Thistleoaks Child Care Centre

I have one child enrolled at Thistleoaks, and another starting when I go back to work. I have been so thrilled with the care Thistleoaks has provided for my daughter. My daughter is settled, comfortable, and has learned so much. The standard of care she receives there is evidenced by her enthusiasm to go into her classroom each morning, and the sheer amount of new information she comes home with each evening. The teachers at the centre are phenomenal. The care and compassion they show for the children is unparalled. My daughter knows all the teachers in the centre, not just the ones in her room, and they all know her. They are all warm and welcoming, as well as capable and informed. I also love how much outdoor play space there is, with each age group having their own space. Unlike the other centres we toured, Thistleoaks has open grassy areas, instead of just asphalt. I also very much like that the centre serves homemade meals for snacks and lunch, and that no catered food is used. The meals are wholesome and balanced with plenty of variety (flavours, textures, cuisines, fruit and veg, etc). Lastly, I love how the centre is run. Cheryl and Suzie (the Executive and Assistant Directors, respectively) are so professional and themselves show so much care and passion for the children and the centre. They have done an outstanding job of addressing issues that arose prior to Cheryl's appointment as Executive Director (September 2017). Further, the centre is a non-profit, so I take great comfort in knowing that all money raised goes directly back to the staff and children. I could not ask for better care for my kid (soon to be kids) at Thistleoaks, and would not hesitate to recommend the centre for anyone looking for child care.

Thistleoaks and their staff provide a sense of caring and community far above our other experiences. Our son loves going to thistle oaks everyday. The staff that our son has had are all amazing and they give 100% everyday. Thistleoaks has been extremely accomodating, including moving our son to part time so that we could transfer our son to a daycare closer to our new home. We always knew ThistleOaks to be amazing, but we didn't realize just how good we had it until we experienced another daycare. As soon as we told thistleoaks we wanted back in, they made the arrangements and were happy to have us return full time.

My 3 year old has been at Thistle Oaks since she was 10 months old. I could not be more thankful for the amazing caregivers and teachers (some who have been there for more than 20 years - which speaks volumes about the quality of the Centre). My daughter has thrived there and she feels safe and happy. As a parent with a high stress job, I love that I can drop her off knowing that she is loved, nurtured, and learning lots of new things. The outdoor space is amazing, and the kids spend a significant part of the day outdoors when the weather permits. It has been an amazing experience for our family.

My son recently graduated from Thistleoaks and we had an exceptional experience there. The teachers are amazing - caring, organized and profoundly engaged with the children and parents. The playground has lots of shady areas / play areas as well as the teachers (shout out to Miss Jessica, for one) and some parents taking a lot of their own time to make the space beautiful too! I am so grateful that my son was able to have his first experiences of school here where he was able to blossom into a polite, young person.

Thistleoaks is a hidden gem in Oakville. My son is thriving and has the best time. All the employees truly care about each child's wellbeing.

We love all the staff at Thistleoaks! They care for each and every child and find ways each day to engage their creativity. They've made a lot of improvements to the centre over the past two years (new floors, windows, painting, playground structures). Both of our daughters have gone to and continue to go to Thistleoaks because we know its a loving and nurturing environment for them every single day. Disclosure: I am on the volunteer parent board.

Thistleoaks is a second home for us. We have had all three of our kids through the centre over the past four years and have seen an unbelievable amount of love and learning over this time. Thistleoaks has been so incredibly accommodating to our families needs and have done a brilliant job of adapting in response to Covid 19. We are so thankful that our kids had the time they did in such a caring and progressive environment. It breaks our heat to move on to the next stage of our lives, but this is life and we wil make room for the next lucky family! Thanks!!

I've had two children go through Thistleoaks. My second child is currently there and loving it. The teachers are amazing, caring and my children have learned so much there. The kids get to go outside a lot and they have an amazing outdoor area, recently naturalized. They have quality food (made in house) and responsive staff. This place is far better than the first place that I took my eldest child to. The joy of a non-profit is that you know that the owner is not making a profit off the backs of the staff. The retention of staff is great and they have celebrations for retention milestones (5 years, 10 years, plus...).