| 1968 | Dr. John McKim, a London pediatrician, was invited by the United Way to chair a Task Force to study day care needs in the City of London. The study was completed in 1974. |
| 1975 | CHILDREACH CENTRE was incorporated as a non-profit, charitable organization. |
| 1976 | A public awareness campaign recruited over 100 volunteers. |
| 1978 | Twenty volunteers began a telephone "Warm Line" responding to questions about infant and childcare. A part-time Co-ordinator was housed at Kiddieland Day Care. |
| 1980 | A Childreach Drop-In Centre opened in the YMCA. A Resource Library provided pamphlets on community resources. |
| 1981 | The YMCA burned down and everything was lost except the Minute Book. A room at the Cross Cultural Learning Centre at St. Peter's School was a temporary home. |
| 1983 | Childreach was housed in the London Urban Resource Centre. A Childreach Community Directory was produced and community awareness programs began. |
| 1984 | The Centre Toy Lending Service began and Outreach programs began in community locations (Southdale, Limberlost and Cascade Housing Complexes, UWO married student housing, Dorvan Apartment area, Bishop Townsend and Lord Roberts Public Schools, White Oaks Church and Salvation Army Hall). |
| 1985 | The Childreach Logo was designed. Funds from the Ministry of Community and Social Services, special grants and fundraising enabled service expansion. |
| 1987 | Parenting Courses and special children’s programs began. The first newsletter - The Childreach Chronicle - was published. Storybook Kits were created. |
| 1988 | A second Toy Lending Service was opened at the Beacock Branch Library. The newsletter, Centreview, was published quarterly. The Centre served 8,810 participants and 3,411 people attended programs in six Outreach locations. |
| 1989 | Childreach moved to 205 Horton Street and offered a drop-in playroom, Toy Lending & Resource Libraries, children's programs, activity workshops, weekly seminars, and parent education classes. Information on community resources was provided. The Centre was open four days a week and served 12,709 people. Three Outreach locations reached 5,724 participants, while 638 attended parenting classes. Total annual program attendance reached 20,405. |
| 1990 | The Centre expanded to accommodate program growth. There were five Outreach locations and a third Toy Lending Service at the Jalna Branch Library. |
| 1991 | Two Teams provided Outreach programs in six locations and 13,565 people attended. The Centre playroom served 15,831 visitors while over 3,000 attended Parenting programs. Total attendance reached 45,640. The focus remained on parents and children from 0 to 5 years. In-home (unlicensed) caregivers increase use of Childreach programs and resources. |
| 1992 | Provincial funding is capped. Programs are sustained through fundraising and donations. |
| | Major grants from the Trillium, Lawson and London Community Foundations and the Richard and Jean Ivey Fund are received. Total program attendance reached 59,958. Seven Outreach locations served 31,499 people. |
| 1993 | Eight Outreach locations served 37,269 visitors. Two new parent education courses were developed and 2,252 adults attended classes. Total program attendance was 58,665. |
| 1994 | Funding cutbacks occur under the "Social Contract" legislation. Fundraising increases to sustain programming. Total program attendance reaches 64,682. |
| 1995 | Childreach celebrates 20 years of helping families play, learn and grow together. Transfer payment funding is reduced a further 5%. A permanent Centre location is purchased. A Capital Campaign ($652,000) for the purchase and renovation of the building is begun in June. Total program attendance reaches 67,385. |
| 1996 | On April 1, Childreach Centre is established at 265 Maitland Street. Program space doubles, programs operate five days a week and attendance increases 40%. Total program attendance reaches 69,825. |
| 1997 | The Childreach mandate expands to include responsibility for the Early Childhood Education Resource Centre programs. We now provide professional development, consultation and supports for child care providers and home-based and centre-based licensed child care programs serving children from infancy to 12 years in the City of London and counties of Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford, Perth and Huron. |
| 1998 | The John McKim Childreach Endowment Fund is established at The London Community Foundation. |
| 1999 | Annual memberships total 1,040. Service is provided for almost 80,000 adults and young children. A second Capital Campaign was started to renovate the second floor to house the ECE Resource Centre program. |
| 2000 | A year of celebration in honour of our 25th Anniversary of incorporation. The John McKim Childreach Endowment Fund tripled in size. Our ECE Resource Centre program moved on site in October. Community Outreach and Parent Education programs became known as Childreach On Wheels (COW). Dr. Fraser Mustard rates Childreach Early Child Development & Parenting Program one of the three best programs in the Province of Ontario. |
| 2002 | Childreach takes the lead the Ontario Early Years Centre for the riding of London North Centre. |
| 2003 | Strategic Planning sets the stage for a Balanced Score Card approach to operations. A Community Council is created to provide broad consultation with key community leaders. |
| 2004 | Staff and Board develop “Role Maps” to guide the work of implementing the Strategic Plan. Childreach Founder Dr. John Stewart McKim passes away in June 2004. |
| 2005 | 30th Anniversary of the founding of Childreach. A 3-year federal grant is received to further our commitment to service provision that engages diverse cultural communities. |
| 2006 | Murals were painted on our exterior walls thanks to many young artists. |
