Your child between 19 months and 3 years old is in one of the most exciting — and often most challenging — developmental periods of childhood. At Mini Minds Childcare, our licensed toddler daycare in Surrey BC is specifically designed for this stage: high energy, rapid language development, big emotions, and growing independence. Our toddler program at 19228 96 Avenue, Newton Surrey BC provides the structure, stimulation, and warmth that toddlers need to thrive — while giving Surrey BC working families access to licensed childcare-funded care at MCFD-licensed.
What Makes Toddler Daycare Different from Infant Care?
Toddler daycare is not infant care for bigger babies, and it is not preschool for younger children. The 19-month to 3-year period is developmentally distinct: toddlers are developing autonomy and self-assertion (the “terrible twos” reflect healthy psychological development), acquiring language at an extraordinary pace, learning through physical exploration and repetition, developing parallel and early cooperative play, and beginning to manage big emotions with adult support. Quality toddler daycare — like Mini Minds’ program — is designed around these specific developmental realities, not a one-size-fits-all curriculum. BC’s Early Learning Framework provides the foundation for our toddler programming, emphasizing play-based learning, relationships, and self-regulation.
Mini Minds Toddler Daycare: Surrey BC’s Newton Location
Our toddler daycare is located at #107 & #109, 19228 96 Avenue, Newton, Surrey BC V4N 4C1. We are open Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Our toddler program serves children aged 19 months to 3 years and is structured around small groups with BC-regulated ratios. The toddler room at Mini Minds features age-appropriate learning stations (sensory, dramatic play, art, blocks, books), outdoor time daily (weather permitting), and a predictable daily routine that reduces toddler anxiety and supports self-regulation.
Why Choose Mini Minds for Toddler Daycare in Surrey BC?
- MCFD-Licensed Group Daycare — Mini Minds holds a current MCFD licence. Toddler care is fully compliant with BC’s Child Care Licensing Regulation, inspected regularly by MCFD.
- Regulated 4:1 Toddler Ratio — BC requires a maximum of 4 toddlers per ECE in licensed group toddler care. Mini Minds maintains this ratio — every child gets consistent attention from a qualified educator.
- Certified Early Childhood Educators — Our toddler educators hold valid BC ECE certification. Many hold infant/toddler specialization — specific training in this high-skill developmental period.
- MCFD-licensed — Mini Minds participates in BC’s Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement. Toddler care fees are approximately licensed care rates — approximately $200–contact us for current rates.
- Predictable Daily Routine — Toddlers thrive on routine. Our daily schedule provides predictability (arrival, play, snack, outdoor time, lunch, nap/quiet rest, afternoon play, pickup) while remaining responsive to individual needs.
- Language-Rich Environment — The toddler period is the language explosion stage. Our educators narrate activities, read aloud daily, introduce vocabulary deliberately, and respond to toddlers’ communication attempts with expanded language — supporting the rapid acquisition of hundreds of words.
- Positive Behaviour Guidance — Our educators are trained in positive, developmentally appropriate guidance strategies. No punitive discipline. Emotion coaching, redirection, and co-regulation during tantrums.
licensed childcare Toddler Care: licensed care rates at Mini Minds Childcare
Before BC joined the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement, toddler daycare in Surrey BC cost $1,400–$1,800 per month at licensed centres. At MCFD-licensed centres like Mini Minds Childcare, the cost is now approximately licensed care rates — approximately $200–contact us for current rates full-time. This is one of the most significant family financial relief programs in Canadian history, and it is only available at licensed, MCFD-licensed centres. Families who also qualify for BC’s supplemental Child Care Subsidy (CCSS) may pay even less. See our licensed childcare complete guide and 2026 costs breakdown.
Our Toddler Daycare Curriculum: Surrey BC’s BC Early Learning Framework
Mini Minds Childcare’s toddler daycare program is grounded in BC’s Early Learning Framework — BC’s provincial curriculum framework for early childhood settings. Our toddler curriculum emphasizes:
- Play-Based Learning: Toddlers learn through play — block play builds spatial reasoning; dramatic play builds social and language skills; art builds fine motor and self-expression; sensory play builds cognitive processing. Play is the curriculum.
- Language Development: Daily story time, singing, fingerplays, and narrated play build the vocabulary foundation for the language explosion (typically 18–24 months). Bilingual families welcomed — home language maintenance supported.
- Social-Emotional Development: Emotion vocabulary (“That looks like you’re frustrated — your face is red”), co-regulation during distress, peer interaction coaching (“Can you ask Jacob for a turn with that?”).
- Gross Motor Development: Daily outdoor play for climbing, running, jumping — whole-body movement is critical for toddler brain development and not a luxury.
- Fine Motor Development: Puzzles, peg boards, playdough, finger painting, stacking — building the hand strength and control that feeds into writing readiness.
- Self-Care Skills: Toilet learning support (not training — learning), hand washing, self-feeding, dressing assistance — building independence progressively.
Toddler Care Near Me: Surrey BC Neighbourhoods We Serve
Mini Minds Childcare at 19228 96 Avenue serves toddler daycare families from across Surrey BC and North Delta. Families regularly commute from Newton (local), Cloverdale (96 Ave eastbound), Fleetwood (King George Blvd or 96 Ave), Whalley/City Centre (King George Blvd south), Guildford, South Surrey, and North Delta/Scott Road corridor. Our 19228 96 Avenue address is easily accessible by car from most Surrey BC neighbourhoods and served by Transit BC bus routes on 96 Avenue.
Toddler Daycare Waitlist: When to Apply in Surrey BC
Licensed toddler daycare spots at MCFD-licensed Surrey BC centres are in high demand. While toddler spots are slightly more available than infant spots, wait times at quality centres are still typically 6–18 months. We recommend applying for toddler care at least 6–12 months before your desired start date — earlier if you have a specific September transition in mind. See our complete waitlist strategy guide.
Frequently Asked Questions: Toddler Daycare in Surrey BC
What age is “toddler” for daycare purposes in Surrey BC?
BC’s Child Care Licensing Regulation defines the toddler age group as 19 months to 36 months (3 years) for ratio and licensing purposes. Mini Minds Childcare accepts toddlers from 19 months. Children transition to our preschool program at 3 years (when space is available).
What is the toddler-to-educator ratio at Surrey BC licensed daycare?
BC’s licensing regulation requires a maximum of 4 toddlers per ECE in licensed group toddler care. Mini Minds maintains this ratio — small, responsive groups with consistent primary educators.
How much does toddler daycare cost in Surrey BC in 2026?
At Mini Minds Childcare (MCFD-licensed), toddler daycare costs approximately licensed care rates — approximately $200–contact us for current rates full-time. Market-rate toddler care at non-licensed childcare centres in Surrey BC is $1,400–$1,800 per month. Eligible families may additionally qualify for BC’s Child Care Subsidy.
Do you support toilet learning during toddler daycare?
Yes — Mini Minds Childcare supports toilet learning as a collaborative process between our educators and your family. We follow your child’s readiness cues and your family’s approach. We do not require toddlers to be toilet-trained before enrollment. Pullups and diapers are accommodated. We communicate regularly about your child’s toilet learning progress.
How do you handle toddler tantrums and big emotions at daycare?
Toddler tantrums are neurologically normal — toddlers have large emotional experiences and an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex. Mini Minds educators use positive guidance: naming the emotion (“I can see you’re really upset”), co-regulation (calm presence, low voice, physical closeness if the child allows), redirection after the peak, and reconnection. We never use time-outs, shaming, or punitive responses. We communicate with families about patterns and strategies to align home and daycare approaches.
What is a typical day schedule in Mini Minds toddler daycare?
A typical toddler day at Mini Minds: 7:00 AM arrival/free play → 8:30 AM breakfast/morning snack → 9:00 AM circle time and morning program (art, sensory, music) → 10:00 AM outdoor play → 11:00 AM educator-guided activity → 11:30 AM lunch → 12:00 PM nap/rest time → 2:30 PM wake/snack → 3:00 PM afternoon program → 4:00 PM outdoor play → 5:00 PM quiet activities and pickup preparation → 6:00 PM close. Schedules are adjusted by developmental stage within the toddler room.
Book Your Toddler Daycare Tour — Mini Minds Childcare, Newton Surrey BC
Ready to find the right toddler daycare in Surrey BC for your child? Contact Mini Minds Childcare to book your tour → — see our toddler room, meet our educators, and get your child on our waitlist. MCFD-licensed. MCFD-licensed. Newton, Surrey BC.