Evening star., 1943-03-27
Care Centers
In Alexandra
Face Closing
Lonhom Act Funds
Not Received
Williams Reveals
BY HELEN RAU.

Alexandria day care centers are
faced with the possibility of closing
next week If check is not received
from the Federal Works Agency,
according to T. C. Williams, super
intendent of schools.
Mr.. Williams revealed today that
none of the Lanham Act funds al
1otted for the project have been re-
ceived, although the grant was made
IN February and formal offer of
the s14,690 was received by the Board
Of Education from FWA early in
March and accepted by the board.
A member of the Day Care Com
mittee inquired of FWA officials
why the funds had not been received
and was told that they had been put
aside on February 20 and were watt
Ing for a requisition from the Alex
andria School Board.
Mr.. Williams said the requisition
form was finally received by him on
March 10, filled out and returned at
once, but to date no money has been
received.
The five day care centers opened
February l. Funds to pay the per-
sonnel have been borrowed from
the Board of Education account
Only the absolute minimum of
equipment was purchased and the
bills for that are still outstanding.
Mr.. Williams said he has been
unable to order any outdoor equip
ment because he did not wish to
run up any more bills. With the
warm weather at hand, it is taxing
the ingenuity of the teachers to keep
the children busy outdoors with no
equipment but few borrowed tri-
cycles and balls, he added.
When Lanham Act funds were
granted they were to pay for all the
original equipment and for one-half
OF the operating expenses, the other
half to come from fees paid py
parents. Up to now this money has
been used for food, with personnel
paid with borrowed school board
funds.
Builder Could Bring Suit.
Mr.. Williams also said that $23,-
900 OF the $4,000 allotted last year
by FWA for additions to the city
schools had not been paid.
The additions were built last
summer to care for the great num-
ber Of children of defense workers
and the new rooms have been in use
since September.
The contractor, who did the work
on a contract calling for payment
30 days after completion, has had
to borrow money to pay his sub
contractors, according to Mr.. Will
hams, and would be within his legal
rights in bringing suit against the
Board of Education for the funds.
Will Seek Further Funds.
At the same time, Mr. Williams
said that he has received no answer
to the application filed with FWA
IN January for a grant of $4,000 for
assistance in operation and mainte-
nance of the schools because of the
large number of children of defense
workers begin cared for.
Children from Chincuapin Village
and Cameron Valley are still going
to the city schools because the
school being constructed for them
on Janneys Lane by the F'WA has
not been completed. The school
was scheduled to open in February.
The Board of Education is now
planning to file a further applica-
ton for Lanham Act funds to oper-
ale the nursery schools throughout
the summer and to provide summer
and after-school recreation for older
children, but Mr. Williams says his
experience in obtaining the funds
allotted by Federal grant six weeks
ago is SO discouraging that he will
not put too much faith in the pros
poets for the extended program.