Business Details
44 Years
experience
Trusted Child Care Services in Toronto for Infants to Preschoolers
We are Sunburst Children's Centre, a non-profit charitable workplace childcare center licensed under the Ontario Day Nurseries Act by the Ministry of Education. Established in 1982, we operate within the Environment Canada building in Toronto and are governed by a volunteer board of directors elected from our parent users. Our center prioritizes enrollment for federal government employees while offering remaining spaces to the broader community. With capacity for 41 children across three age groupsinfants, toddlers, and preschoolerswe focus on creating a nurturing environment that fosters individual growth through play-oriented learning.Our staff, many with decades of experience, implement structured routines emphasizing gross motor development, social skills, and creative exploration while maintaining open communication with families. We uphold an inclusive policy for children with special needs and provide secure facilities featuring shaded outdoor play areas and designated drop-off zones.
Services
Infant Care
Toddler Programs
Preschool Education
Special Needs Inclusion
After-Hours Care
Details
- Year established: 1982
Highlights and features
- We offer 40+ years of experience in licensed childcare programs.
- Our staff includes educators with decades of specialized early childhood experience.
- We maintain a secure, inclusive environment with structured developmental programming.
- Our center provides individualized attention through low child-to-staff ratios.
- We feature purpose-built facilities with dedicated outdoor play spaces.
Associations and certifications
- Ontario Ministry of Education
- City of Toronto Children's Services
What people say
Thrilled with standard of care
Loving and caring staff
Individual approach to needs
Attention they need to grow
Played crucial role in development
Services
Infant Care
Our infant program (0-18 months) provides nurturing care with dedicated educators focusing on sensory development and motor skills. We maintain low child-to-staff ratios to ensure personalized attention through feeding routines, tummy time activities, and age-appropriate play experiences that support early developmental milestones.
Toddler Programs
Designed for 18-30 month-olds, our toddler programs emphasize social skill development through structured play and group activities. Educators implement creative curricula featuring art projects, block building, and dramatic play to enhance cognitive growth while maintaining consistent diapering and nutrition schedules.
Preschool Education
Our preschool curriculum (2-5 years) combines academic preparation with character development. Certified educators deliver literacy activities, math concepts, and science exploration while fostering independence through decision-making opportunities and conflict resolution guidance during daily circle time sessions.
Special Needs Inclusion
We provide integrated support for children with special needs as defined by Ontario regulations. Our staff collaborates with families to adapt programming while maintaining standard developmental goals. When specialized resources are required, we assist families in finding appropriate complementary services.
After-Hours Care
Operating from 7:15 AM to 6:00 PM Monday-Friday, our extended hours accommodate working families. The schedule includes structured meal times, outdoor play sessions, and rest periods with individual cribs/beds while maintaining consistent educator assignments throughout the day.
People
Cathy Orr
Executive Director
With 31 years of service, Cathy leads our center as a Registered Early Childhood Educator. She emphasizes open family communication and ensures quality programming while maintaining our home-like environment.
Sue Masi
Assistant Director
A 30-year veteran educator with Italian language skills, Sue creates safe learning spaces that balance educational content with emotional development for children across multiple age groups.
Sophie
Infant Room Educator
Specializing in infant care for 19 years, Sophie implements French-language activities while fostering individual growth through nurturing interactions in our youngest children's program.
Verine Thompson
Toddler Educator
With 17 years of toddler room experience, Verine designs milestone-focused activities that encourage independence while maintaining consistent behavioral guidance for 18-30 month-old children.
Carol Smith-Brown
Preschool Educator
A 23-year veteran preschool teacher, Carol develops curriculum that combines creative expression with academic preparation to prepare children for successful school transitions.
Questions
What age groups do you serve?
We care for children from 0 months to 5 years across three specialized rooms: infant, toddler, and preschool programs.
How do you support special needs children?
Our inclusive policy accommodates children with special needs through adapted programming while collaborating with families to ensure appropriate support.
What are your operating hours?
We operate Monday-Friday 7:15 AM to 6:00 PM, with early closures at 2:00 PM on December 24th and 31st.
What qualifications do your staff hold?
Our team includes Registered Early Childhood Educators with decades of experience, many maintaining additional language certifications.
How do you communicate with parents?
We maintain open communication through daily interactions, scheduled conferences, and consistent educator assignments for family continuity.
Can non-government employees enroll children?
While prioritizing federal employees, we accept community applications for remaining spaces after priority enrollment periods.
Reviews (5)
Chloe Zhang
Jan 06, 2022
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We absolutely love Sunburst, and it was hard to say goodbye. Our daughter made so many friends during her stay and she is still talking about them everyday. All the staffs were so friendly and professional with years of experience. They made sure our little toddler is well taken care of and she loved going there everyday. We love Cathy, JoAnne, Yen and Verine. We sincerely wish you all the best!
Simona Krasnova
Nov 01, 2021
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Positive:Professionalism,Quality,Reliability,Responsiveness,Value
My son is happy going to this daycare. We love the staff here everyone is happy meeting kids at the morning and daycare manager is very responsive and I call everyday asking if my son is doing well so they always respond. I recommend this daycare 100%
My son is happy going to this daycare. We love the staff here everyone is happy meeting kids at the morning and daycare manager is very responsive and I call everyday asking if my son is doing well so they always respond. I recommend this daycare 100%
Leyla Ramazanova
Jan 23, 2020
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Cathty Or who is executive director is very friendly and she is always reachable. She always sends news, happenings for a month.
Teachers are very helpful, friendly... My son joined this daycare when he was 1 year old, he learned and improved a lot. I could see how he loved his teachers. We were really sad that we had to change the daycare. Wishing them all the best.
Teachers are very helpful, friendly... My son joined this daycare when he was 1 year old, he learned and improved a lot. I could see how he loved his teachers. We were really sad that we had to change the daycare. Wishing them all the best.
Lia Wilder
Jun 28, 2018
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Both of my daughters attend sunburst! I can honestly say that I feel confident and comfortable when my daughters are there. It is a very clean facility. The location is not on a busy road and you need a fob key to enter. You can feel that each and everyone of the staff members take pride in their job and my 3 year old comes home talking about them. Thank you to all of the staff members for the wonderful experience that you have given my children and treating them as if they were your own. I would highly recommend this daycare to anyone, coming from a picky mother.
Will J.
Dec 27, 2017
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My wife and I went for a tour recently for our son, who we hope to enroll here in the future. The Executive Director, Cathy Orr, was very professional, informative, and patient. She never rushed the tour, answering all questions we had, and showed us a lot more of the facility than we were expecting. It was evident, as one other reviewer said, that the staff were caring and dedicated. Many staff had long term years in the field and at Sunburst. I started recommending this place to other friends who are looking for day care, even if it means more competition for my son to get in, because they are
