The head of a Winnipeg daycare centre says she fears for the safety of children in her care after an anonymous racist letter was sent there twice in the past week.

The Winnipeg Police Service confirms it is investigating a complaint related to the letter, which was posted on the door of the St. Norbert Children's Centre last Friday and again on Monday.

The anonymous notice alleges that the daycare is changing its name to "St. Nigeria Day Care" and will provide care "exclusively for Afro-Nigerian kids" with "Nigerian" staff and management.

"Everything about that letter is racist. I can't think of any part that isn't," Avril Coutou, the daycare's executive director, told CBC News on Thursday afternoon.

Jamie Drennan, right, holds his nine-month-old son, Parker, who attends the St. Norbert Children's Centre. The daycare was targeted twice in the past week by an anonymous letter claiming the facility has race-specific policies. (CBC) "To keep referring to Afro-Nigerian is pretty much selecting one group, and I'm totally against that."

The letter also came as a shock to parents like Jamie Drennan, who says he was disturbed by what he saw.

"Really, posting a letter on a door is making you look like a racist idiot," said Drennan, whose nine-month-old son, Parker, goes to the daycare.

"If you got something to say, say it and don't be shy behind paper."

The author of the letter, who is never named, threatens to distribute similar notices throughout the St. Norbert neighbourhood.

"Tax payers money is invested in this daycare and we want it to run fairly not being prejudice [sic] to one particular race," the notice states in part.

Parents support daycare

Coutou countered the anonymous letter with an email to parents this week. She even outlined the diverse ethnic backgrounds of its staff members and children in care.

The St. Norbert Children's Centre attached a copy of the offending notice in its own email to parents this week. The daycare's email condemns the person or people behind the anonymous letter and even outlines the ethnic backgrounds of its children and staff. (Submitted by Jamie Drennan) According to her email, the majority of the daycare's children — about 30 — are Caucasian, and it cares for children from countries around the world, including 12 from Nigeria.

Coutou said it felt "demeaning" to have to tally the racial backgrounds of the children and staff at her daycare.

However, she noted that the one good thing about the controversy is the positive response she has received from parents.

"We have gotten a lot of support from our current parents and past parents," she said.

"In that way, some good did come out of it, in that it let me know what the majority of the community thinks."

Drennan, who is Caucasian, said he hopes the negative attention surrounding the racist letter won't distract from the good care his son has been getting there.

"They're caring for my kid and they're doing a good job of it, and the facility's safe and clean," he said.

Daycare looks at installing surveillance system

Drennan added that he fears the letter may prompt a race-motivated attack on the daycare centre.

"People could be really shocked like I am when they see it, or it could only take one sour egg … to sour the bunch," he said.

Coutou said on Thursday, she requested quotes for video surveillance systems from two companies. Two more will come to the daycare next week, she said.

"If they're crazy enough and sick enough to send me that kind of a letter, I don't know who I'm dealing with," she said.

"There's no name attached to it, no way to contact that person for a rebuttal or anything like that."

She added that she has not yet heard any update from Winnipeg police regarding the investigation.

Angela Staple, a parent living in St. Norbert, says she's concerned the letter may taint the daycare's reputation and mislead some parents into thinking it has race-specific policies.

"Not everybody is going to watch the news or something, and if this gets around then that daycare is going to have a bad name," she said.

Coutou said she suspects the letter was the result of someone not liking the fact that she and another woman who runs the daycare centre are black. Coutou said she is from Trinidad and has lived in Winnipeg for 44 years.

The St. Norbert Children's Centre is currently full, with 78 children registered.