Sarah Ward on March 1, 1890 establish a day nursery in the New Smith memorial Church on Hudson Street, Newark, New Jersey. Her mission was to recognize the need for families to have a safe and nurturing environment for their children.

In 1902, property was purchased at 27 Jay Street and the current structure was built and an addition was added in 1942. In the Spring of 1974 Burke Memorial Day Nursery merged with Sarah Ward Nursery bringing together two (2) of the oldest child care centers in Newark.
In April of 1981, Sarah Ward Nursery Corporation purchased a second building at 406 Sanford Avenue in Newark, serving families from Newark, East Orange, and Irvington. In July of 1995, Sarah Ward Nursery was awarded a contract to privatize the state childcare center located on Evergreen Place in East Orange. The contract was for 60 DYFS priority 1 and 2 children, in which Sarah Ward added another two story addition to 27 Jay street and main streamed those children into their population while continuing with all the services those children in need.
Finally, in the Summer of 2004, Sarah Ward was asked by New Jersey Institute of Technology to submit a proposal to operate their childcare center at 105 Lock Street. Sarah Ward was awarded the contract effective January 1, 2005.
All three (3) of our centers are NAEYC accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children by the NAEYC Academy out of Washington, D.C. In addition, one (1) of our centers has achieved the Grow New Jersey Kids star rating and the other two (2) centers are currently in the progress.
As a collaborative partner with the Newark Public Schools Office of Early Childhood, we pride ourselves on our ability to establish solid, trusting relationships with our families and problem solve on a daily basis. The Sarah Ward Nursery Corporation is committed to offering the highest standard of excellence in early childhood education to children and families in the city of Newark, New Jersey.