About Us
Your Child Is In Great Hands
We are proud to be an integral part of our community, employing 50 staff and providing a variety of child care programs licensed for 302 children in four locations, serving close to 400 families.
Our Philosophy
We believe:
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All children can learn when they have the opportunity to touch, look, listen, try out their ideas, pursue their questions and theories, and follow their curiosity.
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Children learn best in a warm, supportive and respectful environment that provides unique and varied opportunities and experiences.
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Families and community are vital to children’s learning.
History
Giant Steps Children’s Centre began as Giant Steps Academy established in September 2002. The Academy was a licensed preschool offering morning and afternoon classes for 14 children ages 3 to 5 years. We began planning for our new location in January 2004 and were excited to offer new child care programs to our rapidly growing community. We began construction on our new centre on Westwood Boulevard in May 2004 and with much hard work and determination (thanks to our fantastic family and friends) we grew to be Giant Steps Children’s Centre, incorporated in June 2004. We were licensed for 74 children ranging in age from 18 months to 12 years and offered morning programs for toddlers and preschoolers and a before and after-school care program.
We began construction on our new centre on Westwood Boulevard in May 2004 and with much hard work and determination (thanks to our fantastic family and friends) we grew to be Giant Steps Children’s Centre, incorporated in June 2004. We were licensed for 74 children ranging in age from 18 months to 12 years and offered morning programs for toddlers and preschoolers and a before and after-school care program.
As a part of a government initiative to provide Nova Scotian families more childcare spaces, Giant Steps Children’s Centre Inc. opened a second location in August 2008, licensed for 68 children ranging in ages from 18 months to 5 years at 129 Wyndham Drive. This location is our full-day program while Westwood houses our part-day programs.
In January of 2010 Giant Steps was licensed as a Family Home Day Care Agency. The agency provides professional support and development to at home day care providers. The agency consultant approves the homes under the provincial regulations and supports parents in finding these newly regulated homes as care options.
In August of 2011 Giant Steps took over the license and purchased our third location at the former Crossroads Academy, now known as Giant Steps French Village. French Village is licensed for 120 children ages 3 to 12 years. The location permitted us to move the bulk of our school age program and part day preschool. This move created new, much needed full day care spaces at both our Wyndham and Westwood locations. In September 2018 Giant Steps opened it’s fourth location, Giant Steps St. Nicholas.
This 30-space school age program was offered to offset the spaces converted to infant care at Giant Steps Westwood. This new location offers walking access to the public library and St. Margaret’s Centre and is a true asset to the Giant Steps family of programs.
We were excited to be awarded the DEECD Space Conversion grant and in February 2019 began offering care for 10 infants. This program runs out of our Westwood building and compliments our programs which now offer excellent early childhood education to children ages 3 months to 12 years old.
We are proud to be an integral part of our community, employing 50+ staff and providing a variety of child care programs licensed for 302 children in four locations, serving close to 500 families.
