About

In 1942, the Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale established Jack & Jill Center as an emergency nursery school, offering childcare to women entering the workforce during World War II as their husbands served overseas.

Today, Jack & Jill Center has evolved into a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community-based organization committed to providing comprehensive, holistic, wraparound support services to children from high-need families. Our aim is to improve the wellbeing and quality of life for these children and their parents who work or attend school. As the oldest nonprofit provider of early childhood education in Broward County, our core mission remains unchanged: serving families, educating children, and supporting and advocating for our community.

Originally known as "Jack & Jill Nursery" until 2003, we started in a small school house in Fort Lauderdale's historic Sailboat Bend neighborhood, catering to 40 children and their families. Over time, the demand for early childhood education in South Florida grew, leading to our relocation to a 17,000 square foot facility on West Broward Boulevard and expanding our capacity to serve up to 140 children. Our programming also expanded to include infants through Preschool/VPK (4) and a Family Resource Room with a computer lab.

In 2017, after careful planning and community feedback, we embarked on constructing a modern elementary school on our campus. This resulted in the establishment of the Madelaine Halmos Academy (MHA), which began serving kindergarten through fifth grade in August 2021. Thanks to the generosity of The Halmos Family, every MHA student who graduates high school will receive a two-year college scholarship from the Jack & Jill Center Opportunity Scholarship Fund.

As our name evolved to Jack & Jill Center to reflect our expanded scope of services, we now provide not only children's education but also family support programs to address long-term and systemic inequality. We recognize the challenges faced by hard-working families, which is why we strive to empower them with the tools they need to build a better future. Our family strengthening programs help improve financial stability, job prospects, child development, and overall family stability.

Throughout our journey, we have served over 30,000 children and families in our community through our Early Education Program, Madelaine Halmos Academy, Family Program, and the HEALTH Program.

Looking ahead, Jack & Jill Center remains committed to our mission of strengthening children and families through innovative education, supportive programming, and community engagement. We take pride in serving not only the children but also their parents, guardians, and individuals in our community. As we continue our next chapter, we will adapt to the changing needs of our community and persist in making a positive impact on the lives of those we serve.