Licensed Daycares in London, ON

Daycare & Childcare in London

London, Ontario has 179 licensed childcare providers regulated by the Ministry of Education (Ontario), with 175 operating as centre-based daycares and just 4 as licensed home childcare agencies. The near-total dominance of centre-based care means families in London are primarily looking at institutional settings rather than home-based arrangements, which can simplify comparisons but also means demand for infant and toddler spaces is concentrated across a defined pool of centres. Every one of London's 179 licensed providers — 100 percent — participates in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement (CWELCC), the federal-provincial programme working toward $10-a-day childcare. That universal participation is significant: it means families can access reduced fees at any licensed facility in the city. The provincial open dataset does not break out age-group or capacity figures for London providers, so spot availability must be confirmed directly. MapleCub lists all 179 licensed facilities so parents can browse and contact providers in one place.

What to know about childcare in London

London's childcare network has some standout characteristics that set it apart from other Ontario cities of comparable size. The 100 percent CWELCC participation rate puts London in an enviable position: families do not need to check whether a specific centre is enrolled in the federal-provincial agreement before applying. Every listed provider is subject to the regulated fee schedule that is reducing costs toward the $10-a-day target over the life of the agreement.

The mix of providers in London is unusually diverse, particularly when it comes to programme philosophy and language. Several Montessori programmes are represented — SimplySmart Child Care Centre & Montessori–Sherwood, Kidzee Child Care Centre & Montessori, Pinetree Montessori School, Byron Woods Montessori School, North Woods Montessori School, and Gibbons Park Montessori School — indicating that families with a preference for Montessori pedagogy have genuine choice within the licensed regulated system rather than needing to look outside it.

Francophone and French-language programming is another distinctive feature of London's landscape. Providers such as L'Escale la Pommeraie, L'Escale de la Tamise, L'Escale de l'Ecole Frère André, L'Escale de l'Ecole Ste-Jeanne d'Arc, L'Escale de Marie Curie, and L'Escale St. Jean de Brébeuf — along with the La Ribambelle centres (La Pommeraie, St-Jean de Brébeuf, Ridgewood, de la Tamise, Ste. Jeanne-d'Arc, Frère-André, and Marie-Curie) — make London one of the richer cities in Ontario for French-language licensed childcare outside of Ottawa. These programmes typically operate within or near francophone schools and follow Ontario's licensed curriculum framework.

Beyond those specialty streams, London's general licensed landscape includes well-known multi-city operators such as Kids & Company – London, and Tiny Hoppers Early Learning Centre – Summerside, alongside local independents like Mulberry Bush Child Centre, Chelsea Green Children's Centre, Grand Avenue Children's Centre, Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Education Centre, and Faith Day Nursery. The four licensed home childcare agencies are represented by providers such as Dream Weavers Day Care Inc. / Wee Watch Enriched Home Child Care – London West.

Because the Ontario provincial open dataset does not include age-group or capacity breakdowns for London providers, MapleCub cannot display how many spaces each centre holds or which age groups they serve. The absence of age-coverage data in this dataset is a known limitation of Ontario's open data reporting, not a reflection of the centres themselves. Families should contact providers directly to confirm the age groups accepted, current waitlist status, and specific fee schedules under CWELCC. Given that all 179 providers are CWELCC participants, the fee conversation should be relatively straightforward — ask for the current regulated parent fee and any ancillary charges that fall outside the agreement.

For families new to Ontario's system: CWELCC regulated fees vary by provider type and age group. Licensed centres in London set their own waitlists independently, so applying broadly and early — particularly for infant spots — remains the most effective strategy.