On April 4, 1968, the assassination date of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mrs. Mamie Harrington Townsend recalled, Dr. King saying, “Our people do nothing to help one another”. At that moment she asked herself, “What am I doing with my life to help others?” It was then that Mrs. Harrington, affectionately known as Auntie Mame decided to open a center to provide quality care for the children of working parents. In words of Mamie Townsend, “I promised God and myself, childcare is what I’d do for the rest of my life to help others.” In May 1969, Mrs. Townsend opened Auntie Mame’s Playhouse Nursery at 31st and Baltimore in Indianapolis, Indiana. The facility was licensed to provide care for 10 children. In December 1974, after several years of growth, determination and a strong faith in God, Auntie Mame’s Child Development Center, Inc. (AMCDC) opened at 3120 North Emerson Avenue licensed to accommodated 150 children ages 2-12 years. August 1977 a building addition was dedicated with capacity for 346 children. January 1980, a second Auntie Mame’s Child Development center opened with capacity for 210 children; this location closed in 1987, when Auntie Mame retired. September 1995, a third addition was dedicated to provide care for infants and toddlers. Also, the center provided private school for grades 1, 2, and 3. Auntie Mame’s Child Development Center, Inc. has continued to fulfill Mrs. Townsend’s desire to serve the community and families of young children. The facility is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The facility is also a state of Indiana Level 4 Paths to Quality participant and continues to serve children ages six weeks through 12 years old. Most importantly, the mission of Auntie Mame’s Child Development Center is to provide high quality, culturally responsive early education and school age programs that equip children to become engaged learners, strong leaders and successful adults.