In 1972 the Red Balloon was founded by a group of ten families who came together to meet their childcare needs. The group was led by Rebecca Rikleen who had heard about the Columbia Day Care Project. The Columbia Day Care Project was offering our present space for use as a day care to anyone who was interested in running such a program.The school was founded as a parent cooperative and the first year it was open, it was run entirely by the parents who founded it. Though we are no longer a parent co-op our parents play a large role in their child's education and are always welcome to visit or participate in the classrooms.