History

Giraffe Laugh began in 1988 as a program of El-Ada Community Action Agency. The center was created to provide a drop-in center in the Boise community. When the current Director took over in 1991 it was apparent that a change in philosophy would be important to keep providing care for children in Boise.

El-Ada’s original goal was to provide a drop-in service while parents looked for jobs, housing, school programs etc. that would help them move away from the confines of poverty while also providing care for persons in the community who wanted to do volunteer work and just needed a few hours here and there. The lack of stability for the staff was difficult but for the little children who were in childcare, often for the first time, and for their parents, the situation was unbearable. It never failed that while a single parent was looking for housing or work, their young child began to bond with the teachers at Giraffe Laugh and about that time, it was necessary for them to find a new childcare as full-time or part-time was not a part of the program. This seemed incongruent with the programs goal of providing quality, affordable care to children in Boise, so part-time and full-time care became an option in 1992. This added stability on all fronts and eventually Giraffe Laugh was able to stand on it’s own. Citing, strong community support, El-Ada released the program to it’s own Board of Directors made up of parents from the center and community members and in 1995 Giraffe Laugh incorporated as Giraffe Laugh Inc.

We have relocated to a larger facility on 9th Street and Resseguie. Giraffe Laugh still maintains its North End charm and homelike environment for families in need.

In this time, Giraffe Laugh has opened a preschool, infant toddler program and an after-school program for children attending Longfellow Elementary School. In the last eight years, Giraffe Laugh has subsidized care for approximately 500 children with 5% of those being homeless when they first arrived. Many families achieved housing, employment and stability while Giraffe Laugh cared for their children by providing a loving, stable, appropriate environment for their young child. Giraffe Laugh is committed to providing quality, affordable care to families in the Boise area and has demonstrated an ability to do so while providing parent education as a component of each families stay with our program. Come see us soon!