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About: History
The Peg Taylor Center for Adult Day Health Care has a 20+ year history of helping both younger and older adults with disabling health conditions to stay independent and in better health.
In 1980 local seniors and service providers determined that there was a definite need for adult day health care and formed a task force to work towards starting a program.
In September 1982, the Butte County Board of Supervisors officially designated the task force as the “Butte County Adult Day Health Care Planning Council,” in accordance with AB1611. The Council developed the “Area Plan for Adult Day Health Care."
Innovative Health Care Services (IHCS) was formed by a committed corps of volunteers, spearheaded by Peg Taylor, on December 2, 1983 to serve as the parent organization for the development of local adult day health care programs. The first was planned for Chico, where necessary resources were most available.
By 1985, state and local start-up grants and a cash flow loan for the program had been secured. A facility at the First Church of the Nazarene was donated and Executive Director Diane Cooper was hired to complete the renovation, staffing and licensing of the program.
On March 4, 1986, the adult day health care program (licensed to care for up to 40 clients per day) began serving frail adults of all ages with a range of disabling conditions. On May 2, 1986 the program was dedicated in honor of Peg Taylor, a pioneering public health nurse who overcame tuberculosis early in her career and became a champion for preventive and rehabilitative care for the elderly and disabled. The California poppy was chosen to symbolize the center because it blooms beautifully even under difficult conditions.
In 1988, a Site Committee was established to develop a permanent home for the program.
In June of 1990, the Peg Taylor Center was selected from a field of 87 applicants to join the United Way of Butte/Glenn Counties. It was also at this time that Peg Taylor was named the California State Senior Advocate of the Year and a partially donated site was acquired for the building of the new facility, through the generosity of the Christian Retirement Center of Chico.
In August, the outstanding design for the new building, completed by Gary Hawkins and donated by Bruno and Hawkins, Architects and Planners, was unveiled. Construction on the modern building began June 1991. It was completed in December of that same year.
The Peg Taylor Center moved to its current site in January 1992, licensed to serve up to 60 people a day. At the ribbon cutting ceremony, the Chief of the Adult Day Health Care Branch at the California Department of Aging described the new Center as “state of the art.”
In September of 1992, Peg Taylor was recognized by the Butte County Board of Supervisors for her many contributions to the community.
In 1995, Peg passed away, having expressed that the founding of the Center was one of the great accomplishments of her life. Peg’s vision continued to move forward even after her death.
In 2000, Diane Cooper worked with other community leaders to instigate the Butte County Elder Services Task Force. This led to the formation of the Butte County Elder Services Coordinating Council (ESCC), an active coalition of over 50 different agencies working together to improve elder services. (For more information about how to get involved contact Diane Cooper.)
In March 2010, the Peg Taylor Center celebrated 24 years of service to the community. Today, the Center is more needed than ever. With the encouragement of our community, we continue to build Peg's vision, reaching out to support local families in times of crisis.