Evening star., 1942-08-31
Working Mothers Children


Chairman Randolph of the House
District Committee wants to repeal
an old rider" on 1890 appropria-
ton bill which in effect forbids use
of the public schools for nursery or
day schools for preschool-age chill
dren. This legislative prohibition
prevents establishment of day schools
in the public schools for the children
OF working mothers, for which there
is now substantial demand. A brief
history of how the rider came into
force should facilitate it's removal
Back in 1919 the kindergarten de-
partment OF the public schools began
experimenting with underage kim
dergartens. The first one was opened
in the Grover Cleveland School
primarily to help train mothers in
child care and at the same time
prepare the children for social ad-
justments on entering school. AS the
experiment progressed five underage
kindergartens were opened. Inter
esting and encouraging results were
observed. They were regarded, for
example, as distinct asset in Amer
icanization work among the foreign
born.
About 1880 Representative Robert
Simmons of Nebraska, then chair
man of the Subcommittee on District
Appropriations, toured the schools
in preparation for hearings on the
District budget. He found ammuni-
ton for the sort of speeches about
the District which brought him
much satisfaction He did not like
"doodads" on public school build
ings, for instance, and wanted school
architecture to conform to the sim
pie utilitarian lines of the side of a
barn. He did not like underage
kindergartens, which, in his estima-
ton, kept the children under care at
public expense in order that their
mothers might play bridge or 60 to
the movies. And without the discus
sion which should accompany legis-
lation of this sort, the underage
kindergartens were outlawed by the
effective device of legislative rider
on an appropriation bill.
During the depression the WPA
allotted funds for operating nursery
schools, principally as form of re-
lief for underprivileged children and
their families. There were ten of
them in the District, but after a few
years their legal status-in view of
the old Simmons rider-was ques-
toned, and out they went.
The current proposal for day or
nursery schools in the public schools
has nothing to do with bridge play
ing or movie going mothers. AS more
women are brought into Offices and
industry to make up the shortage of
manpower, the care of their pre-
school children while they are away
from home becomes a serious prob
lem. It is becoming a problem in
Washington, where more women are
working than ever before and where
facilities for the day care of pre-
school-age children are inadequate.
The WPA has funds for so-called
demonstration classes in day care of
children, the idea being that after a
period of such demonstration the
communities will take over the work
without further assistance. Such
funds are available for Washington,
If the old Simmons rider can be
repealed and if accommodation for
such classes can be found in the
public schools.
A fundamental principle in the
WPA projects of this nature has been
to charge the working mothers fee
for care Of the children. That is a
sound principle. While in these
days there undoubtedly is a commu-
nifty responsibility in establishing
and providing the machinery for
nursery schools, there is no reason
why the cost of their maintenance
should be born entirely out of public
funds. 1t is illogical to collect taxes
from the families where mothers are
unable to work in order to provide
care for children of wage-earning
mothers. The fee can be as low as
circumstances permit. But certainly
the day schools need not become
merely another drain on public
funds. If there is a legitimate de-
mand for them. they should be able
to pay their own way insofar as
maintenance is concerned.