About St. Francis

A Canadian Family-Owned Daycare Built on Trust

About St. Francis Daycare: we are a Canadian family-owned daycare serving children from 12 months through Grade 6 across five licensed centres in Edmonton, Viking, and Grande Prairie.

25+

Years Family-Owned

Licensed Centres

12mo+

Ages Accepted From

50+

PD Hours / Educator

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Founded By

A Canadian Family

Our Story

What began as a single neighbourhood centre has grown, one community at a time, into the five-centre St. Francis family.

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Founded by a Family, Built for Families

Our founders saw families struggling to find licensed child care that felt personal rather than institutional.

They opened the first St. Francis centre to fill that gap, and have treated every child like one of their own ever since.

Twenty-five years later, the values have not changed. We are still family-owned, and major decisions are still made by someone who can name your child.

That continuity shows up in our team, too. Many educators have been with St. Francis for over a decade, and the children we once cared for as toddlers now bring their own children.

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Five Centres, One Promise

Each new centre opened at the request of families.

Our five centres operate independently but share the same standards, curriculum, and family-first values in every classroom.

Our Mission and Values

We provide nurturing, high-quality child care that supports each child’s growth and earns every family’s trust. A child-centred philosophy rooted in play, inclusion, and community — delivered consistently across all five centres.

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A Child-Centred Philosophy

Children learn best when they feel safe, seen, and free to be themselves. Every classroom routine, every activity, and every educator interaction is designed around that belief.

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Play-Based Learning

Our curriculum follows Alberta’s Flight: Early Learning and Care Framework, which uses play as the primary engine for early childhood development. Children build language skills, motor skills, and social confidence through structured activities, free play, and outdoor time.

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Inclusion as a Standard, Not a Promise

We welcome children of all abilities, backgrounds, and family structures. Every centre is set up to support neurodiverse children and those with additional needs, with educators trained to adapt activities and routines. We work directly with families and, where appropriate, with allied health professionals, so each child’s care plan reflects their actual needs.

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Rooted in Community

Every centre is built around the community it serves. We partner with local schools, libraries, and parents so children grow up connected to the people and places around them.

What’s Different About St. Francis Daycare

Three things set us apart: the people we hire, the standards we hold ourselves to, and the costs we keep affordable.

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Qualified, Caring Educators

Every educator on our team holds post-secondary credentials in Early Childhood Education or Child Development. All staff carry current CPR and Standard First Aid certification, and many have been with St. Francis for over a decade.

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Below-Minimum Ratios

Alberta requires 1 educator for every 3 infants and 1 for every 8 preschoolers, but we routinely exceed those ratios. On a typical day, that means smaller groups, longer one-on-one moments, and educators who notice the small things first.

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Licensed Across Alberta

All five centres are licensed under Alberta’s Early Learning and Child Care Act and are inspected according to the province’s schedule. Every educator, every classroom, and every meal we serve meets that standard.

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Subsidy-Eligible and Affordable

Every St. Francis centre is approved for the Alberta Child Care Subsidy and the ELCC program. Eligible families pay a small fraction of full fees, with a sibling discount on top.

Our Commitment to Quality

Quality is not a slogan at St. Francis. It is something we measure, audit, and improve every year.

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Accreditation You Can Verify

We participate in the federal and provincial Early Learning and Child Care framework, and Alberta Children and Family Services licenses every centre. Inspection reports are available to any family on request.

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Safety That Comes First

Every centre follows documented illness, allergy, and emergency procedures. Drop-off and pickup are tracked through signed registers, and exterior doors are secured during program hours.

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Ongoing Staff Training

Our educators complete a minimum of 50 hours of professional development each year, covering trauma-informed care, inclusion, language development, and safe sleep. Training is paid and built into the work week, not asked of staff outside their regular hours.

Join the St. Francis Family

The best way to know whether we are the right fit is to walk through one of our centres. Tours run year-round at every location and take about 30 minutes.

Have a question first? Contact us at Info@stfrancisdaycare.ca or call your nearest centre. We will get back to you within one business day.