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Let us accept the child in our midst as our greatest wealth and our highest responsibility.

JANE ADDAMS,
co-founder of the
Mary Crane Center

2017-03-13T11:54:16+00:00

JANE ADDAMS,
co-founder of the
Mary Crane Center

Let us accept the child in our midst as our greatest wealth and our highest responsibility.
Contact Info
Administration Office
  • 4006 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60624
  • +1 (773) 242-2860
  • info@marycrane.org
Childhood Development Sites

Where It All Began

In 1908, Jane Addams started the Mary Crane Day Nursery at Hull House, after receiving a donation of a building from Richard Teller Crane in memory of his late wife.

Hull House turned the Day Nursery over to the National College of Education in 1925, and Jane Addams joined with Edna Dean Baker, president of the College, to pioneer a new way of thinking about early childhood education. Their shared knowledge and firsthand experience of working with children and families was groundbreaking in the efforts to prepare young underprivileged children for success.

Originally assisting children of poor immigrants on Chicago’s near West Side, the Center moved north to the Julia C. Lathrop Homes in 1963. In keeping with the spirit of its inception, the Mary Crane Center continues to serve communities in need and has added sites in Rogers Park, Austin and West Garfield Park over the past several years. The Mary Crane Center has launched the lives of over 15,000 children and families.

Partners & Archdiocese Sites

Little Kids Village

2656 W 71st St
Chicago, IL 60629
p 773.776.4753
f 773.776.8013
Sherri Thompson
Chief Executive Officer
ourvillage@sbcglobal.net

Little Acheivers

3801 W Diversey Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
p 773.632.8249
f 773.276.1600
Sharla Thompson
Site Director
sharla_thompson@sbcglobal.net

Saint Ethelreda

8734 S. Paulina
Chicago, IL 60620
p 773.238.1757
Denise Spells
Principal
dspells@stethelreda.org

Administration

Kristina Phillips
Chief Executive Officer
kphillips@marycrane.org

Traci Delgado
Program Director
tmedina@marycrane.org

Derbert Plaza
Education Director
dplaza@marycrane.org

Wanda Ho
Director of Finance & Operations
who@marycrane.org

Beth Rivera
HR Director
brivera@marycrane.org

Lisa Penny
Interim Director of Quality Assurance and Partner Sites
lpenny@marycrane.org

Site Directors

Eleanor Northern
Morse/Rogers Park
enorthern@marycrane.org
773.262.1390

Valerie Dickens
Lake & Pulaski/West Garfield Park
vdickens@marycrane.org
773.265.5954

Kisonnah Williams
Lathrop/Northwest
kwilliams@marycrane.org
773.938.8131

Mary A. Barron
Molade/Austin

mbarron@marycrane.org
773.287.7365

Carol Washington
Home Base Director
cwashington@marycrane.org
773.242.2868

Lisa Penny
Partner Director
lpenny@marycrane.org
312.719.8868

Board Members

DuWarren Gibson
Board President

Emily Herrick
Vice President

Carla E. Gazes
Treasurer

Robin Bourne-Caris
Secretary

Titilayo Adegunju
Parent Chair

Titilavo Adeguniu

Robin Bourne-Caris

Emily Burghardt

Carla Gazes

DuWarren Gibson

Laurie Gingrich

Peg Griffiths

Emily Herrick

Shanita Martha

Lei Lani Myles

Kristina Philips

Suzanne Rover

Adeline Robinson

Neeta Rochlani

Brian Slocum

Mary Slocum

Eben Smith