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A Little Bit of History

The year was 1921 and World War I had ended a few years earlier. Some civic-minded women formed the Orlando Day Nursery for the sake of working widows left with young children to support.

Since Orlando was booming from its land speculation and citrus grove industries, some of the mothers probably went to work in orange groves or packing houses. These worksites, certainly, were not the right environments for toddlers to spend their days, and something had to be done for the children.

Very likely, at least one woman founding the nursery was the wife of a gentlemen working to establish the Kiwanis Club of Orlando that same year. A natural association between the two organizations has existed all these years.

In late 2005, the Kiwanis Club of Orlando went beyond simple donations, or acting as a safety net, to purchase land and construct a state-of-the-art childcare facility, specifically for ODN's program.

What We Do for the Community

Situated within view of the Amway Arena's north entrance, most ODN families come from the Parramore and West Orlando neighborhoods. ODN’s program for young children, serves a diverse client base of around 245 families with a total of 310 children per year.

ODN provides a developmentally appropriate childcare program and enriching preschool learning experience at reduced rates to families living in or near poverty in Central Florida to instill compassion, build strong characters and prepare children (ages 0-5 years) for school readiness, healthy living and sustainable livelihoods as adults in order to build a more flourishing community.

ODN's Mission

Orlando Day Nursery Association’s mission is to develop the whole child by providing high quality, affordable care and early childhood education services in the Orlando area