Evening star., 1942-08-30
Randolph Move Gives
Nursery School Plan
New Impetus ~.
End Of Bon Demanded
So Children Under 5
Can Use Buildings ..
BY SUSAN B. ANTHONY II

BY SUSAN B. ANTHONY III
The long struggle of 20 District
organizations to win vastly-ex-
panded nursery school facilities for
the children of working mothers
took a step forward yesterday.
A request by Chairman Randolph
of the House District Committee for
a bill to remove the 10-year-old ban
on the use of public schools for
children under five was called "the
most significant event yet in the
District nursery movement" by Mrs.
Adelia Heiney, acting chairman OF
the Emergency Committee for the
Group Day Care of Young Children.
The 20 organizations included in
the Emergency Committee represent
several thousand District women
and men who combined last October
for the definite purpose of getting
care for the children of thousands
of working mothers in the city.
Situation Getting Worse.
At present there are only 100
nursery schools with a capacity for
less than 1000 pre-school children
in the entire Metropolitan Area, ac-
cording to this committees surveys.
1t receives q minimum number of
8 calls a day requesting day-care
facilities for young children. The
number of calls has grown progress
sively higher In the eight months 1t
has recorded them thus rejecting
the deepening crisis caused by the
lack of facilities.
Funds were made available under
the Lanham Act for establishment
of nursery schools for children OF
working mothers early this summer.
Not single one has opened, how
ever, largely because q 1882 law pro-
hibits use Of public schools for chill
dren under 5. It is this law that
Chairman Randolph will try to
eliminate when the House District
Committee meets September Is.
In q letter to Corporation Counsel
Richmond B. Keech made public
yesterday he asked for draft Of a
bill to remove the law at "the
earliest possible moment"
If he is successful empty school
rooms which have been located by
the Emergency Committee surveys
can be used for nursery schools
operating with Lanham Act funds.
Lone Proposal Submitted.
In a letter to Mr.. Randolph from
Mrs. Henry P. Chandler, chairman
of the District OCD Child Care and
Protection Committee, she said her
group has sent budget for one
center to care for 100 pre-school
children to the District Commits
sioners for approval. If approved,
Lanham Act funds would be made
available for it and it would start
around January at North Carolina
avenue and D street Sc. The Dis
trict government owns nine row
houses at that address.
Stating that her committee has
on file 644 applications from mothers
who want either nursery school care
for small children or after school
care for older children and that
more than 200 of these mothers are
Federal employees, Mrs. Chandler
said:
"The proposed day care center
is only a drop in the bucket. The
need in Washington is so extensive
that we must get all we can get
from both Lanham Act and WPA
funds"
Another letter received at the
House District Committee yesterday
from Carroll r. Reed, acting super.
intendent of schools, said in part.
Il am quite safe in assuring you
that the school officers of the Dis.
trict are very much in favor of the
establishment of nursery schools tt
enable more women to engage ir
defense work. I am sure that /.
funds were available and legal en-.
tanglements were removed. we coule
go ahead on this project without
delay"
School Officials Interested.
Mr.. Reed pointed out that Dis,
trict school officials have been in
terested in the establishment O
nursery schools since 1884 when tn,
superintendent of schools reported
to the Board of Education a plar
for the WPA nurseries which
operated from March, 1884, unit
July, 1899. The nurseries wer,
abolished by Congress in 1899.
Since sponsors contributions re-
quired for WPA nursery schools
had previously been drawn from th'
general District appropriations, thi
action cut off their support Th'
only other funds that would hav,
been available for sponsors con
tributions to the WPA nurser,
schools, were public school money
But the District auditor in the sam,
year, 1899, forestalled this by re
minding officials of the 1882 bal
on the use of public school fund
for children under years Of age
Other Funds Explored.
The other source of funds TO
District nursery schools is the mo
less than $4,000, 900" appropriate,
7see NURSERY. Page A-l40