Choosing childcare is one of the most important decisions a family can make. We at Jack 'n' Jill believe that you can change the world when a high-quality childcare enriches not only your children; yet, entire families and the community. Jack 'n' Jill has a rich heritage of providing a personal touch while caring for traditions have brought us from 1943 until now. Jack 'n' Jill is committed to providing high quality care with core values that are met by utilizing communication while responding to the needs of children and families.

Harriet Drew founded Jack 'n' Jill in 1943 in "the little old house at 39 Station Street". Harriet's husband Dana was injured and hospitalized in the war and she needed additional income. She and her friend Flo Nyros placed an ad in the local paper, hoping to place 10 children to care for in Harriet's home. Eighty-six people responded to the ad! It was wartime, and many working women needed childcare.

In preparing for this endeavor, Harriet and Flo recruited two retired teachers to help with the children. By the end of the first year they had 40 children enrolled. Harriet said, "We cleared out everything in the downstairs of my home. I went to the bank, took out a loan, and in four weeks we expanded the center. We charged $10 per week back then, and everyone thought that was expensive! We even provided transportation. I cooked, I drove, I cleaned, and I ran the school and did all the bookkeeping”.

Local mothers worked nights at the Quincy shipyards, so Harriet took in children to stay overnight. "We had a waiting list you wouldn't believe!" exclaimed Harriet. She put more additions onto her house to support the growth of her business.

Dana Drew (Harriet's son) was born in 1946. He is a Jack 'n' Jill graduate and took his first job as an employee of Jack ‘n’ Jill cleaning the school each night. When Dana turned 16, he started driving the center's school bus. When Harriet retired in 1984, Dana took over the family business, bringing it up to a higher level in order to meet DEEC and NAEYC standards and is the President of Jack ‘n’ Jill.

West Quincy, Est. 1943 | Marina Bay, Est. 1994 | Whitman, Est. 1999 | Pembroke, Est. 2001

We feel that any further expansion could affect the "warm and personal touch" we offer to our children and families. We value our centers so deeply and have no intention to become a large corporate chain. We view our five locations as the five fingers of the same caring hand with our administrative team as one and our four locations as the others. Though each center has its own personality, our mission statement and values keep our character uniform and high.

Extraordinary teachers have remained with Jack 'n' Jill for 10, 20 and even 32 years! An annual pin ceremony acknowledges those who remain dedicated to Jack 'n' Jill. The pin symbolizes an employee's anniversary. As tradition is passed on, tradition is also recognized with several Jack 'n' Jill graduates who have come back to teach. Nearly all of our staff, directors and teachers bring or have brought their own young children as well as their grandchildren to Jack 'n' Jill. Every member of our team has a background in Early Childhood Education. The staff’s educational experience ranges from a vocational/technical early childhood degree through masters’ degree. Each staff member is trained in First Aid, CPR and OSHA. We abide by the regulations from the Department of Early Education and Care www.eec.state.ma.us. Our staff remains motivated to provide quality care by maintaining accreditation status by The National Association for the Education of Young Children. www.naeyc.org

No matter which Jack ‘n’ Jill Center you choose for your child you will see that we go beyond licensing standards to meet the needs of the children. We make a commitment to understand children’s needs at different ages, plan age-appropriate activities, and interact with children in warm and stimulating ways. Whether it is in Jack ‘n’ Jill’s past, present or future we will always strive to offer quality care and remain committed to benefiting the wishes of families and children.