The oldest childcare center in Ohio, located in Toledo, just surpassed a major milestone. In October, The Toledo Day Nursery celebrated 150 years of caring for children in the community. Since 1871, the non-profit organization has been dedicated to providing high-quality childcare and early childhood education to families who face economic hardships along with others in the community looking for childcare.
Care over the years
The secret of the Toledo Day Nursery’s success is straightforward.
“Anybody who works here has a passion and a life mission to work with, and make a difference in, families and children in our community,” said Karen McCoy, Ph.D., President of the organization. At three facilities in Toledo, 18 teachers and staff members care for the children each day.
“A majority of our teachers have degrees, and every teacher undergoes rigorous ‘best practices’ training,” says Dr. McCoy. They maintain low teacher-to-child ratios to provide impactful and safe experiences. One teacher is assigned to every four infants, three teachers care for 10 toddlers, and two teachers look after a maximum of 17 preschoolers.
Ties to the community
Toledo Day Nursery has evolved since it began as the Adams Street Mission back in the 1800s, when it looked after 25 to 50 children each day. Adams Street Mission moved several times before finding a home on Ontario St. in 1895 and then moving into its own building on Southard Ave. in the 1930s.
In more recent years, the organization has sought and secured community partners — Toledo Public School’s Home Life Department in 1984, Rogers High School in 1997 and Mercy Health Partners in 1998 among others. The lead partner for the organization today is United Way. “We could not survive without United Way and all of the generous foundations that have graciously given money throughout the years,” says Dr. McCoy.
Following the establishment of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in the mid-1980s, Toledo Day Nursery has been accredited for childcare and early childhood education programs each year. In 1999, the creation of the Step up to Quality (SUTQ) program gave the nursery another opportunity to display its high-quality care to the community with enhanced accreditation and never falling short of the highest possible rating. The staff is always looking for partners to garner more resources to continue to support children and families. “Our eyes are always open to look for partnerships,” adds Dr. McCoy.
Services offered
The Toledo Day Nursery offers a wide array of programs across three locations that cater to specific age groups. Each location offers:
- Infant classrooms for children six weeks old through 18 months, with various activities that include nursery rhymes and dancing, rolling over, sitting up, crawling or walking. The staff uses their expertise to determine activities be best suited for each child.
- Classes for toddlers, between 18 months and three years, focus on building friendships, strengthening language and learning about independence.
- Preschool classrooms allow children to get involved in meaningful experiences to build upon developmental stages. The Early Learning Content Standards serve as a guide for academic learning experiences including critical thinking activities, problem solving scenarios, collaboration and observation.
Navigating through the pandemic
With COVID’s continued presence in our community, Toledo Day Nursery follows all necessary precautions to keep children and staff safe. During the initial shutdowns in 2020, Governor Mike DeWine exempted childhood caregivers, designating them as essential workers. Dr. McCoy applied for that designation with the intention of staying true to the organization’s roots of serving children and families. “The need was there to provide care to children while their families were working in hospitals, delivering meals to shut-ins or working in developmental disability centers. They still had to go to work, so we wanted to be the place in Toledo where parents knew they could take their children where they’d be safe,” says Dr. McCoy.
Enrollment
If you have a child and are interested in enrolling them at the Jefferson Center, Stickney Center, or Rosary Center, call 419-243-2627 or fill out a form at toledodaynursery.org.
