When Surrey BC parents evaluate licensed daycare, one of the questions worth asking is: what curriculum does this centre follow? The BC Early Learning Framework is the provincial answer to that question — and whether a licensed centre genuinely implements it is a meaningful quality differentiator.
What Is the BC Early Learning Framework?
The BC Early Learning Framework is a document published by the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care and the Ministry of Children and Family Development, developed in partnership with the University of Victoria. It provides a shared understanding of early learning and care for children from birth to age 8 — spanning licensed childcare, family support programs, and the early primary years of school.
The Framework is not a curriculum in the traditional sense — it does not prescribe specific lessons or activities. Instead, it describes the conditions under which young children learn and develop, and guides educators in creating those conditions intentionally. The four core principles are: well-being and belonging (children learn best when they feel safe, secure, and connected); engagement (through inquiry, exploration, and play); expression (children communicate and make meaning in many ways); and identity (children develop a sense of who they are).
How the BC ELF Shows Up Day-to-Day at Mini Minds
At Mini Minds, the BC Early Learning Framework is not a policy document — it is the practical guide for what ECE educators do each day. Here is what ELF implementation looks like in each Mini Minds program room:
In the Infant Room
Well-being and belonging guides how educators respond to each infant’s individual cues — hunger, fatigue, comfort-seeking — building the secure attachment that the ELF identifies as the foundation for all early learning. Engagement happens through sensory exploration, responsive narration, music, and movement. The infant room is set up to provide interesting things to see, touch, and explore — not to keep babies quiet. See our infant daycare start age and program guide.
In the Toddler Room
Language development is central to toddler programming under the ELF. ECE educators narrate throughout the day — describing what children are doing, naming objects, extending conversations, and asking open-ended questions. The toddler environment is set up with materials that invite exploration and discovery. Conflict between toddlers is handled as a language and social-emotional learning opportunity, not just managed for compliance. See the toddler program at Mini Minds.
In the Preschool Room
The preschool room’s ELF implementation focuses on identity and expression — supporting children as they develop a sense of competence and capability. Learning centres (dramatic play, art, construction, pre-literacy, math) are set up to support inquiry-based exploration. Circle time, structured activities, and outdoor play are all planned with ELF principles in mind. See the preschool program for 3-year-olds at Mini Minds.
Why the BC ELF Matters When Choosing Licensed Daycare in Surrey BC
Many licensed centres in Surrey BC claim to follow play-based learning. The BC ELF gives you a standard to verify this claim. During your daycare tour, look for: Is the room set up with materials that invite exploration, or is it primarily structured for educator-led activities? Do educators talk with children during play, or mainly supervise from a distance? Does the daily schedule allow extended periods of child-initiated play, or is it almost entirely adult-directed? A centre that genuinely implements the BC ELF will have clear answers to these questions and educators who can explain their practice in ELF terms. Use our daycare tour checklist to evaluate ELF implementation at any Surrey BC centre.
Frequently Asked Questions — BC Early Learning Framework Surrey BC
Is the BC Early Learning Framework mandatory at licensed daycares in Surrey BC?
The BC Early Learning Framework is the provincial framework guiding early care and learning in BC. For licensed group childcare facilities, following the ELF is an expectation aligned with MCFD licensing requirements and the provincial Child Care Licensing Regulation. In practice, the depth of ELF implementation varies between centres — genuine implementation requires ECE-certified educators who actively apply its principles, not just a reference to it in a brochure.
How is the BC ELF different from a structured academic preschool curriculum?
The BC ELF is play-based, not academic. It does not prescribe worksheets, lessons, or academic benchmarks for young children. Instead, it guides educators to create environments and relationships where children develop the foundational competencies — well-being, belonging, engagement, and identity — that support all later learning. This approach is supported by decades of early childhood research and is distinct from commercially packaged academic preschool curricula.
How do I know if a Surrey BC daycare is genuinely implementing the BC ELF?
Ask the director or lead educator: “Can you describe how you implement the BC Early Learning Framework in the daily room environment?” A genuine answer will reference specific practices — room setup choices, how educators respond to children’s interests, how conflicts are handled, how the outdoor environment is used. A vague or marketing-style answer suggests surface-level familiarity. At Mini Minds, our ECE educators can describe their ELF practice specifically. See more questions to ask at your Surrey BC daycare tour.
Does following the BC ELF mean Mini Minds does not teach letters or numbers?
The BC ELF does not prohibit pre-literacy or pre-numeracy learning — it integrates them into play-based, meaningful contexts rather than isolating them as academic drills. In Mini Minds’s preschool room, children encounter letters, words, counting, and patterns throughout the day in activities they find engaging — through dramatic play, storytelling, construction, art, and outdoor exploration. Pre-academic skills develop more durably through play-based contexts than through direct instruction at this age.
Are all educators at Mini Minds trained in the BC Early Learning Framework?
Yes. All child-facing educators at Mini Minds hold BC ECE Certificates, which include training in early childhood curriculum frameworks including the BC ELF. ECE certification in BC specifically prepares educators to plan and implement developmentally appropriate programming aligned with provincial early learning principles. Mini Minds’s 100% ECE-certified team means the ELF is understood and applied by every educator who works with children. See why 100% ECE certification matters at Surrey BC daycare.
Mini Minds Childcare | #107 & #109, 19228 96 Ave, Newton, Surrey, BC V4N 4C1 | mmcci.surrey@gmail.com | Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 5:30pm
Related: ECE certified daycare Surrey BC | All Mini Minds programs | Daycare for 3 year olds Surrey BC | Choosing licensed daycare Surrey BC