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COLLABORATORS
PARTNERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ADVISORY BOARD
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 The
Center For Childhood was founded in 1985 as The Museum of Childhood
by Jon Lappen who believed that such an institution, modeled
on the European concept of a museum of childhood culture, would
be an innovative and effective way to educate a broad
audience about childhood and to promote intercultural respect.
The original plan was to collect toys, dolls and childhood
artifacts and to initiate exhibitions with educational components. From 1985 to 1987, pilot exhibitions were held throughout
Southern California.
In
1987, the Board of Directors became concerned about the increase
of child abuse, domestic violence, drug use, teen pregnancy
and the lack of quality child care programs. They began
to focus on a different question: What could this institution
do to enhance the daily lives of children?
After a series of roundtable
discussions with teachers, administrators and other professionals
concerned with children, The Museum of Childhood changed its
name to The Center For Childhood and adopted a new mission.
Since then, The Center has undertaken numerous projects
to achieve these objectives.
The Center's goal is to make
all its educational programs and services diverse and community-based.
We seek to reach out to Southern California's many
ethnic groups and to join with neighborhoods, corporations
and government institutions whose goals are similar to our
own.
All of our projects are collaborative
in nature. We see this as the most effective way to make meaningful
improvements
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