About Us

Our Story of Growth and Excellence Dedicated to nurturing young minds since 2009

OUR MISSION

What Drives Us

Creative Minds exists to provide exceptional child care that nurtures learning through sensory-rich, play-based experiences, helping children explore, discover, and grow in a supportive environment.

Our Values Creative Minds aims to set the bar for incredible child care. We follow the belief that children learn best through personal experiences that incorporate and stimulate all the senses. Through touching, seeing, smelling, and listening, children form long-lasting impressions of real things, which play an important role in learning and developing minds. Through their play, children engage in self-discovery, problem solving, and cooperation with their peers. As educators, we assist children in understanding and explaining their discoveries.

MEET OUR TEAM

Committed Leaders, Dedicated Educators

Vicki Hiebert

Owner

Vicki founded Creative Minds Children Services in 2009 with a passion for nurturing young children’s growth through innovative, sensory-rich learning experiences. With unwavering dedication, she has guided Creative Minds through numerous expansions, always keeping children’s development and family needs at the core.

Her vision and leadership have transformed Creative Minds into a recognized and trusted name within the Brantford community.

Caitlin Reansbury

Supervisor

Caitlin is dedicated to maintaining the high-quality standards and nurturing environment that Creative Minds is known for. She oversees daily operations, supports the educators, and ensures that the centre continually provides exceptional care and education.

Her leadership fosters a warm, engaging environment for both children and staff, creating a welcoming atmosphere for all families.

OUR STORY

Creative Minds Journey

2009

Finding Our Home

After relocating to The Salvation Army, to keep the daycare open, Vicki was able to negotiate the terms for the rental of a closed school from the Grand Erie Board of Education on Sherwood Street. Due to the size of the school, Vicki was able to increase her licensing capacity to include 40 preschool and 20 toddler children and 12 infants.

The school board eventually sold the building to a land developer; however, the owner agreed to allow Creative Minds to stay and continue providing childcare services to the community. Unfortunately, in 2016, the owner sold the building to a church and, again, Vicki was forced to relocate her centre to another location.

2016

Growing Through Challenges

Moving to Wade Ave. allowed Vicki the opportunity to expand her daycare as the building provided three floors with 9 possible classrooms. When Vicki had to close the centre in March of 2020, due to the pandemic, Vicki took this opportunity to open the third floor and provide more childcare spaces for preschool children and close her infant program to expand her toddler program.

As it stands today, Creative Minds has three toddler classrooms and 6 preschool classrooms with a total licensing capacity of 174 children.

The Beginning

Enterprise Brant allowed Vicki to start a daycare in Eagle Place at the (then) Wesley United Church in 2009. Vicki opened her doors with just 1 child, and by the time we needed to relocate in 2012 (due to the church being sold), we had 16 preschool and 10 toddler children, plus 6 infants.

2012

Building Our Dream Space

To Vicki’s surprise, the land developer at Sherwood Drive had bought another closed school on Wade Ave. from the school board and negotiated new terms with Vicki to operate her daycare in the school. Before moving into the new location in November 2016, Vicki was given the task of working with the land developer to create the ideal daycare space.

Being able to be involved with the renovation of the building allowed Vicki to expand her centre and licensing capacity to 48 preschool and 30 toddler children, and 20 infants.

2020

2009

The Beginning

2012

Finding Our Home

2016

Building Our Dream Space

2020

Growing Through Challenges

OUR PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY

How We Nurture Learning

Our Program Statement is based around the 4 Foundations from How Does Learning Happen?: Belonging, Well-Being, Engagement, and Expression. These foundations provide a starting point for our teachers to reflect on the types of environments, experiences and interactions which bring out the best in children, parents, and teachers.

The goals of Creative Minds Children Services Inc. are to:

Provide a warm, nurturing, and safe environment
Provide an educational and emergent-based curriculum for each child to develop in the areas of physical, social, emotional, cognitive, creative, and moral growth.
Provide an inclusive program to enhance the children's awareness, understanding, and respect for cultural differences and similarities.
Value each child as an individual with unique capabilities and interests.
Provide qualified, caring, and enthusiastic educators who will nurture each child's learning, thinking and development.
Provide a friendly and caring environment for parents and families.
Be open and flexible for families and their individual needs.

Our Approach

Creative Minds Children Services, Inc.

Uses a child-centred approach and ensures that each child is given an opportunity to learn based on their interests, abilities, and learning styles.

The educators use a variety of hands-on materials, so learning is fun and exciting as well as educational. The children have many opportunities to explore a wide variety of activities, both teacher and child-oriented, to promote their motor, cognitive, social-emotional, and communication development. Children are competent, capable, curious and rich in potential.

The curriculum is balanced between indoor and outdoor play, as well as a variety of small and large group activities.

Community Recognition

Community Votes Brantford Awards

Community Votes

Community Votes is an organization that allows the community to vote and nominate for local businesses that they believe deserve recognition. We are proud to have received this award from friends, families, and support services that voted for our centre.

Laurier University Creative Minds Children Services was given a Certificate of Appreciation – In recognition of participation as an Alternative Placement Host for the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty of Education.