Of all the age groups, infant spaces are the hardest to find. Ratios for babies are small, so rooms are small, and they fill early. If you're planning to go back to work after parental leave, a little planning now saves a lot of stress later.
A simple timeline
- 6 to 9 months before you need care: make a shortlist, check each centre on Alberta's Childcare Lookup Tool, and ask about availability and waitlists.
- 4 to 6 months before: tour your top two or three. Bring our tour checklist.
- 2 to 3 months before: confirm your start date, complete registration and apply for any funding you're eligible for (see our fees guide).
- The last 2 weeks: plan a gentle start with shorter days. Our two-week settling plan walks you through it.
Canada's extended parental benefits can run up to 18 months, so many Leduc families look for infant care for children well past their first birthday. Ask centres which room your child would join at the age they'll start, and when they'd move up. Our start planner shows this for Little Otters.
Questions that matter most for babies
- Ratios: Alberta allows at most 1 educator for every 3 infants under 12 months, and 1 for every 4 from 12 to 19 months. Ask how ratios are kept during breaks.
- Sleep: where babies nap, how often staff check on them, and whether they follow your baby's own schedule.
- Feeding: how bottles, breast milk and first foods are stored and given, and how allergies are recorded.
- Floor time: a calm, clean space for tummy time, crawling and first steps, away from older children.
- Updates: how you'll hear about feeds, naps and diapers during the day. Little Otters shares these through the Lillio app.
Trust your instincts
On a tour, watch how educators hold and talk to the babies. Calm voices, eye contact and unhurried care tell you more than any brochure.
Planning ahead for your baby? See our infant program, then check availability or join the waitlist. We'll let you know as soon as a space opens.
