History
Fruit & Flower's history is filled with the laughter of small children.

More than a century ago, eight school girls formed the Children's Flower Mission. The girls' goal: to deliver bouquets to shut-ins and hospitals. As the girls matured, they turned their charitable energies to the need for child care for working mothers. In 1906 the group opened the “Flower Mission Day Nursery.” The fee was ten cents per day and children from infancy to age seven were admitted. The demand was surprisingly high.

Fruit & Flower has grown to become one of the more respected child care programs in the state and has maintained its focus on providing assistance to families in need. A scholarship program with 18 full time scholarships provides much needed support and assistance to families with major challenges in their lives such as single parenting, completing college studies, and re-entering the workplace.

Fruit & Flower provides an exemplary environment where children can flourish. We have programs for infants through pre-kindergarteners. In addition to our developmentally appropriate program, we provide nutritious breakfasts, lunches and snacks prepared on site. We also provide families with the opportunity to participate in a variety of child centered activities.

As we look to 2006, our Centennial Year, the Fruit & Flower Board of Directors has returned to our foundation and history for perspective on our future. From our earliest days, Portland and the greater community have always been proud to support the efforts of our child care program. The Board is in strong support of welcoming the community to help us celebrate this great accomplishment. Also, the Fruit & Flower Board feels the responsibility of ensuring that the child care legacy continues into the next century. We will be working to expand the Permanent Endowment which began with two major contributions in 1937. It has grown to be worth over a million dollars.

Eight young women began the Fruit & Flower Child Care dream in 1906 — Helen Burrel, Antoinette Montgomery, Anna Farrell, Ida Farrell, Dorthea Eliot, Frances Warren, Ellen Eliot and Clara Teal. If you are a descendant or know the descendants of any of these women, please contact Fruit & Flower
immediately at info@fruitandflower.org.