Reviews of Discovery Child Care Centre (Kindergarten)

Nicky van der Walle Elson

I wanted to take a moment to write a review about discovery child care because i feel like it is one of the best centres around. I was hesitant about daycare centres and I wanted nothing more then to stay home with my little and watch her everyday. After visiting a few different centres, I accidentally found discovery on Harvey road, and I think it was fate. We knew we had waited too long to find a spot for our little and that the wait lists would be super long. But I called for a tour and immediately fell in love with the grounds. So much outdoor space for the littles to learn and play. The staff is very friendly and answered all my crazy questions. I knew this was the place for our little. There was a part time spot that was available ( much sooner then I was ready for ) but I thought ok 2 days a week to start, we can both get used to it. And am I ever glad we took the spot. A few tears at first, some getting used to new faces, but now when we get to ‘school’ she runs off and doesn’t look back. She loves her teachers and her friends. I pick her up and she is full of dirt from head to toe, with the biggest smile on her face. And that is why I know this centre is amazing. Because my kid is happy. Because leaving my baby for the day and having her learn and grow in such a wonderful environment and experience so many new things is what it’s all about. I want the best for my baby. That’s why we chose discovery. Highly recommend

Mike Coleman

Good place. Could be better prices

Laughing Loon Fishing

Our daughter has been attending for a few months now and she always looks forward to going in the mornings. The staff are professional but seem to make the needed connection to each child. We love how they encourage outside activities and our daughter is always exhausted after a day at this amazing facility. We feel safe knowing our little pride in joy is in such good hands.

Kyle & Michelle H

I have worked here for almost 17 years and I am impressed with the direction Chris and Karen have taken Discovery over the last 17 years. Their passion and commitment to children and the environment is truly inspiring and I have learned a lot over the years. They offer competitive wages, benefits after 6 months and a really nature based environment for children to thrive in. I have watched some of our children start in infant until they go off to school and it is amazing to watch their growth and development over the years. I have also been amazed by our staff, they are constantly doing Professional Development to improve their programs and they follow the children's lead. Our staff build a bond with each child and you can see it in their daily interactions. I can't imagine working anywhere else!

Guy Gagnon

Our children have both attended Discovery from the infant room on into preschool and the forest school. They've both love attending and have great connections with their friends and the staff.

Lindsay Webb

Awesome place to work! Benefits...competitive wages...professional development...outdoor based education....fun, welcoming co-workers...supportive management!!! I am a current employee of Discovery and I would recommend this centre for employment for any RECE'S or assistants. All staff are welcoming and friendly, great group of girls to spend your days with. They all genuinely care about the kids in their classrooms and it's visible in the programs they provide. Management is very knowledgeable and supportive. They provide a lot of opportunities and professional development for everyone. They too care about the staff and children, they are actively involved in the programs at Discovery. The owner is a permanent educator in the forest school program and is always excited to share new ways to get the children involved in the natural environment. I would highly recommend any one new or experienced in the field of child care looking to pursue a career in the field! L.W.

Heather G

My daughter attended Forest School at the Harvie Road location last year after we had to make a sudden switch from her former child care centre. The transition couldn't have been more smooth and our experience couldn't have been more positive. We loved it so much and were so confident in the philosophy of the centre, that we enrolled our son the next year in the toddler program at the Big Pay Point location. Some observations from my daughter's experience in the Forest School program at the Harvie Road location: - she loved her teachers (Lisa and Michelle) and would willingly run into their arms to give them big hugs at the end of each day. - she even loved the cook and the office manager ("office Michelle") and always wanted to say goodbye to them at the end of each day too. - she was more willing and able to share stories about all of the cool adventures and experiences from each day (since there seemed to be so many more of them). - she was a calmer child after pickup.. we think this was in part, due to how much time she got to spend outside each day. We also think it was due to how well she was fed. The transition time was very transparent - I was allowed to stay and "play" with my daughter on several occasions and I got to witness how generous and healthy the food portions were. - the communication with parents was excellent... the blog and Facebook updates gave us a wee glimpse into the fun / educational things the children got to experience. - the structure of the Forest School is truly amazing - giving kids the freedom to explore, discover and use their imaginations to create their own fun. We loved how the children were encouraged to challenge themselves with ropes, saws and more! We even loved how the kids were allowed to get as dirty as they liked!! We didn't mind the extra laundry since we knew that it was a necessary part of having fun and enjoying nature! Some observations from my son's experience in the Toddler program at the Big Bay Point location: - the staff were extremely warm and friendly and made sure his and all kids needs were being met. - I watched the staff tirelessly hold and comfort other children who were also new to the centre and needed lots of love. - they still managed to incorporate fun / educational discovery experiences into both the indoor and outdoor programming. - much like the Forest Program, the toddlers spent a great deal of time outside (weather permitting). - he loved ALL of the staff including Jessica, the office manager, and all of the teachers in the preschool room upstairs since they cross paths so often. - we also love and appreciate the staff.. they are very professional in all interactions with us and seem to have lots of fun with the kids. - his transition to the Preschool room was super smooth and he now gets to learn and grow with the older kids. We feel so fortunate to have found Discovery and are so thrilled to think about how both of our children get to benefit from this centre. You will not find a daycare that fosters a greater love for nature and the outdoors. Thank you Karen so very very much for dreaming up and creating this amazing, safe place for children to learn and grow! Thank you to all of the staff that give so much of themselves every day. You are very much appreciated!

James Burns

Our son absolutely loves this daycare. Prior to Discovery, we had him with an in-home day-care and also with a larger daycare facility and he just did not enjoy those, to the point where he didn't really want to go. Once we switched over to Discovery things couldn't have been more different. He looks forward to it every day and comes home happy; albeit exhauisted. His teachers, Lisa and Michelle are incredible! They take the time with him (he can be a handful at times), they help provide him guidance and discipline him when its needed (appropriately) but they really seem to care; we couldn't be more thankful for all their hard work. They provide newsletters monthly, which are great to read through and keep parents informed. I honestly can't think of anything that I would complain about or wish they did differently. If you are thinking about a daycare for your child and Discovery is on your list, you will not be disappointed by choosing it.

Lesley O'May

My son has been at Discovery since I returned to work and he loves it. Most days he doesn't want to come home with me and he has to say Bye to certain staff every afternoon. I have to commend Karen and Michelle for the staff they have at the facility, they are great with the kids. I can't imagine that it is easy to find staff that work well together and with the kids they have and you have done an excellent job of that.

Kevin Hodgson

Very unreliable place with people who don't take their responsibilities and who prefer to lie to cover their mistakes. We were in love with the concept of this daycare and registered our son on the waiting list in 2018 for January 2020. When we did so, the person who gave us a tour told us we were first in line for 2020 and that they didn't even have a made up Excel sheet for that year yet. Great! It means we're almost 100% certain of being admitted if we're first on the waiting list. First, they cannot tell you 3 months prior your hypothetical start date if they can take your child... it's a bit late and stressful but ok, we were really in love with this place, so willing to wait. I called 3 months prior the start day and they announced me my son is fifth on the waiting list... We asked for an explanation as we needed to understand what happened. First, they told us that all the spots were filled with babies who already had siblings there (they're the priority on the waiting list). Hard to believe of course, as it would mean they don't accept newcomers at all. When I told that to the director, he changed his speech and said something like "no we have newcomers, they registered before you did". Which, of course, we know it's a lie. To make it short, they didn't even try to find a solution, they hid behind lies to cover their mistake. Mistakes do happen, but when they do, you try to fix them and offer a solution. We're aware they couldn't give us what we needed but they could have come up with their best solution. They didn't. Finishing our conversation with a lie was the end of it.

Lisa Simmons

Love working at Discovery. Enjoy working with a really wonderful team of people. Love all of the children and families.

LO

My son has been at discovery since he was an infant and we love the experience he has gained there. Not only has he developed and socialized greatly but the time they spend outside every day and the staff interaction and activities are great. My only complaint is that once a child reaches the preschool room, i find the daily communication to be quite different. I typically have to ask specific questions to get details of his day (sleep time, what and how he ate etc) and you don't tend to find out if there is anything specific he did during the day or enjoyed. I get that typically as kids age they should be able to provide you information but you start this room at 2.5 yrs old so it is hard to get the information of their day from them at that age. All in all it isn't a deal breaker, we are very happy with this facility and highly recommend it to others!

Jessica Holder

I have worked at Discovery for over 3 years. I have been supported every day both personally and professionally throughout my time at Discovery. As a passionate and dedicated RECE, I firmly believe this is an exemplary representation of a high-quality child care center that values engagement, well-being, belonging and expression for the staff and the children in their programs. I have been supported 100% along my journey by management as I pursue further education in the field and have been given a variety of opportunities to take part in fabulous professional development in our county. The management team is truly invested in my career and I feel beyond grateful to get the opportunity to be a part of this Discovery family. The management team, and staff at Discovery are welcoming, supportive, and caring. I genuinely look forward to coming to work daily to get to do what I love, with a team of amazing people. I have happily spent my over 3-year employment collaborating with all the staff, families and children and I look forward to more years to come! -Jess :)