Catherine Morrill Day Nursery

The mission of Catherine Morrill Day Nursery is to promote the young child's total development within a safe and nurturing environment, and to support families and community. From the beginning, the Nursery has been devoted to quality care for young children. In September 1916, a group of public spirited women, led by Hilda Ives, instituted a nutrition campaign in Portland. Their goal was better health care for babies. This group opened a Milk Station in City Hall on May 7, 1917 under the direction of Katherine L. Quinn, Portland's first trained public health nurse. During the year 1919, the women recognized a need for a service that would provide custodial care for children in the community. They met this need by establishing a day nursery at the Waynflete School Building at 339 Danforth Street. The day nursery was incorporated under the name of Portland Baby Hygiene and Welfare Association. In March 1920 Catherine Morrill Day Nursery was named in memory of Catherine Morrill, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Burnham Morrill. Before her death, Miss Morrill had been a devoted, loyal and beloved volunteer at the Nursery. In 1922, Mrs. Franklin Payson and her son, Donald Payson, purchased the house at 96 Danforth Street and the adjoining lot and donated it to the Nursery in memory of Mrs. Payson's sister, Mrs. Margaret Ella Chamberlain. Each room and the playground were put in proper condition and equipped in memory of a little child. As the years have passed, the Nursery has worked diligently to meet the challenges of the times, in keeping with the original mission "to provide quality care for Portland's Children." Today, the Nursery is still housed at 96 Danforth Street, rich in history and expectant of what the future may bring. The Nursery has grown from a custodial care service to a nationally accredited program that promotes young children's cognitive, physical, social and emotional development.

Catherine Morrill Day Nursery is a licensed child care and preschool program which serves families with young children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old. Catherine Morrill Day Nursery is accredited by the National Association for the Education of young Children and follows the Creative Curriculum Framework. The teacher's role is to provide an environment that promotes active learning and to help children think about their actions. Children learn most when they are encouraged to explore, to interact with their peers, to be creative, to follow their interests, and to play!!