The Children's Center Inc. began providing services to the community in 1974, primarily as a Child Day Care program for children of low income, working families in the Sanford Springvale community. Over the course of the past 25 years, the Agency has evolved into a County-wide child and family support program providing a broad range of services to thousands of clients each year.

In the fall of 1997, the Children't Center, in collaboration with the Sanford Housing Authority and the Department of Human Services ASPIRE program opened the East Side Acre's Parent Co-op Child Care Program. This provides child care for low income parents, in Sanford. This program prioritizes, but is not limited to the residents of the East Side Acres housing program. Currently, this program provided care for between 10 and 16 (full and part time) children under the age of 3 years old.

In October 1998, the Children's Center began a collaboration with the York County Head Start Program that has allowed us to provide full day, full year child care services to families currently enrolled in the Head Start Program. This care allows families enrolled in the Head Start enrichment program to find and maintain employment.

The Kittery Children's Center opened in 1999. This program was the result of a collaboration with the Partnership Group of Portsmouth, NH, a non-profit agency whose mission is to provide viable and affordable housing to low income families. Inherent in their plans was to provide child care for the families in the project. The Children's Center was asked to provide the child care as well as assume ownership and run the program.