Wild Lilac Child Development Community

Wild Lilac was founded in 2006, brought to life by two childhood friends – one an educator, the other a social worker – with a vision of an early childhood program dedicated to honoring all children and families. The small, licensed in-home preschool program was nestled in the Hawthorne neighborhood of inner Southeast Portland with just twelve families the first year, doubling in size its second year and soon after adding a toddler program – a second house – for children ages two to three. A couple of years later we built a cottage in the backyard to start our infant program, and we kept on growing. 

Motivated by our commitment to equity and access for diverse children and families, Wild Lilac incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2014. We relocated to an expansive new facility, a former elementary school, on a 1.5-acre campus alive with possibilities and filled with potential. We sought to bring our early childhood program to the Foster Powell neighborhood and surrounding areas, where high-quality early childhood education options were few and far between. Since then, we’ve dedicated our professional lives to creating an amazing early learning community. Now in our thirteenth year of operation, Wild Lilac serves over one hundred children, ages six weeks to six years, and their families.