Founded in 1915 by the Junior Guild of Trinity Cathedral, Phoenix Day offered an innovative service for the time - childcare for World War I wives entering the workforce. From those humble beginnings in a church basement, Phoenix Day has grown into one of Arizona’s most innovative and progressive child learning centers, today providing low-cost child care and health services for 3,500 children and working families in a state-of-the-art facility. Some of our milestones include: • In 1938, Phoenix Day became one of the first childcare centers in the city to enroll and integrate children of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. • By 1956, we moved to our current location on Tonto Street south of downtown. Four years later, the center changed from a church-sponsored agency to an independent organization governed by a board of directors. • In 1970, Phoenix Day was chosen as the model for the children’s show Sesame Street. Joan Ganz Cooney, founder of the television program and a graduate of North Phoenix High School, selected us to test the curriculum due to the diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds of our children. • Recognizing Phoenix’s changing demographics and the growing Spanish-speaking population, in the 1980s we instituted a bilingual child development focus, and increased community services. • To better serve family members, Phoenix Day expanded in the 1990s to include bilingual case management and volunteer coordination. Our newest program, Health Links, was created in 1997 to help families access low-cost insurance and wellness programs. • In 1995, the federal government designated the area in which Phoenix Day is located an Enterprise Community, due to stress factors including gang activity, drug-related crimes, a high percentage of female-headed households, high unemployment and poverty levels. Despite the challenges in our surrounding community, Phoenix Day remains a stable resource for families. In 2003 we completed a multi-year renovation and new child-care facility that enables our children to learn and grow in a safe, nurturing environment. However, the need for our services continues to grow creating greater demand for program dollars and additional space. To continue to serve our families, we are launching the next phase of our capital campaign to expand our current facilities. Our next phase will include a community meeting room, board room, additional classroom space and administrative offices. As Phoenix Day prepares to celebrate its 90th anniversary, our commitment to building a better future for our children continues to guide us, and we look forward to expanding our successful child care and family programs.