Bow Valley Child Care Centre provides high quality child care and early learning services for children ages 12 months to 5 years.

We are conveniently located in the heart of downtown Calgary at Bow Valley Square. Our address is 320-255, 5th Ave S.W., Calgary, Alberta T3P-3G6.

Bow Valley Child Care Centre has been in operation since 1986 — over 40 years — with the same executive director.

Yes. We are an accredited child care centre since June 2005 and were a pilot centre for accreditation and re-accreditation.

We believe children learn best through play. Our developmentally appropriate, play-based curriculum supports each child's emotional, social, cognitive, creative, and physical growth in a nurturing, inclusive environment. We also build open, co-operative relationships with every family.

Yes. We maintain a waiting list for families interested in enrolling at Bow Valley Child Care Centre. Visit our Waiting List page to learn how to apply.

Download our Waiting List Application from the Waiting List page, complete it, and return it to BVCCC by mail or in person with your $25 administration fee.

There is a $25 administration fee to join the waiting list. We accept cash, cheque, or e-transfer to bvccc@telus.net.

Wait times depend on your child's age and when families leave the centre. The infant waiting list averages 1–3 years. Toddler and preschool lists are significantly shorter, with much higher chances of admission.

Yes. Tenants of Bow Valley Square receive priority over all other applicants on the waiting list.

We contact families at least one month before a spot becomes available. We receive notices from departing families on the first working day of the month. Most openings occur in the summer when older children leave for Kindergarten.

We host open houses once a year, giving families a chance to tour the centre, meet our Early Childhood Educators, and explore our program planning. Open house details are posted on our website and emailed to families on the waiting list.

For 2025, parents pay a uniform total of $790 per month regardless of classroom. Affordability funding reduces the base monthly fee for all age groups.

Monthly fees include a base fee, Alberta affordability funding (applied as a credit), supplementary fees of $213.75, and food fees of $250. After these adjustments, the total parent payment is $790 per month.

Yes. After affordability funding, supplementary fees, and food fees, parents pay a uniform total of $790 per month regardless of classroom.

To join the waiting list, visit our Waiting List page to download the application. For billing questions, contact us at administration@bvccc.ca or bvccc@telus.net. Fees are subject to change.

Our play-based curriculum includes early learning experiences throughout the day — gym activities, outdoor play, fine-motor activities such as sensory bins and puzzles, and creative expression through art, music, and dramatic play. Early childhood professionals support children as they guide their own learning.

Outdoor play is an integral part of our physical literacy program. All children are scheduled for outdoor time each day, subject to weather. Our outdoor play space features three large play structures with tunnels and slides.

We offer yoga, dance, and music with certified instructors, community presenters (such as firefighters, librarians, and health professionals), and field trips including Telus Spark, the Calgary Central Library, YMCA swimming, and more.

Yes. We host special family events throughout the year, such as Parents Spring Tea, Halloween trick-or-treating, Christmas snacks or lunches, Stampede Parade activities, and Mother's and Father's Day tea parties. Events vary by classroom and availability.

We provide a homemade, healthy lunch as well as morning and afternoon snacks. Meals are served family style, with early childhood professionals and children eating and talking together.

Our menus consider children's ages, nutritional needs, cultural and religious practices, and health needs including allergies. Meals and snacks are reviewed monthly to meet Canada's Food Guide and current nutritional guidelines.

Yes. All menus are posted outside our kitchen, and recipes are available to parents. We employ a full-time cook trained in food handling procedures as per Government of Alberta requirements.

We have many educated, long-term staff. All our staff have current certification in CPR and First Aid and current security clearances. We invest in competitive wages, health benefits, an RRSP program, and professional development.

We use the Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Early Development to recognize milestones in children birth to 7 years. This helps us adapt the curriculum, environment, and interactions to meet each child's individual needs and work toward learning goals set with families.

We invite all families, staff, and community members to participate on our Advisory Team. The team meets throughout the year to review goals, policies, procedures, and planning. Contact us at bvccc@telus.net for more information.

We value your input. Download our Community Feedback Form from the Community page, fill it out, and email it back to us at bvccc@telus.net.

Bow Valley Child Care Centre distributes information to the community via email, including parenting resources, parent workshops, and updates on early childhood development. We also send an annual survey for community feedback.