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Any photos not otherwise credited are from the personal collection of Frank Passic, Albion Historian.
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Morning Star, November 21, 2025, pg. 5 Back in 1966 the Albion Community Day Care Center was founded to provide for day care and nursery school for local children, especially for those whose mothers were at work or other reasons. It was located in the educational wing of the First Presbyterian Church on the corner of S. Monroe and E. Porter Streets. The Center began its first year with just nine students and three working staff. The original three workers were: Jean Eggleston, Janet Sommers, and Pearl Kehoe. The Center received its funding from a variety of sources, including the Albion Community Chest, the United way, and corporate and individual donations. It was incorporated as a tax-exempt non-profit organization in 1967 and grew from there. The Center focused on children 2 ½ to 6 years of age. Children received excellent care and education, including meals and recreation each day. The Center was open from 6:00 am to 6 pm each weekday. The cost for each child was 50 cents an hour, or $4.00 per day, or $20.00 per week. Each child had different schedules; for example, some children were there for only an hour or two in the morning until it was time to go to school, because their parents had to go to work early in the morning. Transportation was provided if needed. Jim Nicholie from Albion College served as the station wagon driver who picked up the children each day. Early staff workers included Jean Eggleston, Pauline Passic, Betty Clark, Mary Lois Locke, Mrs. Janet Sommers, Pearl Kehoe, Sheri Brown, Kathy Baker, Sue Knickerbocker, Sheri Scranton, and Charlene Scranton. Geraldine Johnson served as acting director, and was subsequently named director. The Federally funded Michigan Migrant Opportunities, Inc. and the State of Michigan Department of Social Services contracted with the Center to provide day care for about 25 migrant children from the Calhoun County area. Most of their parents, Mexicans-Americans, were working in area fields and orchards during the day, harvesting cucumbers, onions, and apples. The migrant children were transported to the Center each day by bus, and by the aforementioned station wagon. The migrants were integrated with the local children at the Center. A news article published on the Center's first anniversary in 1967 stated, "It was unique because these migrant children were not segregated. It was a most heartwarming and rewarding experience for all of us. We have become very favorably noticed in the state because of this service." The Center outgrew its original location, and after a fund-raising effort, built a new headquarters in Dalrymple Woods at 615 S. Dalrymple St. It opened there in May, 1972, and was renamed the Johnson Child and Development Center. It operated there for many years until it closed, and was replaced by the Little Lambs of Jesus Preschool which operates on the site today. From our Historical Notebook this week we present a 1967 photo of migrant children at play at the Center, and another photo with some of them during meal time at a table with their leader, Pauline Passic (who is now age 99) mother of yours truly. How many of our readers were students at the Albion Community Day Care Center in its original location at the Presbyterian Church in Albion?  1967 photo of the youngsters
 At the table with Pauline Passic
All text copyright, 2026 © all rights reserved Frank Passic
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