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Civic League is... RICH IN HISTORY THE BALFOUR HOME The original house was built on the site in 1861. Dr. Will Mayo and his wife, Hattie, remodeled the home in 1910 as a wedding present for their daughter, Carrie Mayo, and her new husband Dr. Donald Balfour. Women's Civic League Inc. of Rochester formed in 1887. The original members were primarily churchwomen who teamed up to help identify unmet community needs and to initiate programs when none existed. In 1926, Civic League inherited a large house through the will of the Woodworth sisters, who had been active Civic League members. In 1930, Civic League opened the home as a day nursery for children of working mothers. It occupied only one room on the main floor. The land where the Historic Balfour Home is located today was originally inhabited by Native Americans including Dakota /Sioux, Ojibway, and Winnebago. Property records show that this site has been in continual occupancy since 1861, shortly after the City of Rochester was founded in 1854. In the late 19th century, Eleazer Damon, a pioneer resident of Rochester, and his wife, Caroline, had a home on this site, which incorporated portions of the 1861 dwelling and is part of the current residence. Mr. Damon owned a jewelry store and served as city alderman. Mr. and Mrs. Damon’s daughter, Hattie, attended Carleton College and married William J, Mayo, M.D. (Dr. Will), on this site in 1884. At that time, the street in front of the house was known as Glencoe Street. ABOUT THE HOUSE Hattie Mayo inherited the house from her parents. She and Dr. Will remodeled it as a wedding gift to their eldest daughter, Carrie, who married a Canadian physician, Donald C. Balfour, M.D., in 1910, shortly after her graduation from Wellesley College; Dr. and Mrs. Balfour lived here for fifty years. Dr. Balfour began his medical career as a surgeon. After he developed tuberculosis, he could no longer perform operations and shifted his focus to Mayo Clinic’s educational programs. Under his leadership, generations of physicians received advanced, specialized training. They joined the staff of Mayo Clinic and practiced elsewhere, spreading Mayo’s ideals of excellence in patient care, education and research throughout the United States and internationally. A large meeting room in Mayo Foundation House, the former home of Dr. William J. and Hattie D. Mayo located a few blocks away, is named Balfour Hall in honor of Dr. Balfour. During their residence here, Dr. and Mrs. Balfour made the home a center of hospitality and fellowship for their family and a wide circle of friends. In 1916, they added the west end of the house and a half-story above the second floor. In 1960, Dr. and Mrs. Balfour moved to 322 Eighth Ave. S.W. and donated this home to Mayo Foundation. The house was leased to the Rochester YMCA in 1961 and to the Senior Citizen Day Center in 1966. Civic League Day Nursery received the house in 1975 in an exchange of properties with Mayo Clinic. At the time, Civic League's permit stated that not more than 12 children, ages 2 to 5, were to be present at any given time. The custodial care included the giving of orange juice and cod liver oil during morning and afternoon snack times, noon lunch followed by a nap, and supervised free play. In 1945, Civic League expanded the nursery by adding the use of a second room and enlarging the bathroom. This allowed the program to hold 20 children, ages 3 to 5. Around 1958, the concept of providing only custodial care for children in daycare was viewed as inappropriate and the requirements for state licensing were raised. Civic League began hiring directors and head teachers who were professionally qualified in education or related fields. A licensed, well-staffed day care center evolved, offering an enriched child-care program. In 1975, Civic League Day Nursery moved into the historic Balfour Home, where they are proudly located today. The program is licensed to hold 84 children, ages 16 months to 5 years. Women's Civic League Inc. officially changed to Civic League Day Nursery in 2000 to reflect the board's current charter, which is to set policy and oversee the overall operations of the oldest and best nursery school in Rochester, and to recognize the addition of men to the Board. COME INSIDE See More >

Civic League visits Oxbow Park ​ Our children enjoyed a morning out at Oxbow Park exploring the world around them. Climbing, Seeing, Sensing and smiling all along the way. ​ All photos were taken and provided by Marie Ferguson at DM Creative Design.

Honoring Philanthropy Thank you to Scott, Dean and the crew from McGough for transfering and installing the new playground equipment on the upper playground.

PART 3 - NEXT STEPS In the summer of 1972, with the backing of the United Way Board, the Civic League applied for funds to finance the opening of a satellite day nursery center. State grants provided start-up funds for equipment and a combination of Federal and United Way monies made possible a contract with the Social Services Department to pay the fees of all income eligible children. Space made available by the First Christian Church in northwest Rochester became the Northwest Center in October 1972, licensed to care for 28 children, bringing the combined total to 64 children being cared for by the Civic League Day Nursery. The teaching staff was increased from 5 1/2 to 12. The contract was renewed in 1973. The daily cost per child was $8.55 and the annual budget was $104,000. Meanwhile, the old frame Woodworth house was deteriorating. The Mayo Foundation was approached with the idea of exchanging the Woodworth property for the vacant Balfour property at the corner of Fifth Street and Sixth Avenue Southwest. The larger Balfour property would allow the Civic League Board to consolidate its after-school kindergarten program and downtown nursery. The Mayo Foundation agreed to the proposal so the Civic League Board went to the community seeking financial help for building renovations, including the installation of sprinkler system required by state code, and for moving expenses. The Rochester Area Foundation approved a grant of $6,000, the Kahler Foundation gave $1,500 and $400 was donated by the Exchange Club. A loan of $25,000 was secured with the cooperation of the Rochester banks. ​ ​ In August 1975, after many hours of volunteer labor by the Civic League Board members, staff, parents and members of the local painters Union, an after school kindergarten program for 25 children moved to the first floor rooms of the Balfour House. In October, the nursery programs which been had been housed in the Woodworth house for 45 years were moved to the second floor of the Balfour house. By February of 1976, renovation of the third floor was completed allowing the kindergarten group to occupy the third floor and additional preschoolers to occupy the first floor so the Balfour housed 68 children. The still active satellite Northwest Center program served 29 children. In September 1976, the age span of children served by a Civic League programs grew when first and second grade children were permitted to enroll in the after-school program. Two years later, in 1978 grants from the Rochester Area Foundation and the Kahler Corp. made possible the remodeling of the basement area of the Balfour House for classroom use for toddlers and part of the garage as an office. With the additional space, the Balfour House was licensed for 89 children. The Northwest Center was then closed and all day nursery operations were consolidated at one site. In 1986, the annual operating budget of the Civic League Day Nursery grew to $284,727. The United Way of Olmsted County, the Federal Government Child Care Food Subsidy and parent fees were the primary funding sources. The fees were $60 per week per child. Sliding fee payments were made available for eligible families. The Child Care Resource and Referral office administered the County, State and Federal monies for subsidized fees. United Way sliding fee dollars were managed by the Executive Director of the Civic League Day Nursery. The Day Nursery program was licensed to serve 93 children, ages 2 to 8. The staff included a full-time executive director, 5 lead teachers, 7 assistant teachers, a cook and an assistant cook, a part-time office manager and a custodian. The start of the school year in 1988 saw further expansion as Civic League Day Nursery began operating the newly built Day Care Center for 30 children at the Rochester Technical College. This center also served as a lab school for training students enrolled in the Child Development Assistant Program. Women's Civic League of Rochester celebrated their centennial with a luncheon for past board members at this new center. Revised licensing standards for group day care also went into effect in 1988. These standards required additional detailed record keeping and more specific training for teachers. The budget for 1991 was $395,000. The preschool weekly fee was $81 and the before and after school kindergarten fee was $68. The total licensed capacity of both centers was 123. The combined staff included 1 director, 1 supervisor/lead teacher, 6 lead teachers, 9 assistant teachers, 1 part-time office manager, 3 part-time cooks and 1 part-time custodian. The Balfour House was shown on the 1991 American Association of University Women spring House Tour. Several hundred people showed an interest in the house's history and its current use. ​ In July, 1996 the southeast childcare site moved from Riverland Technical College to the new Rochester Community and Technical College at the University Center Rochester. Lead and Assistant teachers were encouraged to use up to 40 hours each year of regular work time for job related training; and a collaborative relationship between Head Start and Civic League initially begun at the Rochester Technical College was also expanded to the southwest location at Balfour House in 1998. In the 1990's, as the Rochester community experiences economic and diverse growth so too did the Civic League Day Nursery. The primary sources of revenue continued to be a combination of parent fees and subsidies from the United Way of Olmsted County, the Federal Government Child Care Food Program and Child Care Resources & Referral. In 2000, personnel costs (salaries and benefits) rose to nearly $500,000 for 23 staff members. The annual operating budget was over $674,000. The southwest location was licensed for 93 children ages 2 ½ through Kindergarten and the southeast location was licensed to serve 39 children ages 2 through 5. The rates for toddlers ran $150.00/week; preschoolers $140/week and kindergarteners $120/week. The sliding fee scale was $30/week. In 1999, 25% of the total enrollment benefited from the sliding fee scale. A focus on fund-raising and development was undertaken in the latter part of the 1990's. In 1996, the Joan Gravett Scholarship Fund was established with the Rochester Area Foundation to allow a child to receive quality childcare when other sources for funding fell short. The fund was established in honor of Mrs. Gravett who served nine years as a board member and 18 years as director of the nursery. A professional building inspection was done to the Balfour House in the summer of 1998 and a Capital Budget was put in place to address the recommendations to replace the original furnace, shingle roof, windows and exterior wood rot. The original furnace was replaced in the spring of 1999. In the summer of 1999 refurbishment of the apartment above the Civic League office was completed. The rent from the apartment helps to fund the various maintenance contractors such as lawn mowing and snow removal the Balfour House requires. A direct appeal to former and current parents, past and present board members called "This Old Nursery" was begun in August 2000 to solicit funds specifically for the replacement of the original roof, with the Rochester Area Foundation generously contributing $30,000 to the fund. The year 2000 also marked the 25th year that the 126 year old Balfour House had been in continuous use as the southwest location, and celebrated the Nursery's 70th year. In July 2000, Women's Civic League Inc. of Rochester, Minnesota was legally changed to Civic League Day Nursery of Rochester, Minnesota to accurately reflect the board's current charter --- to set policy and oversee the overall operations of the oldest and best nursery school in Rochester --- and to recognize the addition of men to the Board. In 2001, Children’s Home Society decided to close its nonprofit childcare center in Rochester. Civic League was asked by Child Care Resource and Referral and dozens of Children’s Home Society parents to take over the operation of the center at 3212 22nd Street NW. With help from CCRR, United Way and Southern MN Initiative Foundation, Civic League was able to keep the center open, retaining its staff and students. By 2004, it was clear Civic League Day Nursery had outgrown this facility in northwest Rochester. Long waiting lists, the cost of maintaining an older building, and the desire for a more stable situation than the short-term lease provided, motivated the Board to form a committee to explore options to relocate this center. After months of looking at existing buildings and finding nothing suitable, they met with several architects and builders to discuss building a center that would meet Civic League’s needs. In 2005, Civic League Day Nursery celebrated its 75th anniversary. It was a remarkable achievement considering the organization started during the Great Depression serving twelve children in a single classroom and had grown to three sites serving over 230 children annually. ​ ​

HIGHLIGHTS at Civic League WALTER BALFOUR visits CIVIC LEAGUE DAY NURSERY VISIT RENOVATION at CIVIC LEAGUE DAY NURSERY VISIT IN THE MEDIA with CIVIC LEAGUE DAY NURSERY VISIT On September 10, 2018, Walter Balfour visited his childhood home. During his visit he recalled and shared fond memories throughout the house we now call our home, Civic League Day Nursery. Balfor I have many fond memories of my family growing up in this home. Walter Balfour Renovation It is with great pleasure and excitement that we are nearing the completion of our commencement of our exterior façade repair and “facelift”. Ohnstad Custom Works begin on August 7, 2017 with scaffolding delivered before that. Their staff, trucks and equipment have been around like busy bees working on the weekends to push this project along admist inclement weather. With work starting on the rear courtyard side of the house, we will have to get creative. We have marked off play space areas for the kiddos. We are grateful for our large exterior play space as our teachers have been flexible to allow the workers to do their job safely and keep the children safe while at play. When needed we utilize our interior place space "the Muscle Room". ​ We look forward to many changes to come including our Growing garden area and lower play yard space. ​ Thank you for your patience, it will be beautiful in the end. In the Media IN THE MEDIA June 29, 2022 ​ Thunderous Storm takes out beloved tree and causes damage to surrounding neighborhood. ​ KTTC News Clip October 11, 2021 ​ Civic League Celebrates Mayo Heritage days with Community Wide Open House. ​ KTTC News Clip GATHER PRODUCE July 2, 2020 ​ Civic League changes long standing tradition for their 4th of July Parade. ​ KTTC News Clip CELEBRATING 40 YEARS SHARE YOUR LOVE FOR CLDN Jul 24, 2017 ​ Children help gather produce recently at the Civic League Day Nursery garden in Rochester, where gardening is used as a learning tool and as part of the daily meal plan. ​ POST BULLETIN May 8, 2017 ​ For Teachers Appreciation Week we share the love with two Rochester Preschool Teachers from Civic League Day Nursery. ​ KROC Aug 17, 2016 ​ This month, two teachers at Civic League Day Nursery are celebrating 40 years in teaching. That's four decades with young learners at the oldest nursery school in Rochester. ​ POST BULLETIN Feb. 13, 2016 ​ Civic League hosts Share your Love, a fundraiser gala with Trolley ride and historic tour of the home. Hosted at Cambria this event was a success for current families and aluminis of Civic League to "Share their Love!" ​ POST BULLETIN

Farm Photos Gallery Civic League Day Nursery participated at a local morning at the Farm. They were delighted to shuck corn,feed the chickens, horses and fawns. ​ All photos were taken and provided by Marie Ferguson at DM Creative Design.

A Day at Civic League Ever wonder what a day at Civic League Day Nursery looks like? From morning till noon our children are busy exploring, learning, discovering and growing through each of their experiences. ​ This is a splash of experiences your child will participate in while at CLDN. From picking garden fresh vegetables, shucking the corn and eating garden fresh produce to our historic engaging learning atmosphere, take a stroll through their day to see what they are upto. ​ More images are shared intermittently on our Public Facebook page. ​ Smiles from the archives CLDN Kids Day-7 Painted Feet CLDN Kids Day-21 I wanna be a... CLDN Kids Day-42 Art hanging around CLDN Kids Day-40 Colorful Feet CLDN Kids Day-33 Art CLDN Kids Day-28 Having Fun Science play at Civic league Rocks and playdough exploring textures. Guppy room color mixing a great science experiment for the pre-schoolers to learn about colors. Hanging around We love the active play in the big yard Say Hi Greetings from the preschool yard Hold on tight Active play for the big kids promotes learning Greetings Two new friends A quick smile just before the slide Outside play on slide CLDN, Rochester MN Civic League Day Nursery Day Care Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015 Active play outside Enjoying the summer with Staff at Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015 Love to read At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015 Following Instructions At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015 Come play with us At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015 Sliding Time in the Toddler Lot At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015 How I count and play At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015 What's this? At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015 So happy to be here At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015 Exploring, what's here? At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015 Matching my cards At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Day Care Center, Copyright, 2015 Look at what I have At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Day Care Center, Copyright, 2015 Amazing Friends At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Day Care Center, Copyright, 2015 Bubbles outside At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Day Care Center, Copyright, 2015 This is neat! At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015 Down the slide At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015 Large play yard Sand Box At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Day Care Center, Copyright, 2015 Let's build something At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015 See what I have? At Civic League CLDN, Rochester MN Child Care Center, Copyright, 2015

hours & information WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Come and experience the Civic League difference! Civic League serves children 16 months through the first day of kindergarten. Hours of Operation Monday - Friday 6:30am - 6:00pm Year-round Dates We're Closed New Years Day Third Friday in April (Staff Development Day) Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Third Friday in October (Staff Development Day) Thanksgiving Day & the day after Christmas Day We close at 3:00pm on December 23rd and December 31st. ​ If the holiday falls on the weekend then we will be closed the following business day. Hours of Operation at Civic League Day Nursery Tuition Assistance may be available. Tuition Assistance may be available to families that qualify and if funds are available. The process: Families fill out the Tuition Assistance application, submit two most recent paystubs, class schedule (if applicable), and most recent income tax statement. Applications will not be reviewed until all paperwork is submitted. Our handbook is a resource of information on how we provide our services and care for your child. ​ Please download and feel free to ask us any questions. ​ HANDBOOK

Civic League Day Nursery has a full-time cook on site. Our cook is certified by the State of Minnesota, and plans well-balanced meals for our children following the guidelines set by the USDA and Minnesota Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Children receive breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack. Weekly menus are posted in the center on each classroom bulletin board and on the doors, exiting the center. We serve our meals family style, when it is appropriate. Serving a meal family style means serving foods in bowls or dishes on the table. The children are encouraged to serve themselves, or serve themselves with the help from an adult. New foods are introduced frequently. Garden Blog What's Cooking? Our weekly menu Our menus are updated weekly. Select the pdf to view it. Civic League is very proud to announce that on October 31, 2016, representatives from the MN Department of Agriculture came to CLDN to tour the facility, meet our children (dressed in their Halloween attire!) and sample our lunch menu of the day - showcasing MN grown products prepared by Doreen. ​ In 2015, CLDN received a grant from the MN Department of Agriculture to revise our menus to support MN grown products and farmers. Since then, we have increased our offerings of food from MN farmers. These partnerships are critical to supporting our community and have allowed unique opportunities for our children. ​ We are proud of the partnership we have established with the MN Department of Agriculture, and humbled to be the first childcare center in MN to host them at their facility. Our meal service is partially funded and supervised by the Minnesota State Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Our food is purchased from local providers and other vendors. In accordance with Federal Law and the U.S. Department of Agricultural Policy, Civic League Day Nursery is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age and reprisal/retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Civic League Day Nursery adheres by this standard and is an equal opportunity provider. Civic League Day Nursery is an equal opportunity employer.

Summertime Play at Civic League Day Nursery At Civic League Day Nursery, summertime play is a critical activity. Nurturing their bodies with social friends is a must. Our center has one of the largest play yards in Rochester, filled with a variety of sandboxes, play equipment and field games. Not to mention our Garden of Growth where the children have planted and will get to pick their own vegetables at harvest We hope you enjoy these images as much as we do. ​ Scroll v iew the gallery as is or select an image to view it nearly full screen.

The annual 4th of July Parade Civic League Day Nursery annually participates in their own parade. Either walking around the block or downtown Rochester Minnesota our children are supported by family members cheering them on. Decorations they create and wear this event is a time honored tradation-one of many to look forward to. We hope you enjoy these images as much as we do. ​ Scroll v iew the gallery as is or select an image to view it nearly full screen. Please feel free to share or download the image you love. WAITLIST Curriculium Our Staff Our Story DONATE

Civic League staff share their talents in many ways. Who knew our staff were so talented? In an impromptu music session three of our teachers gathered together in the music room to share their talents. For one hour the children were dancing and singing along-fascinated by their remarkable teachers. ​ All photos were taken and provided by Marie Ferguson at DM Creative Design.