Our Programs and Fees
Our regular program operates Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30am to 4:30pm. Extended care, before or after school hours, are no longer available, except on special occasion when requested by a parent.
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The program year runs from September through to the following June in any given year. Please see Starchild Centre Calendar.
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The Centre currently offers infant and toddler childcare programs. Parents are invited to share their knowledge about their children and to visit during the day. Our programs are open-ended and flexible but within a routine framework. Each child is free to make choices, as long as he/she remains within the guidelines of consideration for others.
Infant Program
(Birth to 18 months)
This program provides gentle nurturing care to the infants of working mothers. Here, the caregiver will strive to be in tune with each infant's unique cues and needs and will work in partnership with the family to ensure consistent care in order to create a trusting reciprocal relationship.
Toddler Program
(18 months to 3 years)
Our Toddler program offers very young children unique years of self-development in a safe, tender atmosphere of special understanding, respect and support. We strive to present our young students with a world of beauty that will nurture their sense of ease, joy, and peace.
Preschool Program
(3 to 5 years)
Our preschool activities involve the use of both Montessori and Waldorf pedagogical materials and methods, in a safe and supporting setting, with increased age-appropriate variety, depth, and complexity. Young children benefit from a strong sense of routine and predictability, and we work with a very regular rhythm for our daily and weekly activities. Music and verses accompanied by movement, stories, circle time, practical activities of cooking and baking, gardening, sewing, and artistic activities of painting, modeling and drawing, all contribute to the balanced, joyful, and healthy development of young children.
Daycare rates
(as of August 1, 2025, with Government subsidies applied)
Malta, Shawnigan Lake
Full days: 8 hours per day
8:30am – 4:30pm
With Gov't subsidy in place, parents pays:​
Infant - (0 to 18 mos)
​5 days per week: $544.00 / month
4 days per week: $435.00 / month
3 days per week: $327.00 / month
2 days per week: $220.00 / month
1 day per week: $110.00 / month
Toddler - (19 to 35 mos)
​5 days per week: $535.00 / month
4 days per week: $430.00 / month
3 days per week: $325.00 / month
2 days per week: $215.00 / month
1 day per week: $110.00 / month
Preschool - (3 years and older)
​5 days per week: $580.00 / month
4 days per week: $465.00 / month
3 days per week: $350.00 / month
2 days per week: $235.00 / month
1 day per week: $120.00 / month
Nightingale, Mill Bay
Full days: 8 hours per day
8:30am – 4:30pm
With Gov't subsidy in place, parents pays:​
Infant - (0 to 18 mos)
​5 days per week: $562.00 / month
4 days per week: $450.00 / month
3 days per week: $337.00 / month
2 days per week: $225.00 / month
1 days per week: $125.00 / month
Toddler - (19 to 35 mos)
​5 days per week: $559.00 / month
4 days per week: $448.00 / month
3 days per week: $335.00 / month
2 days per week: $224.00 / month
1 day per week: $125.00 / month
Preschool - (3 years and older)
​5 days per week: $589.00 / month
4 days per week: $471.00 / month
3 days per week: $354.00 / month
2 days per week: $196.00 / month
1 day per week: $120.00 / month
Irregular or drop in Full days
If available space - $95 per day
Friendly Payment Reminder
Payments are due within the first week of each month. To help make our bookkeeping easier, kindly provide payment at no earlier than the 1st of the month.
Note
If your child turns 3 years old, but due to developmental unreadiness, or lack of enrolment space at the 3 to 5 yr. level, the 1 teacher to 4 children ratio requires us to continue charging the infant/toddler rate until your child can be placed at the 3 to 5 yr. level.
Additional options
Regarding Extended care:
To accommodate the needs of some parents, working out of the area, extended care is provided from 8:00 to 8:30 am.
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If a child is dropped off at 8:00 am and picked up at 4:00, there is no extra cost. However, for any care beyond 8 hours or any pickup after 4:30 extended care fees apply. The teachers strongly encourage afternoon pickup just prior to or no later than 4:30 pm.
To cover teacher overtime costs, we must charge extended care fees at the rate of 50 cents per minute.
You know your child best!
Your insights can help your teacher understand and support your child better. Our dedicated educators would love to talk about your child within school hours. If possible, inform or direct questions to your child's teacher or attending teacher at morning drop-off before activities have begun. For sensitive issues feel free to make an appointment.
Unless urgent, last minute, end of the day conversations are discouraged to allow timely dismissal of teachers.
Government Assistance
Government assistance is available to those who are eligible from Ministry of Children and Family Development. Click here or phone 1-888-338-6622 for more details.
8:00: Centre opens for the arrival of extended care children. Free play according to the child's
individual interests.
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8:30: Arrival and greeting of children.
8:45: Teacher-directed table activities. Teacher
presentation of Montessori or Waldorf
pedagogical materials to children, cooking,
science, or math activities. Children use materials
according to individual choice.
9:45: Clean up - Put activities away, hand washing, diapering or toileting as needed.
10:00: Snack time - The Caregiver prepares (parent
provided) snacks for the children and joins children at the table to model healthy eating
habits and table manners. This is a time for
language development and socializing.
10:30: Outside play - Children are reminded to use the
toilet before going out. Gross motor development and exercise with individual
gardening, nature walks, climbing, sand and water
play, and other outdoor activities.
12:00: Children come in for lunch (provided by parents
and prepared by staff) Wash hands, join at tables
by the teacher. Children are responsible for
putting leftovers in the garbage and cleaning their
eating area.
12:00: Lunch - followed by hand and face washing,
brushing teeth
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12:45: Diapering and toilet time before nap.
1:00: Nap Time - children needing to sleep retire to their
own sleeping mat in a darkened room with soft
music. Children's individual rhythm is respected
and, gradually, as children wake on their own, they
join their peers in the main playroom. Those
children who are not sleeping have quiet time with
books, the teacher may read them stories, or other
activities of interest to the child.
2:20: Sleeping children wake up and prepare for snack
time.
2:30: Wash up and prepare for an afternoon snack.
Children put leftovers in compost, recycle and
place dishes in the sink.
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2:50: Teacher-directed table activities. Teacher
presentation of Montessori or Waldorf pedagogical
materials to children, cooking, science or math
activities. Children use materials and self-selected
activities according to individual choice.
Continuation of self-selected activities or organic
gardening, or other outside activities.
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3:30: Outside Play - on nice days; indoor activities on
bad weather days.
4:30: Departure of children. Centre closes.
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Daily Schedule
Please note that the timeline outlined is provisional and may be revised.