In 1912 a group of socially conscious women started the Oak Park & River Forest Day Nursery to provide full-time, quality childcare to working women in the community. This core mission has continued and today, the Day Nursery is 501(3) (c) non-profit agency licensed by the Village of Oak Park and the State of Illinois to provide full-time childcare and a preschool education to up to 77 children ages 2.5 to 6 years old. The Day Nursery serves families of all income levels, races, religions, ethnicities, and educational backgrounds from Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park and surrounding communities. Significantly, the Day Nursery is the only preschool childcare provider in this area that provides services to high-income families paying full tuition and to lower-income families that pay tuition according to a sliding fee scale based on family income and size. The Day Nursery also accepts very-low-income families who qualify for the state-subsidized childcare program, and provides scholarships to those moderate- to low-income families who do not qualify for the state program. As a result of the financial assistance provided to families and its participation in the state-subsidized daycare program, the Day Nursery helps parents and families to continue employment, education or training, and thus maintain self-sufficiency.