I lived and worked in Vancouver for 4 yrs and my son was born on the North shore where we lived (had wanted to live there prior to moving over), loved the North shore!

I used enough minders and did it myself away from home as didn't own my home at that time. Preschool has ECE teachers so they get some learning geared to their age group, there are a good handful of staff too to ensure safety and the legal child-staff ratio, for safety more than anything of children.

Day care can be similar but not always as much learning if any, can be more play than learning, my son has done both I've seen the differences. Children learn through play though.

Fees were around $35 a day when I had licensed childminders for my son when on subsidy at that time, and even when I paid the odd minder to have my child in between, didn't find many good licensed ones to be honest! I found unlicensed to be more caring from my personal experience even now too in Ontario I've found that.