Published September 22, 2026
A tour tells you more in twenty minutes than a website does in an hour, but only if you know what to look for. This is the list we suggest parents bring to any Chilliwack centre, ours included. Print it, tick the boxes, and compare notes afterwards with whoever else is helping you decide.
Before you arrive
- Is the centre on the Fraser Health licensed list, and what category and capacity does it show? Check the public list before the tour so you can compare it with what you are told.
- What time of day is the tour? A tour during quiet time shows you the room; a tour during free play shows you the program. Ask if you can see both, or at least ask what the room looks like at the busiest point of the day.
People and ratios
- How many children are enrolled, and how many adults are with them at the busiest time? For ages 30 months to school age the regulation requires one educator per eight children.
- Which staff hold ECE certificates, and which are ECE Assistants? Ask to see them.
- Who has current first aid, and is someone with it always on site?
- Do the same educators work with the same children every day? Consistency matters more to a three-year-old than almost anything else.
- How long have the current staff been here? A new centre will have a short answer; that is fine, but you should know.
The day
- Can I see the daily schedule in writing? It should have times, not just a list of activities.
- How often do children go outside, and what happens in the rain?
- Is there a rest period, and what do children who no longer nap do?
- How is the preschool or learning portion of the day run? Ask what a typical morning block actually contains.
- How do you handle a child who is upset at drop-off? Listen for a specific, calm answer rather than a slogan.
- How do you guide behaviour? BC licensing prohibits physical punishment and humiliation; a good centre can describe its approach in a sentence or two.
Food, health and safety
- Who provides food, and what is the allergy policy right now?
- What is the illness policy, and what happens when a child gets sick during the day?
- How do you handle medication?
- What is the emergency plan? Ask about earthquake and fire drills, where children go, and how parents are contacted. Chilliwack is in an earthquake zone; the answer should be specific.
- How is the entrance secured, and who is allowed to pick up?
Money and logistics
- What is the monthly fee, what does it include, and what is extra? Registration fee, deposit, late pickup and any supply fees should all be named.
- Do you participate in the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative, and can you help with the Affordable Child Care Benefit paperwork?
- When are you closed? Statutory holidays, winter break, summer weeks and snow-day policy.
- How do you communicate with parents day to day? Daily updates, an app, a whiteboard at the door: any of these can work, but you want a clear answer.
- Is there a waitlist, and how does it work? First come first served, sibling priority, or something else.
What to notice without asking
- Do the children look busy and settled, or bored and restless?
- Do educators get down to the children’s level when they speak to them?
- Is the room organised so children can reach materials themselves?
- Does anyone greet your child, not just you?
- Would you be comfortable here at 4:30 on a dark November afternoon?
After the tour
Write down your impressions the same day, while they are fresh. If you tour more than one centre, score each question the same way. And bring your child. How they react to the room, and how the educators react to them, is information no checklist can give you.
Tours at our centre run after 2:30 p.m., after the morning program has wrapped up. You are welcome to book one and bring this list.
Sources: BC Child Care Licensing Regulation (staffing, guidance, emergency and medication requirements); Fraser Health Community Care Facilities Licensing; Government of BC, Parents’ Guide to Selecting and Monitoring Child Care in BC.
