Media Collection: Swan Island Child Services Center

The child care center was built on a thin piece of land linking Swan Island to the eastern shore of the Willamette River. The distinctive "spokes" of the classrooms are apparent in this aerial photograph. Parents could drop their children off at the center before joining the check-in line at the shipyards, and pick them back up on their way back to the wartime housing developments nearby. Org lot 366, folder 1

As a way to support working families, the Center offered a meal service. Shipyard workers could order meals in the morning and pick them up after their shifts when they came by to get their children. Women benefited enormously--they were relieved from the labor of cooking dinner for the family after a full-day's work in the yards. Org lot 366, OrHi80373

Teachers and staff of the Swan Island Child Services Center meet with parents to discuss ways to improve the center. Org lot 366, OrHi80380

The playground was in the middle of the center, a design feature that made it easier for child care workers to keep track of the young, active children. Coll 366, folder 10
