What is your medication policy?

We require that your child remain home for fevers of 100 degrees or higher, diarrhea and vomiting and, of course, anything that is communicable (conjunctivitis, chicken pox, measles, etc.).  If your child becomes ill during the day, temporary care will be provided until you come to pick-up your child.

CHILDREN NEED TO BE SYMPTOM FREE FOR 24 HOURS, WITH NO MEDICATION IN THEIR SYSTEM, IN ORDER TO RETURN BACK TO DAYCARE.

Children’s Castle Daycare Center will administer prescription drugs to children as long as it is in the original container and parents have signed a medication authorization form. Non-prescriptive drugs, such as cough suppressants, orajel, etc., can be administered, however, absolutely NO FEVER REDUCERS or COLD MEDICINES. Please ensure that NO medication is left in the cubbies or reach of children. They should be locked in the med box either in the fridge or your classroom.  Only ECE staff are allowed to administer medicine.

Do you play outside?

The Child Care and Early Years Act stipulates that all children in attendance must be provided with regular outdoor play each day for a minimum of two hours each day, weather permitting. If you feel your child is too ill to play outdoors, we insist that they remain at home. We play outside up to -20 with the wind chill and +30 with the humidX.

When are tax receipts handed out?

Receipts for tax purposes are handed out after our annual audit and by the end of February of each year.

What kind of discipline is practiced?

Children are disciplined in a positive manner at a level that is appropriate for their actions and age in order to promote self-discipline, ensure health and safety, respect the rights of others and maintain the equipment.  At Children’s Castle Daycare, corporal punishment and spanking are strictly prohibited.  We use a sit out method for our older children, especially in aggressive situations.  Constructive re-direction for our younger children is used when the situation warrants.  We will inform the parents of ongoing aggressive behaviours or issues that may arise so that the daycare and the parents can work together in a consistent manner to address these concerns.  In extreme situations, the discharge policy may come into effect for very difficult, aggressive or destructive children.

What is your absenteeism, illness and holidays policy?

Please remember to call and let us know if you child will be away sick.  You may phone after hours and leave a message on our voice mail if you desire.  If your child has an appointment and will be arrive to daycare after 9:30a.m., please give us 24 hours notice, otherwise late children will not be admitted into the daycare after 9:30 a.m. If your child has an appointment and will be arriving after 11a.m., you must feed your child lunch outside of daycare. We do not recommend bringing your child into daycare during nap hours as this disrupts nap time for everyone. 

If you are planning holidays with your child,please let us know in advance. Subsidized children have a limited number of days they can miss, including sick days.  Anything more may result in a direct payment from you. Full-fee parents are required to pay for holidays, sick days and early closing or for any other reason what so ever causing an absence.

What is subsidized care and how do I apply?

The City of Ottawa helps out some families with daycare costs. The City will determine if a family is eligible for financial assistance for childcare. To learn more about this process click the button.

What do you use to sanatize?

We use a bleach and water solution recommended by Ottawa Public Health. 1L of water to 2ML of Bleach.

What are your staff qualifications?

We hire both Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) and non ECE's.  ALL staff require up to date Standard First Aid and CPR level C training,  a recent police record check upon hire date, and experience is always an asset.

Where are you located?

Find out where we are here!

Send us an email and see us on a map!

Is there a registration fee?

We require that the appropriate registration forms are filled out and handed in AT LEAST 24 hours prior to admission.  An immunization form is required by ministry for children that are not attending school. For full fee families, a non-refundable registration fee of $25.00 is required to hold a spot for your child(ren). If you are a subsidized family, your subsidy will move with the child, when there is a subsidized spot available in the next program.

What are your ratios?

We are licensed under the Ministry of Education and follow the Child Care and Early Years Act. We are licensed for 100 children, which are broken down in 6 classes. Our Infant ratio is 1:3, Toddler is 1:5, Preschool is 1:8, and School Age is 1:10. 

How long is the waitlist?

There is no short answer. The list varies and we understand that
can be frustrating. We take our names from the City of Ottawa Child Care Registry and Waitlist. The City prioritizes the applications and we have to follow the the list in priority. 

Do you offer emergency care?

We do offer emergency care IF we have the space available.

Does your staff apply sunscreen to the children when they go outside?

Staff applies sunscreen to the children, which guardian supplies. There is also a sunscreen permission form that needs to be filled out by the guardian before it can be applied to the child. 

Do I have to supply my child's food?

​The only time we request that you bring in your child's food is when they are in the Infant program. During lunch, Infants not yet eating table food, will be served cereals and jarred foods, provided by the guardian. With the exception of Infants, food from home is not allowed. We have many children with life threatening allergies and we want to provide a safe environment for all of our children. We provide  morning snack, lunch and an afternoon snack.

We are not a drop-in Center. Children’s Castle Daycare Center’s policy, is that all children must be in attendance by 9:30a.m. Young children depend on a regular routine for a sense of security. Many of the classes begin important group learning at this time and numbers are also called down for lunch. It is also important that you drop your child off no later than 9:30 a.m. in order to staff within the ratio requirements of our programs. If you are going to be much earlier or much later than you normally are, we ask you to call us and advise us so that we can staff accordingly. We also like to let your child know if you are going to be late, as children sense a change in their routines. 

Can I drop my child off at any time ?

What are your hours?

To learn more about our hours and see which days we are closed, click here 

We encourage families to view the center to see what we are all about. Please make an appointment to come view the center. If you decide to just drop in, we can't promise you that we will be able to show you around because we are usually pretty busy with the children. It is best to call or email us to set up an appointment to view the center. **Please note that we do not show the center between the hours of 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., as the children are getting ready for nap routine.

Am I able to come and view the center ?

At what age do you accept children ?

Children's Castle Daycare accepts children starting at 10 month old up to 12 years old. If your child turns 12 years of age during the school year, they can certainly continue in daycare until the school year ends.

Are taxes included in the price?

Child care is not taxed in Ontario

Read up on some of our frequently asked questions