09/14/2026
š± 10 Years of Seeds to Sprouts Childcare Center š±
Ten years ago, Seeds to Sprouts Childcare Center began with a dream, a lot of determination, and two people who believed childcare could be something more.
Before Seeds to Sprouts, we were both providing childcare from our homes. We loved the closeness of home childcareāthe relationships with the children and families, the feeling of being a second home, and the ability to truly know and care for each child. But we dreamed of creating something bigger without ever losing that feeling of warmth, compassion and connection.
So, we started looking for the perfect place.
Then one day, Merriam came bursting through the door saying, āI found it! I found it!ā
We jumped in the vehicle together, and sure enough, she had found itāan old school building that definitely needed some love and a whole lot of work, but we could see what it could become. It had the space we needed to bring all of the children already in our care with us and the potential to become everything we had imagined.
From there, we did everything in our power to make it happen. We scraped together enough for the down payment, secured a bank loan and got to work. There were no startup grants or funding programs helping us along the way. We searched sales, hunted for equipment and supplies, stretched every dollar as far as we possibly could and poured everything we had into creating Seeds to Sprouts.
And it truly became a family project.
Angieās oldest child came up with the name Seeds to Sprouts. The logo and the sign that still hangs on our building today came directly from a picture her middle child had drawn in kindergartenāthat very drawing became the logo for Seeds to Sprouts. In our main foyer is a handprint mural created by her youngest child and their cousins. We wanted the children to have a part in what we were building because this wasnāt simply a business we were openingāit was something our whole family was creating together.
For months, we worked tirelessly alongside Merriamās husbandāAngieās dadāand Angieās husband, George. Days turned into nights as we renovated, painted, built, cleaned, shopped, planned and figured things out as we went.
There was so much hard work, love and dedication that went into getting Seeds to Sprouts ready to open its doors.
But opening the doors was only the beginning.
We quickly learned that starting a brand-new childcare centre meant creating everything from the ground up. There were no established routines to step into, no systems already running and no history to fall back on. Policies, procedures, routines, expectations and traditions all had to be developed while we were learning, growing and caring for children at the same time.
There were struggles. There were mistakes. There were long days and probably more than a few moments when we wondered what we had gotten ourselves into.
But there were also incredible triumphs.
Over the last ten years, Seeds to Sprouts has grown from that dream inside an old school building into a childcare centre that is now licensed to care for 100 children.
Along the way, countless people have helped shape Seeds to Sprouts into what it is today. Educators have brought their own talents, ideas, love and dedication through our doors. Families have trusted us with the people who mean the absolute most to them. Community partners and organizations have supported us, guided us and worked alongside us.
Through every stage, one thing has remained at the heart of Seeds to Sprouts: the children.
We believe children are competent, curious, creative and capable. We believe every child deserves to feel safe, valued, loved and supported. They deserve opportunities to explore, make mistakes, build independence, discover who they are and grow toward their fullest potential.
Ten years later, we are incredibly proud of what Seeds to Sprouts has becomeābut we also know without a doubt that we did not get here alone.
To every educator and staff member, past and present, who has poured a piece of themselves into this centreāthank you.
To every family who has trusted us with their childrenāsome for a short chapter and others for many yearsāthank you.
To our management team, community partners and outside agencies, including Hastings County and Family Space, and to everyone who has offered advice, encouragement, resources, support or simply believed in what we were trying to buildāthank you.
To our families who rolled up their sleeves ten years ago and helped turn an old school into our dreamāthank you.
And to every child who has walked through the doors of Seeds to Sprouts over the last decade: you are the reason for all of it.
Every laugh, every milestone, every first day, every graduation, every hug, every challenge and every little person we have had the privilege of watching grow has become part of the Seeds to Sprouts story.
What began as two moms providing childcare from their homes became something bigger than we ever could have created on our own.
Seeds to Sprouts was built by family, strengthened by our educators and community, trusted by our families, and filled with the lives and memories of hundreds of children.
As we celebrate 10 years of Seeds to Sprouts Childcare Center, our hearts are incredibly full.
To every single person who has been part of this journeyāfrom those who were there before the doors ever opened to those walking through them todayāplease know how sincerely grateful we are.
You helped us build this.
You helped us grow.
And from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being part of the Seeds to Sprouts family and our first ten years. š±š
Hereās to everything weāve grown togetherāand all the little sprouts still to come.
