Parenting & Family

ChildVenture is cheaper now.. but dose it worth it?

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Newbie
Oct 25, 2010
34 posts
18 upvotes
Toronto

ChildVenture is cheaper now.. but dose it worth it?

I'm looking for better daycare for my 14 month son, current day care is very close to my home and dose a good job taking care and burning his endless energy. But after realizing the current day care don't really teach much, not even baby sign language, only circle time. So I am planning to switch, perhaps when he is 18 months.

First one we went visit was ChildVenture in Vaughan, about 18% cost more than my current daycare. They are asking about $1650 for infant, mine is about $1350 a month. i read people's command in RFD, it used to be around $1800 just 3/4 years ago. Impressive food menu, not junk food like chicken nugget and pizza, when i entry the facility, i smell nice food that I myself want to eat!! and it provide better breakfast than the current daycare (cereal and milk). It seems well organized and of course good facilities. I see like 10 infant line up going between rooms.. wow... IMPRESSIVE (sorry if i sound silly ;-) For better education, food and environment, webcam monitoring. it seems to be reasonable price (if i can afford ;-). down side is it makes me feel like its a franchise that only want my money and too good for marketing. It totally win our heart, but just want to research throughly before switching.

For reviews about CV, most people complains about expensive but only found one comment that the kid actually go there and he likes it. now the price is lower just wonder if its still reasonable? or perhaps I can find a cheaper daycare/school with same facility and good education?


# Child Venture Menu
http://www.childventures.ca/nutrition.php
28 replies
Deal Addict
User avatar
Aug 15, 2003
1100 posts
395 upvotes
bossanesta wrote: down side is it makes me feel like its a franchise that only want my money and too good for marketing.
That was my impression visiting Child Ventures (Leslie/Elgin Mills location). I decided not to enroll my child there, but our neighbours had their kid there for a while and seemed to like it.
Banned
Oct 18, 2013
54 posts
3 upvotes
Toronto, ON
personally I've come to realize that a mother's first instinct about the decisions for her child are always the right ones.

if ur first instinct was "i don't like this" then don't send ur kid there.
Sr. Member
May 17, 2006
605 posts
191 upvotes
My son's daycare has all this and more, and they don't make us feel like a number. Every office staff member knows our first names, as do most of the teachers. My son is in their JK program (it was cheaper than before/after care in my area) where they follow a great curriculum presented to all the parents before they enrolled. They're catered by Real food for real kids that's all organic...

Every day care is different. You need to visit and interview lots to see the differences and make up your mind. CV sounds like a good place. Good luck.
Newbie
Dec 10, 2007
50 posts
11 upvotes
I am normally a lurker and try not to post in the parenting forum as some members are very passionate about their views. But I was looking for the same information when I was looking for a montessori school for my infant daughter and hope that this will help you.

Our daughter is currently a student in the Toddler program at CV Vaughan and has been going to CV since 10 months old. We purposely started her at 10 months instead of a year old, so in case we don't like the daycare we can pull her out before I had to go back to work. We love the school (we called it school and not daycare, because we truely think our daughter is learning a lot from them). They even had picture day, how they can get a 18 month old to sit still (at the typical school portrait angle) to take multiple shots of her is beyond me.

I will focus on the learning part since that what you are looking for. I had started taking a sign lauguage class with my daughter at 6 months old, but she didn't start using them until she started at CV. She started to use the sign for "milk", "more" and "eat" within a month of starting there. They also encourage art, we have 2 big boxes of her art work that was sent home. I like that the school try to teach the students different event/holidays, in the art that was sent home, she had made gifts for mom and dad for mother's & father's day, New Year Party Hat, St Patty's art with green paint, etc. There was a Christmas concert where all the kids participated in, for the toddler class, they learned and sang 3 Christmas songs. I am not sure what the typical progress for a 2 years old might be, but my daughter who just turned 2 knows all the alphabets and can count to 10.

We actually never felt that they just want our money. Everyone in the school including other teachers in other grades knows my daugther by name and the front desk and all the teachers in my daughter's grade knows my husband and the grandparents as they do the pick up and drop off. We had never asked to pay anything extra than what we pay monthly. Since we started her at CV before she can communicate with us, we can only based on her actions to let us know if she likes it. Some examples: When she was sick and we had to keep her at home, she would wait by our front door to go to school. My daughter will run up to her teachers and give them hugs (she is a very shy girl and very reserve). At home, my daughter will take her books and hold it like the teacher and read to imaginary space in baby language. My MIL who was against us sending her to 'daycare' so early (she thinks they will just leave my daughter by herself and will mistreat my daughter), well after a few months of picking up my daugher once a week, she has changed her view completely and has been telling all her friends how good the school is.

And YES, the food is amazing.

I don't doubt that there are other schools/daycares that will provide the same happy, safe and educational place for kids, all daycare/school should be like that. We are glad that our daughter likes CV, sure it's a bit more expensive than other facilities, but the way we see it is, as long as she is safe and learning, the cost will only be for a few years. Hope this helps.
Deal Expert
Oct 6, 2005
16872 posts
2557 upvotes
bossanesta wrote: I'm looking for better daycare for my 14 month son, current day care is very close to my home and dose a good job taking care and burning his endless energy. But after realizing the current day care don't really teach much, not even baby sign language, only circle time. So I am planning to switch, perhaps when he is 18 months.
Daycare generally only provide "care", if you want a formal academic program, consider pre-school instead. York Region has several very good Montessori schools.
Newbie
Oct 25, 2010
34 posts
18 upvotes
Toronto
rachelo321 wrote: personally I've come to realize that a mother's first instinct about the decisions for her child are always the right ones.

if ur first instinct was "i don't like this" then don't send ur kid there.
but i am a father... well.. my wife loves cos it looks fancy and clean :-p

Thanks for your input. :-)
Newbie
Oct 25, 2010
34 posts
18 upvotes
Toronto
coolspot wrote: Daycare generally only provide "care", if you want a formal academic program, consider pre-school instead. York Region has several very good Montessori schools.
em.. ChildVenture provide Montessori also. Some day care already teach things like baby sign language.. its amazing to see infant line up with smile some infant daycare.. comparing i see my kid only play by himself in current daycare :-(
Newbie
Oct 25, 2010
34 posts
18 upvotes
Toronto
nmkt_girl wrote: I am normally a lurker and try not to post in the parenting forum as some members are very passionate about their views. But I was looking for the same information when I was looking for a montessori school for my infant daughter and hope that this will help you.

Our daughter is currently a student in the Toddler program at CV Vaughan and has been going to CV since 10 months old. We purposely started her at 10 months instead of a year old, so in case we don't like the daycare we can pull her out before I had to go back to work. We love the school (we called it school and not daycare, because we truely think our daughter is learning a lot from them). They even had picture day, how they can get a 18 month old to sit still (at the typical school portrait angle) to take multiple shots of her is beyond me.

I will focus on the learning part since that what you are looking for. I had started taking a sign lauguage class with my daughter at 6 months old, but she didn't start using them until she started at CV. She started to use the sign for "milk", "more" and "eat" within a month of starting there. They also encourage art, we have 2 big boxes of her art work that was sent home. I like that the school try to teach the students different event/holidays, in the art that was sent home, she had made gifts for mom and dad for mother's & father's day, New Year Party Hat, St Patty's art with green paint, etc. There was a Christmas concert where all the kids participated in, for the toddler class, they learned and sang 3 Christmas songs. I am not sure what the typical progress for a 2 years old might be, but my daughter who just turned 2 knows all the alphabets and can count to 10.

We actually never felt that they just want our money. Everyone in the school including other teachers in other grades knows my daugther by name and the front desk and all the teachers in my daughter's grade knows my husband and the grandparents as they do the pick up and drop off. We had never asked to pay anything extra than what we pay monthly. Since we started her at CV before she can communicate with us, we can only based on her actions to let us know if she likes it. Some examples: When she was sick and we had to keep her at home, she would wait by our front door to go to school. My daughter will run up to her teachers and give them hugs (she is a very shy girl and very reserve). At home, my daughter will take her books and hold it like the teacher and read to imaginary space in baby language. My MIL who was against us sending her to 'daycare' so early (she thinks they will just leave my daughter by herself and will mistreat my daughter), well after a few months of picking up my daugher once a week, she has changed her view completely and has been telling all her friends how good the school is.

And YES, the food is amazing.

I don't doubt that there are other schools/daycares that will provide the same happy, safe and educational place for kids, all daycare/school should be like that. We are glad that our daughter likes CV, sure it's a bit more expensive than other facilities, but the way we see it is, as long as she is safe and learning, the cost will only be for a few years. Hope this helps.
thanks for your detail reply. it dose help. I feel like i want to send him to CV right now. But i will still search more so i won't feel regret. :-)
Sr. Member
Mar 7, 2006
524 posts
280 upvotes
I considered Child Ventures (Vaughan) for my infant. Not only was it the most expensive one, but it had the worst inspection ratings of ALL the daycares I visited. Although the building was very nice, it was clear that the extra $$ was given to the company, not the daycare or the workers. I asked what they paid their workers on average, and they said $13-$15/h. If they were to charge more for their services, I would expect their workers to be paid more as well. Other places I visited paid their workers $13-$18/h, but the fees were also a few hundred less per month.

Anyway, we chose not to go with them because of the cost, the low inspection ratings, and the highly "entrepreneurial" style of the daycare. We chose someone else that was more focused on the kids, the daycare environment, and keeping happy employees.
Deal Expert
Oct 6, 2005
16872 posts
2557 upvotes
bossanesta wrote: em.. ChildVenture provide Montessori also. Some day care already teach things like baby sign language.. its amazing to see infant line up with smile some infant daycare.. comparing i see my kid only play by himself in current daycare :-(
ChildVenture is not a CCMA Certified Montessori school. Unfortunately anyone can call their school a "Montessori", but the most reputable ones are certified: http://www.ccma.ca/maps2/list-map.aspx.

Also, pre-schools should have a curriculum and classes should be run much like kindergarten. Teachers follow a lesson plan, assess the children, and report cards are given to the parents. Teachers also schedule parent-child interviews on a regular basis. Perhaps more serious than what you may want for you child, but that's how many of the better pre-schools are like - so you may want to keep that in mind when you're doing your evaluation.
Newbie
Oct 25, 2010
34 posts
18 upvotes
Toronto
coolspot wrote: ChildVenture is not a CCMA Certified Montessori school. Unfortunately anyone can call their school a "Montessori", but the most reputable ones are certified: http://www.ccma.ca/maps2/list-map.aspx.

Also, pre-schools should have a curriculum and classes should be run much like kindergarten. Teachers follow a lesson plan, assess the children, and report cards are given to the parents. Teachers also schedule parent-child interviews on a regular basis. Perhaps more serious than what you may want for you child, but that's how many of the better pre-schools are like - so you may want to keep that in mind when you're doing your evaluation.
This is a useful link, thanks a lot. :-)
Newbie
Oct 25, 2010
34 posts
18 upvotes
Toronto
ghu wrote: I considered Child Ventures (Vaughan) for my infant. Not only was it the most expensive one, but it had the worst inspection ratings of ALL the daycares I visited. Although the building was very nice, it was clear that the extra $$ was given to the company, not the daycare or the workers. I asked what they paid their workers on average, and they said $13-$15/h. If they were to charge more for their services, I would expect their workers to be paid more as well. Other places I visited paid their workers $13-$18/h, but the fees were also a few hundred less per month.

Anyway, we chose not to go with them because of the cost, the low inspection ratings, and the highly "entrepreneurial" style of the daycare. We chose someone else that was more focused on the kids, the daycare environment, and keeping happy employees.
Ghu, may i ask which one did you choose?

BTW, I checked 'non-profit' TMS they charge even more than CV... em... :face palm: but.. well.. they seems also provide financial aid..

# TMS Tuition Info
http://www.torontomontessori.ca/motion. ... eid=100431

# TMS Financial Aid
http://www.torontomontessori.ca/motion. ... eid=100431
Newbie
Dec 10, 2007
50 posts
11 upvotes
We also considered TMS, and will most likely transfer our daughter to TMS once she reaches kindergarten age.

Their tour is informative, and there is normally a wait list. Some things to keep in mind is that the fees you see online is just the base fee, I believe there are additional fees (the tour will list out the cost). The cost also only covers the school year, which means summer, Christmas are not included. Our daughter is still young and having a different routine for 2 months in the summer is what makes us hold off on sending her earlier. There is also the point of tax return, I don't remember much of the details, so I could be wrong (you can check with TMS or your accountant), but I remember something along the line that because TMS is registered as a school and not a child care facility, the tax receipt is different.

Good luck.
Deal Expert
Oct 6, 2005
16872 posts
2557 upvotes
bossanesta wrote: BTW, I checked 'non-profit' TMS they charge even more than CV... em... :face palm: but.. well.. they seems also provide financial aid..

# TMS Tuition Info
http://www.torontomontessori.ca/motion. ... eid=100431
TMS is a private school, and one that is relatively well known and somewhat prestigious, hence the price. It is a full private school, from Preschool to Grade 12.
Member
Nov 15, 2011
313 posts
588 upvotes
NORTH YORK
my daughter goes to CV RH and is in the toddler class now. We started her at 18months in the infant class. The 1st few wks were tough, but thats expected. she cried daily when she was dropped off and there were others that cried all day for a month.. But now, my daughter likes it and there are days when she doesnt want to leave at the end of the day. When i compare her to other kids her age (that dont go to some sort of daycare but have nannies/goto in-laws,etc) i see a difference. my daughter talks quite a bit and is able to answer questions, knows her alphabet and count to 20. is she just smart? Yes, but im sure schooling had to do with some of it.
She's not 100% potty trained yet, but they do it as part of their ciriculum. She eats well there, probably better than us. She knows the names of her class mates and she has some friends.

Pricey? thats relative and you're in RH. of the ones we were looking at in RH: Bright Horizons was more. All the private montessori were even more. We looked at a few other montessori daycares in the area and they avg 1100$. RH prices are a bargain vs. toronto prices and the waiting list is much shorter.

CV RH is definintely not perfect. IMO the teacher turnover or "there is a teacher change, teach A is now teaching class B" is rather high. At BH, the teachers all had been there for many years and teacher A had been teaching class A for 10+ yrs. I dont think you'll find any at CV.

the webcam was neat initially but i never watch it now. my wife on the other hand watches it all the time stilll..

here's basically why we ended up sending our daughter there:
1. No nickel and diming. 1 price. no opting in/out of meal plans, no excursions extras, no uniforms. no $1 a minute after 6pm. No "we offer a price at 6hrs, 7hrs, 8hrs, etc", no "early drop off price" or "late pick up price"
2. No need to deal with march break or summers. Some daycares and some montessori schools are closed march break and have "march break camps" which cost extra.
3. Close to my wife's work.
4. they scored 100% on some Ontario licensed daycare report multiple times..
Newbie
Oct 25, 2010
34 posts
18 upvotes
Toronto
coolspot wrote: TMS is a private school, and one that is relatively well known and somewhat prestigious, hence the price. It is a full private school, from Preschool to Grade 12.
yeah.. the price definitely private school rate, but they said its a "a not-for-profit school" :-(
http://www.torontomontessori.ca/motion. ... eid=100431

anyway.. is there any good link to find government funded or subsidy toddler school in Richmond Hill or Vaughan?
Newbie
Oct 25, 2010
34 posts
18 upvotes
Toronto
g5spark wrote: my daughter goes to CV RH and is in the toddler class now. We started her at 18months in the infant class. The 1st few wks were tough, but thats expected. she cried daily when she was dropped off and there were others that cried all day for a month.. But now, my daughter likes it and there are days when she doesnt want to leave at the end of the day. When i compare her to other kids her age (that dont go to some sort of daycare but have nannies/goto in-laws,etc) i see a difference. my daughter talks quite a bit and is able to answer questions, knows her alphabet and count to 20. is she just smart? Yes, but im sure schooling had to do with some of it.
She's not 100% potty trained yet, but they do it as part of their ciriculum. She eats well there, probably better than us. She knows the names of her class mates and she has some friends.

Pricey? thats relative and you're in RH. of the ones we were looking at in RH: Bright Horizons was more. All the private montessori were even more. We looked at a few other montessori daycares in the area and they avg 1100$. RH prices are a bargain vs. toronto prices and the waiting list is much shorter.

CV RH is definintely not perfect. IMO the teacher turnover or "there is a teacher change, teach A is now teaching class B" is rather high. At BH, the teachers all had been there for many years and teacher A had been teaching class A for 10+ yrs. I dont think you'll find any at CV.

the webcam was neat initially but i never watch it now. my wife on the other hand watches it all the time stilll..

here's basically why we ended up sending our daughter there:
1. No nickel and diming. 1 price. no opting in/out of meal plans, no excursions extras, no uniforms. no $1 a minute after 6pm. No "we offer a price at 6hrs, 7hrs, 8hrs, etc", no "early drop off price" or "late pick up price"
2. No need to deal with march break or summers. Some daycares and some montessori schools are closed march break and have "march break camps" which cost extra.
3. Close to my wife's work.
4. they scored 100% on some Ontario licensed daycare report multiple times..



thanks for your detail input.. i didn't know such thing as "Ontario licensed daycare report", i think i should look into it.

just a quick question, you said avg daycare in RH is $1100? then they should be cheaper than CV RH, isn't it? I got quote from CV Vaughan for $1650 for infant. and I think $1550 for toddlers.
Newbie
Oct 25, 2010
34 posts
18 upvotes
Toronto
nmkt_girl wrote: We also considered TMS, and will most likely transfer our daughter to TMS once she reaches kindergarten age.

Their tour is informative, and there is normally a wait list. Some things to keep in mind is that the fees you see online is just the base fee, I believe there are additional fees (the tour will list out the cost). The cost also only covers the school year, which means summer, Christmas are not included. Our daughter is still young and having a different routine for 2 months in the summer is what makes us hold off on sending her earlier. There is also the point of tax return, I don't remember much of the details, so I could be wrong (you can check with TMS or your accountant), but I remember something along the line that because TMS is registered as a school and not a child care facility, the tax receipt is different.

Good luck.
say if i want to send my kid to TMS during all those holidays, how much should I be looking at per year? 3k? 5k?
Banned
User avatar
Jun 8, 2008
3977 posts
1423 upvotes
Toronto
g5spark wrote: 1. No nickel and diming. 1 price. no opting in/out of meal plans, no excursions extras, no uniforms. no $1 a minute after 6pm. No "we offer a price at 6hrs, 7hrs, 8hrs, etc", no "early drop off price" or "late pick up price"
2. No need to deal with march break or summers. Some daycares and some montessori schools are closed march break and have "march break camps" which cost extra.
3. Close to my wife's work.
4. they scored 100% on some Ontario licensed daycare report multiple times..
Just a heads up, my kids went to a daycare similar to that and at some point, the 'not having to deal with march break or summers" turns into "stuck at the same daycare program for march break and summers" and although it may be a great program, your kid may want some flexibility. We moved to an afterschool program once we could that offers march break camps and summer camps if we want, but we're not stuck there. While it takes a bit more planning, my kids can now go to a bunch of different camps through the summer, we can take vacation without thinking we're already paying for childcare that week etc. Its not really a concern now, but may be something you want to consider as they get older.

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