About Us

Our Mission

The Schoolhouse Playcare Centre provides a safe home-like environment where children can grow as unique individuals. We strive to work in partnership with you and your child to ensure a positive learning experience.

Our history

On September 3, 1985, the Schoolhouse Playcare Centre of Lakehead Inc. began. Our first Centre started and is located at St. James School, it now accommodates 9 infants, 10 toddlers, 16 preschoolers, 13 Kindergartners and 30 school-age children.

Realizing the growing need for more child care facilities, we opened our second location at Drew St. School on September 4, 1990. In 1997, we re-located this site as Drew St. School was no longer in operation. We opened our second site in the lower level of the Synagogue on 627 Grey St. This program accommodates 6 infants, 10 toddlers, 24 preschoolers and 30 school-age children. In the summer of 2020, this centre relocated to Ecole Elsie MacGill PUblic School increasing our enrollment to 9 infants, 15 toddlers, 16 preschoolers, 13 kindergarten, and 15 school-age children.

We started up our third site in September 2008 and offer a before and after school program and recently a Nursery School Program for 2.5 - 5 years old, at St. Martin School on 115 Mary St., West. This site accommodates 20 kindergarten children and 27 children 6 - 12 years old. We also offer full day programs for Professional Development days.

In September of 2013, we opened our 4th location in Westmount Public School - 120 Begin St. This program is a before and after school program accommodating 10 kindergarten age children as well as 18 6 - 12 year old children. We also offer full day care on Professional Development days.

Working with the School Boards to try and accommodate care for kindergarten and school age children, we were approached about a before and after school program at Corpus Christi School, on the north side of Thunder Bay. We opened this program for September of 2017 and are currently licensed for 30 children.

Our sixth location opened in October 2021 within St. Thomas Aquinas School. It is located at 2645 Donald Street on the south side of Thunder Bay. We are offering a before and after school program for children attending this school.

The Centre is a non-profit corporation operated by a Parent Board of Directors. Our goal is to promote the growth and development of each child as a unique individual, and to provide a positive learning environment in a Reggio inspired environment

Schoolhouse Playcare Centre acknowledges our local District Social Services Administration Board for the funding that they provide to help support our non- profit organization.