Sitting within Jefferson Parish and a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, the community of Metairie, Louisiana has a significantly large population -- one that would make it the state’s fourth biggest city if it were an incorporated community, but it is not. However, with a population over 138,000, many families seek childcare regularly for different reasons. And among those families, many desperately need affordable options, particularly with a median income in Metairie of $41,000.
But affordable daycare was not in abundance in the early 2000s, as entrepreneur Toniko Manning Brown noticed. She knew these families needed someone to fill the void, and so she did. By 2002, Little Beautiful Minds Primary Academy opened its doors as an educational facility offering reasonably priced weekly payments for childcare alongside learning. Kids now had a new place to gain knowledge and fun without their parents breaking the bank to make it occur.
Toniko Manning Brown ensured quality care at her facility in a harmonious, safe environment that fostered lifelong learners from an early age. With a small staff -- nearly ten in total -- Brown’s school grew out of its walls quickly and has since relocated twice. Little Beautiful Minds Primary Academy is now located at 5959 Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie, at the former Celebration Station. This newest location allows for continued growth, but provides the same expected care and low-cost services that Brown and Little Beautiful Minds have become known for across the New Orleans region.
