Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
Bids Invited
On School at
Center
Complete Institution
Moved Step Closer
To Reality by Action
By Miriom Ottenbero

A call for bias this week will
bring the community's drive for
complete Children's Center one
step closer to reality.
Plans for the new Industrial
Home School for Colored Chill
dren in the Children's Center at
Laurel, Md, are ready. The
specifications are being printed
and about Wednesday bids will
be invited.
This is regarded as a turning
point in the Districts care of it's
child wards for these reasons:
First. it paves the way for get
ting rid of the notorious firetraps
on Loughboro road.
Second, it means the start Of
construction on the last institu-
ton planned to complete the
Children's Center.
Third. welfare officials can now
focus on other unmet needs for
the children-and there are sew
eral Of them.
Program Delayed.
Construction of buildings for
colored children was considered
vital in the Districts plans for
building a Children's Center but
as recently as March, 1852, the
program had begged down. At
that time, The Star surveyed the
children's institutions and called
what it found "a study in neg
lectful delay"
Reused community leaders pre-
vailed on the Commissioners to
request an item in the budget
before the Senate Appropriations
Committee that had not even
been sought in the House
$4,000 to plan a new National
Training School for Girls at the
Children's Center. The Commits
sioners made the request, the
citizens turned out in force and
the planning money was appro-
priated.
Then, District Director Of Con-
struction Archie G. Hutson came
up with an idea to save two years
and 81 million. He suggested
combining the National Training
School for Girls and the Indus
trial Home School for Colored
Boys in one institution for COL
ored children. The institution for
boys had been next on the well
fare construction timetable for
the Children's Center.
Not Included in Request.
One setback subsequently
threatened the program. The
Commissioners did not include
the request for the combined
institution-or any institution
for the children-in it's budget
estimates last fall. But this
obstacle was overcome when the
commissioners amended their
budget early this year. They
asked the House Appropriations
Committee for $S,700,000, of
which 81 million would become
available in the 1854 fiscal year
to start construction of the
combined children's institution.
Again, the citizens went before
the Appropriations subcommit-
tees. The money was appro-
priated.
Actual construction is ex-
pected to start about October Is
for a 500-child institution with
a modern school building. The
institution is expected to be
ready for occupancy in April,
1855.
Status of Institutions.
Here is the status of the city's
other institutions for children:
Industrial Home School for
White Children-These boys and
girls are now housed in build
ings dating back to 1927. This
place on Wisconsin avenue is to
be abandoned next January
when the children move into
their new institution in the
Childrens Center, built at a
cost of $1,950,000 and expected
to be completed by November.
The new buildings will house
ZIG children. One problem re-
mains: Congress knocked out the
request for staff dormitory for
key personnel and low income
families. Welfare officials fear
difficulty in recruiting unless
they get a place to house some
of the staff. The request was
originally for $4,000, scaled
down to $235.000. 1t will have
to be requested again in the
next budget.
Junior Village-This institu-
ton houses 200 dependent small
children, white and colored, in
aged and neglected buildings on
Loughboro road. Plans call for
Junior Village to move to the
buildings at Blue Plains to be
vacated by the Industrial Home
School for Colored Children. It
will cost $3.50, 900 to renovate the
Blue Plains buildings, install a
nursery and remodel stairways
and plumbing.
The Board Of Public Welfare
is asking for $3.50, 900 in it's next
budget for this renovation. If
this sum is approved, the chill
dren will be moved out of the
Loughboro road buildings about
July /, 1855.
Receiving Home for Children
Serious overcrowding - with
children occasionally forced to
sleep on the fioor-marks this
never-completed institution for
children awaiting court action or