Evening star., 1946-05-12
District Day Care Bill
Comes Up for Action
In House Tomorrow

The House tomorrow will take up
the Healy bill placing child day care
centers under the Board of Educa-
ton and authorizing sufficient Dis
trict funds to maMtain these nur-
series for the next fiscal year.
Five other District bills are on to-
| morroW's House calendar. One would
create department of correction to
replace the Board of Public Welfare
in the administration of penal insti-
tutions. This measure resulted from
the investigation by the Hebert sub
committee of recent jailbreaks.
The other bills slated for action
would authorize dissolution of the
Washington Railway & Electric Co.,
provide utilities for veterans occupy
ing temporary housing, establish a
voluntary system of apprenticeship
here and safeguard the Identities of
illegitimate children adopted by tos-
ter parents.
The House District Committee ap-
proved the Healy bill unanimously
yesterday.
Two Amendments Passed.
Two amendments were agreed to
by the committee and will be offered
from the floor tomorrow, since there
isn't sufficient time to have the
bill reprinted and bring it before
the committee for reapproval.
One amendment would limit the
amount to be spent on the child
care centers to $500.000 for the fiscal
year beginning June 30. This total
would include both the amount ap-
propriated by the District govern
ment and the sums collected from
parents able to pay fees. Fees have
accounted for about half the ex-
pense of maintaining the nurseries
so that it is expected Congress will
not be asked to appropriate more
than S250,000.
The other amendment states that
the facilities are to be limited to
families actually in need of them
This means, members of the COM
mittee pointed out, that even par.
ents able to pay the fee will be ex-
pected to hire nurses or make othe,
arrangements for the care of their
children if they can do so. The
Board of Education, it was explained
may make such regulations as il
chooses to enforce this provision
ordering Investigations if necessary
or perhaps accepting a statement
from the parents.
Capacity About 500.
The legislation is based on the
present capacity of the centers tc
care for about 500 children. During
the war the average was 600. but
the number since has dropped
! 1t is planned to ask the Senate
Appropriations Committee to ado
$250,O00 to the District appropriation
bill pending before a subcommittee
Ihere is some question, however
whether such an appropriation
could be added unless the Healy
bill authorizing the sum had been
passed before congressional action
on the 1947 supply bill was COM
pleted. Otherwise, the amount could
be carried in deficiency appropria-
ton bill.
Emergency legislation was asked
to prevent the child centers from
closing June 80, when funds will run
out. A Federal appropriation for
their maintenance expired last Feb
ruary 2S. Since then a group of
mothers organized as Child Day
Care Centers, Inc. has taken over
the financing and the nurseries have
been kept open largely through the
Community War Fund.
Fourteen Centers in Schools.
Fourteen of the 20 centers are To-
Gated in school buildings, and the
Board of Education has taken over
temporary supervision of the ac-
tivity.
The Healy bill was Opposed AT a