Choo Choo Train Baby & Child Care Centre, Setia Avenue

Many parents will no doubt be familiar with the name Choo Choo Train – a trusted brand known for offering exceptional childcare services and kindergarten experiences. 

The group’s branch in Setia Avenue, Shah Alam, is a one-stop centre equipped with everything that parents could ask for their children, from a nurturing environment and quality childcare for infants aged 2 months and above, to stellar preschool programmes and facilities that make learning fun for young children up to 3 years old. 

Conducive environment

Choo Choo Train Baby & Child Care Centre, Setia Avenue is thoughtfully designed to stimulate children’s imaginations while ensuring their safety. Minimalist designs are popular now, but CCT Setia Avenue has gone with a more colourful approach to encourage creativity and to stimulate the children’s senses. 

The premises are very spacious and feature dedicated spaces for the different age groups. The baby area, for example, is brightly lit and has gentle tickling music playing in the background. The early months can be challenging for infants as they may experience insecurity and sensitivity to unfamiliar surroundings, so creating a feeling of warmth and comfort is essential. 

Toddlers move around a lot, so the centre has ample space for crawling, walking, and playing, complete with anti-collision walls and padded corners. Classrooms also feature large windows to allow natural light in and maintain transparency. 

Carefully structured systems and safeguards in place 

To ensure everything adheres to the highest standards of safety and hygiene, Choo Choo Train’s centres, including the one in Setia Avenue, has an organised system in place: each centre has an Operations Executive that oversees daily operations. They also act as the main point of communication with parents, helping to resolve any issues or requests quickly and efficiently. 

The centres also employ supervisors, stationed in each classroom, to monitor teachers and children closely. With the alarming rise of child abuse cases in Malaysia, this minimises the risk of mistreatment or accidents. Furthermore, there are CCTV cameras that capture each corner of the premises, the footage of which is reviewed daily by the management team. 

Each day, assigned teachers are responsible for checking the safety of the classrooms and maintaining cleanliness. The operations executive and the supervisor conduct daily spot checks to ensure standards are met, while the management team performs quarterly quality control checks. At the end of every month, full disinfection procedures, including fogging and the use of UV lights, are conducted, and dust-mite vacuums are used to clean baby playpens. 

A holistic and tailored curriculum that uses the art-centred method 

Choo Choo Train prides itself on developing its own unique curriculum, called the art-enhanced method, designed specifically for the developmental milestones of the children it serves. This approach blends creative activities and academic learning, making it more engaging and easier to understand, retain, and apply concepts. For babies and toddlers, they join a new programme every six months which is matched to their progress.

• Choo Choo Cuddle: (0-6 months): This program is perfect for babies who are starting to do things on their own and becoming more independent from their mothers. They will enjoy gentle activities such as massage, sensory stimulation, and early social interactions. Through activities such as Baby Zen, Baby Touch, Baby Music, and Baby Gym, babies wil be able to move better, explore their senses, and build strong emotional connections. 
• Choo Choo Explorer 1 (7-12 months): For little ones at this stage, it’s all about discovering their bodies and what they can do. The programme focuses on helping develop important physical skills such as crawling and standing, in addition to honing early language skills through storytelling, communication, and reading to the toddlers.

• Choo Choo Explorer 2 (13-18 months): As toddlers become better at moving around, the programme expands its activities to include walking, hopping, and running within a safe environment. Additionally, they are provided with materials and toys, as well as activities to help them develop their problem solving and critical thinking skills, whilst improving their communication and comprehension of languages.  
• Choo Choo Explorer 3 (19-24 months): Children at this stage will have greater physical capabilities, so the programme will focus on nurturing them to become better communicators, guiding them to socialise, make friends, express themselves in different ways, and being kind and helpful to one another. They are introduced to structured learning in areas such as language, maths, and science. The children will also be toilet trained, taking a positive step towards independence.

• Choo Choo Discoverer (25-36 months): With the child well on their way in hitting developmental milestones, the focus shifts to encouraging learning through play. Thematic lessons draw elements from both national and international early childhood education curriculum standards. Some of the activities and lessons that they can look forward to include Early Language Lab-English, Early Math Adventure, Early Science Sparks, Early Art and Creations, Water Play, Sand Play, and Fun with Food.

Nutritious and thoughtfully prepared meals

One aspect that Choo Choo Train’s founder, Ms. Alexandra Sim, takes great pride in, is the nutritious meals provided at each centre. Food menus are specially curated by a nutritionist to ensure children get balanced, age-appropriate meals. Fresh ingredients are used daily and they prioritise quality over quantity, sourcing ingredients from reputable grocery stores with halal certification, rather than buying in bulk from wet markets. Supervisors are responsible for preparing the meals and ensuring that the food is fresh and properly cooked. 

Empowering teachers and caregivers with the right training 

Finding qualified caregivers and teachers with a background in early childhood care and education is a challenge faced by many childcare centres. To address this, Choo Choo Train has its own dedicated training institute, called NICCE (National Institute of Child Care and Education), which is recognised and accredited by the Malaysian government.

For its childcare services, the centre employs both caregivers and academic teachers. Caregivers are solely responsible for the safety and hygiene of the children, while academic teachers focus on the learning and developmental aspects of the programme. Additionally, caregivers undergo a month of physical training before they are allowed to independently care for children. 

Strong bonds between parents, children, and education providers 

Choo Choo Train values strong relationships with parents and encourages open communication through various channels. Each family is part of a parent chat group on WhatsApp, where they can ask questions and receive updates on their child’s daily behaviour and routines, including nap times, meals, and activities. 

In a nutshell, Choo Choo Train Baby & Child Care Centre, Setia Avenue, makes an excellent choice for parents who are looking for a nurturing space for their child in their most precious years. Their holistic programme, which not only caters to their needs but also looks at their development as a whole, ensures children grow in a vibrant, safe, and stimulating environment that parents can trust.