Evening star., 1942-05-10
BY SUSAN b. ANTHONY. III.

between 18 and A years of age
represent the principal reserve from
which additional war labor supply
can be drawn. according to j. C.
Capt, director of the Census Bureau.
Roughly two-thirds of these wom-
en- are mothers of young children.
Some mothers are already at work
making the tanks, planes and guns
necessary for 1912 victory quotas.
More mothers, however. cannot take
their place in war production be-
cause. they say: Who will take
care of my children?"
Need for Low Cost Centers.
The need for low-cost centers
for the day care of children of
war-working mothers is looming as
the No. woman war problem. Ex-
tension of public schools can pro-
vide care for children, age to IT,
But at present only a small pro-
portion of the Nations under IS
have safe place to stay when
mother goes to work for victory
Washington is a case in point.
Washington is one of the leading
waf-changed cities in the Nation,
according to employment and hous-
ing statistics. Washingtons pre-
school children number in the tens
of thousands. Yet surveys by local
child-care committees have re-
vealed that there are facilities to
care for fewer than 1000 of the
Capitals youngsters.
Surveys of these committees also
reveal the important fact that the
vast majority of mothers inter
viewed are not only willing but
anxious for war work in the Gov
ernment, in the Navy Yard or in
private industry.
Lucille Foster McMillin. civil
service commissioner, commenting
on the problem in an interview,
said, There are many women al
ready living In the District who
could be utilized for Government
jobs If facilities were made avail
able for the care of their children
during the day."
No Funds for Facilities.
But in Washington there is no
money for such facilities. The Cap
ltal has been excluded from getting
funds under the Community Facili-
ties Act for defense areas and also
is barred from setting up Work
Projects Administration nursery
schools.
Elsewhere III the Nation. w. P. A.
has l 500 nursery schools. In peace
time they were limited to the low
est income groups. Since Decem-
her Z number have been extended
to the children of parents working |
in war plants War workers pay
on a sliding scale depending on
financial ability.
Glenn Martin has w. P. A.
nursery school opening up this week
to care for some 80 children. There |
mothers, who are making or will |
be making bombers, may leave the |
youngsters knowing that they will |
get trained care in the double trail
er nursery set up at the Martin
camp.
CdTi ScHOOl.
On the West Coast q w. p. A. |
school is caring for Is children of
men who died at Pearl Harbor.
These young Americans were evacu-
ated from Hawaii after the Japa-
nese attack. Their widowed moth
ers are making planes in Califor-
mia aircraft plant. Each new naval
battle adds another child to the
nursery school, since many widows
OF service men 60 to work, accord
ing to DR.. Grace Langdon, chief of
w. P. AS child protection program.
Centers of concentrated popula-
ton engaged in war industry are
a military secret. Suffice it to say
that in many of these centers w. P.
A. nursery schools are opening up. In
one Southeastern State children of
mothers who work in a bag loading
plant are cared for In a Northern
State w. P. A. nursery school pro-
vides care for children of moth
ers making small arms.
That there are not sufficient CEN
tiers to meet demand Is shown by
the deluge of requests for child care
aid coming daily into the Children's
Bureau, the w. P A., and the Office
of Defense, Health and Welfare
Services. At present no single agen-
cy has been designated as COM
pletely responsible for the prob
lem of day care. At present only
w. P. A is actually operating
program of nursery schools in in
duStrial cities.
Child Care Committees.
To cope with the problem, some
$50 communities have already es-
tablished child care committees.
Some of them are just plain
mothers committees, spontaneously
formed by the women themselves;
others are official o. C. D. commit
tees All are bringing pressure on
local, State and Federal authorities