Final Version May 5 07

41
History.
Canadian child care has a long history, but in most jurisdictions it has only
become a formally organized and regulated service in the past 30 years (Ogston, 1999).
Prochner (2000) describes the history from a Canadian perspective with parallels to the
United States. What is generally regarded as the first child care centre in North America
was founded in Philadelphia in 1863. Industrialization, immigration, and a concern over
high infant mortality provided the conditions for the development of similar institutions
across the country. These day nurseries were part of a “broad social reform movement”
known as the “Progressive Movement” that “aimed at improving the lives of children and
their families.” The movement also “included the establishment of settlement houses,
charity kindergartens, and children’s aid societies” (Prochner, 2000, p. 40). In 1892, there
were 90 day nurseries in the U.S. (Prochner, 2000).
In Canada at this time, there were only a handful of day nurseries. With a smaller
population and lower numbers of poor, wage-earning mothers’ demand was limited.
Growth paralleled urban development and in 1912, six of the seven largest Canadian
cities had at least one nursery. The nineteenth century day nursery was a place for women
and children to seek assistance in times of need. It was a social welfare product; a
charitable response from philanthropists to help families in peril (Prochner, 2000).
Modest growth of child care continued but the economic depression of the 1930s
made it difficult for women to find work. Stagnation lasted until the outbreak of the
Second World War. While wartime nurseries served relatively few families, group child
care for the first time was promoted as a normal support for families. After the war many
day nurseries closed; those that stayed open functioned in a custodial mode. In the 1960s
when kindergarten education was rejuvenated to address social inequities, child care as