A Boston Legacy: TARTTs Day Care Centers Celebrate 80 Years of Nurturing the 'Total Child'

4th-generation executive director is proud to carry on the legacy of great-grandmother Bessie Tartt Wilson who founded the school on then-Holborn Terrace

BOSTON, April 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- TARTTs Day Care Centers ("TARTTs"), a landmark institution in the Boston early childhood education landscape is proud to announce its 80th anniversary this year.

Founded in May of 1946 by Bessie Tartt Wilson, the historic milestone follows close behind the one-year anniversary of when TARTTs became part of the Cadence Education family. The transfer of ownership allowed TARTTs to maintain its family-centered mission while gaining the support of a national educational network.

"We are privileged to honor the mission that Bessie Tartt Wilson started eight decades ago, while ensuring that TARTTs has the modern resources to remain at the forefront of early childhood education in Boston, a city with such rich commitment to education," CEO of Cadence Education Leigh-Ellen Louie said. 

Nida Wright Adjetey, former vice president and current Executive Director of TARTTs, said she was proud to remain on board to oversee the three locations she and her family built and maintained.

"Our long history is defined by resilience and a commitment to quality," Wright Adjetey said. "From our roots in Roxbury/Dorchester to our expansion in the South End, we have always prioritized the social and academic development of the 'total child.'"

The TARTTs story began when Bessie Tartt Wilson, then a 23-year-old recent nursing school graduate from Alabama, relocated to Boston to find work in her field. Everything changed due to lingering after-effects following a battle with polio that would have made it challenging to keep up with the physical demands of nursing. 

Wilson's tenacity led her to pivot to early childhood education by providing care in her own home on a street that today we call Kavanaugh Way—formerly known as Holborn Terrace. The decision created a new life trajectory that would impact not only her family, but countless families in Boston—for generations to come.

In fact, following Wilson's death in 1999, under the subsequent leadership of Bessie's daughter, Mary L. Reed, and grandchildren, Ken Reed and Wanda Geer, the home-based business expanded into a commercial property. Until late 2019, TARTTs Day Care Center II occupied suites within the municipal building owned by the City of Boston at 1010 Massachusetts Ave., after purchasing and expanding the YMCA daycare operating at that site.

TARTTs thrived for almost 20 years at that location, which today continues to be a hub for Boston municipal services. And TARTTs has long since put down new roots elsewhere.

As the business outgrew its domestic roots, TARTTs successfully began transitioning into its current footprint in Boston's vibrant South End and SoWa districts. All three locations are within walking distance of each other making it easy for parents and staff to navigate needs based on age-based services or availability within each location.

"We also have roots in the South End, where we were raised and my mom and grandmother still reside,"  Wright Adjetey said. "So, expanding to the South End was a profitable and strategic business move, but it was also returning home."

Today, under the Cadence Education umbrella, the school operates three locations:

• TARTTs South End (Harrison Ave.)
• TARTTs SOWA (Harrison Ave.)
• TARTTs at The Factory (Wareham St.)

"Celebrating 80 years is a testament to the enduring vision of my great-grandmother and the generations of families who have trusted us with their children's futures," said Wright Adjetey. "Our role is also to support the teachers who are the heart of TARTTs and to ensure our legacy of continuity of care remains the standard for Boston families."

About TARTTs Day Care Centers
Founded in 1946 by Bessie Tartt Wilson in Boston, TARTTs Day Care Centers provides comprehensive early childhood education focused on social, physical, and academic development. Operating three locations in Boston's South End and SoWa areas, TARTTs joined the Cadence Education family of schools in December 2024.

About Cadence Education
Cadence Education is one of the premier early childhood educators in the United States, operating more than 320 private preschools and elementary schools across the country. With over 30 years of experience, Cadence Education is dedicated to providing personalized excellence in childcare and early education. For more information, visit www.cadence-education.com.

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Timeline sidebar, historic and current photos are available upon request.

SOURCE TARTTs