Historical Photos

The Cradle's first nursery from the 1930s.

In the 1940s, families met their babies for the first time in one of our receiving rooms, under the supervision of our nursing staff.

The Cradle has always been focused on families. The Cradle offices are a visual history, with walls and shelves filled with photos like the one above, telling the story of all the families created through adoption.

Above, the modern nursery of the 1950s. The Cradle led the nation in infant care practices. The Cradle published books and studies on infant care and sterilization of instruments that saved the lives of many children across the country.

From1923 - 1972 The Cradle operated an Infant Nursing School in our Evanston headquarters. The nurses lived in a dormitory in the building during their classes and training, and went on to provide care for Cradle infants.

The photo to the left is of our nursing students class of 1961.

In 1985, The Cradle expanded its programs to include international adoption.

In 1999, The Cradle's African American adoption program was formally dedicated. Named for one of The Cradle's famous adoptive dads, NFL Hall of Famer Gale Sayers, and his wife Ardythe, our Sayers Center is dedicated to meeting the needs of African American children, birthparents and adoptive parents.