacterial one) is not a good thing on daily basis. My sister with PhD in Bio says the same - it just kills all the flora and weakens immune system. Yet, the kids are using this type of soap. We personally have our own - it is allowed. - it's a bit chilly in the winter - around 20C - I'm a bit upset with all the waste with papertowels, especially when there is laundry on site. Although after lunch kids use damp clothes to wipe their faces.

Worst contract we have ever seen for a daycare. They want you to sign a contract that states that…read moreyou agree to leave your child there for a minimum of 18 months, otherwise you will lose the $1200 deposit. They also expect you to give them first month's fees (which are currently sitting at $2,025 a month) plus the $1,200 deposit and a $300 administration fee to hold the spot. We also were dismayed by the reaction from Ms Seema ( Head Administrator) about some worrisome reviews we read online about how the kids were mistreated in two particular cases. Instead of going into damage control mode and try to alleviate our fears she just said "I thought you would have read those reviews before making an appointment." We were taken aback. I thought she would have said something along the lines of "those are isolated situations and the staff were dealt with accordingly"... " we strive to provide a safe and healthy environment for your most child" But no, nothing - just condemnation for not reading the bad reviews BEFORE we made an appointment. Luckily were were on several list and didn't have to choose this place because of lack of spots. Our thinking is they don't have waiting lists because they hope to snag the few parents that are desperate to get their kid in a daycare spot then try and lock the parents into a draconian contract that financially penalises them excessively if they decide this place is not the right fit for their child. The toddler section was pretty much empty and when we dug deeper it appears they have trouble keeping kids for more than 6 months. Most daycares are so incredibly difficult to get into, and the toddler spots are even more scarce. So this is another red flag. Please Note: The actual staff we did meet were very nice except for Ms Seema who was pleasant until we had some questions. I seems the owner and Ms Seema have known eachother since the early days of this place. They seem to be the issue.

My daughter has been at bluebird for a little over two years. She absolutely loves it. It's a weird…read morenotion to have your child ask "can I go to school" on a Saturday.

This is going to make me emotional. I mean, this daycare centre is full of love. They treated my…read moreson like he was their own child. Lorna, Jeff, Katie, and Rudy are just awesome folks. If you want to feel secure in leaving your child at a daycare, choose Friends. I cannot tell you how much they touched our lives. They are attentive, caring and very professional. The facility is comforting because it's in the Quarker Society house on Lowther. It's clean and they have a playground as well as a park across the street. They go on field trips as well. Not only that but they also offer JK/SK and Lorna is a great teacher. My son learned SO MUCH in one year of JK that he spent there. It definitely put him ahead.My son had already been back to visit and I have a feeling he will continue to well into adulthood.

I have had two kids go through this daycare. I really cannot speak highly enough of it. We have…read morebeen through other daycares and there really is nothing like the "friends" experience. They create structure, but don't get bogged down by it. They offer life experience and spend as much as possible exploring through play as a teaching tool. Especially in their backyard oasis. They even offer music enrichment classes. One of the great things about friends is that there are children from the age of two to five all in the same room. Again, this offers a family experience. The staff are also excellent. They spend a lot of time working with the needs of you (yes, you) and your child. The staff here can tell exactly what kind of morning both you and your child have had when you arrive. And they truly help out when it's time to say goodbye to your little one. For anyone in the U of T area who wants an affordable and unique daycare experience, I highly recommend Friends.

- Variety of programming was strong…read more - Teaching/teachers/teacher support ranged from good to excellent - Management was sketchy: Our child was put on the waiting list for Centennial Infant and Child Centre (CICC) Private School just after birth. He ended up starting at the same time as another child who was one year younger but with the same diagnosis. Our child was only offered and attended the afternoon classes for four days a week for two years, whilst the other child attended the morning classes for five days a week for three years. Therefore, unfair for our child. Also, when we requested an even partial refund for classes and van services cancelled by CICC which we were denied, management told us that if we didn't like it to go somewhere else. We feel that our child missed out on early intervention that he should have received from CICC. In the end, we felt that our child was left behind and our strongest memories from Centennial Infant and Child Centre are about their deceptive and disappointing administrative practices.

Centennial Infant Child Care (CICC) is legit the cream of the crop of preschools for kids with…read morespecial needs. If you want to learn about proper inclusion of typically developing kids with kids with exceptionalities, this the *the* place to do it. My son has attended for 2.5 years and we are on the other side of the city but putting him in a closer daycare is not even a consideration when I see the kind of quality education my son is getting. The teachers are HIGHLY skilled in teaching and caring for every kind of exceptionality you can imagine. When you walk into a CICC classroom, every single child is smiling, calm, engaged, interacting with peers and their adult volunteer and knows exactly what they need to do and how to do it. If our public schools could learn how to use the strategies that CICC teachers and staff use, you would see a completely non-violent and enlightened society in one generation. They have mastered the skill of celebrating each child's uniqueness while still being a valued member of each classroom and the school as a whole. This in not the case with every child but for ours, he has only cried one time due to frustration about a toy. The kids are so engaged and happy, I almost never see them fighting about toys, lining up, who was first, who took something from whom, etc. They are all friends and respect each other - and for 3 and 4 year olds, that's pretty amazing. This is a direct reflection of the how this schools has created a beautiful/caring/nurturing environment where all kids feel safe and happy. And THEY DO IT ALL WITHOUT SCREENS. ;) CICC will forever hold a special place in my heart and I am forever changed by witnessing what school should be for every child everywhere.