Allegro Child Care Centre began with a mother’s vision. In 1997, Marcia Nickerson; expecting her first child; was looking for a child care environment that felt truly right; a vision inspired by her mother, an early childhood educator and advocate—one rooted in love, respect, and meaningful relationships. When she couldn’t find exactly what she needed, she built it herself.
Allegro was born, inspired from Marcia’s musical background, meaning quick and bright. With just two children, Allegro opened its doors with a commitment to high-quality, relationship-based care that supports the whole child. From the very beginning, Allegro has been guided by the belief that every child is capable, every family is valued, and every moment matters.
As we grew, so did our impact. Allegro was honoured with the Fastest Growing Business Award from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, a recognition of both our rapid growth and the heart behind our work.
A defining shift came in 2003, when we partnered with Partnerships for Inclusion. This collaboration helped transform our practice. We embraced an anti-bias approach and became more family-centred, working to ensure our environment reflected and celebrated the diversity of every child and family in our care.
In 2015, we joined the Handle with Care initiative to strengthen our support for children’s mental health and emotional well-being, integrating new strategies into our everyday practice.
Then, in 2020, Marcy and Laura became certified Circle of Security trainers—further deepening our commitment to attachment-based care, helping children build secure relationships, and supporting families with empathy and understanding.
That same year, the world changed, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the closure, Allegro remained committed to supporting families through virtual meets, social media and story times. We re-opened in accordance to the government standards, maintaining stability for children, and protecting the health and well-being of our community. It was a time of challenge and change, but also of incredible resilience, teamwork, and care. We adapted, supported one another, and stayed grounded in our mission when it mattered most.
In 2023, Marcia and her leadership team traveled to Reggio Emilia, Italy, to engage with the globally respected early childhood philosophy that celebrates children as curious, competent, and full of potential. From this trip, the Third Place (our atelier) was born.
Through a leadership retreat with educators from around the world in 2024, they brought back new insights and inspiration that now inform our pedagogy, our environments, and our leadership.
Today, we continue on our Reggio-inspired learning journey, weaving its principles into every part of our work—listening deeply to children, creating thoughtful spaces, and embracing learning as a shared, joyful process.
Allegro is now home to eight learning environments and 129 children, but our heart has remained constant. We are a place where children feel safe and seen, families feel welcome, and educators feel supported to grow and lead.
As you join our team, you step into a story that began with love, evolved through reflection, and continues to grow with purpose and passion.
Welcome to Allegro. You belong here.
allegrochildcare.ca 