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COMMUNITY ACTION FOR CHILDREN IN WARTIME U. S. D E P A R T M E N T OF LABOR C H I L D R E N ’ S BUREAU Publication No. 295 ¿/I 5 c https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis LIBR AR Y lptHltBrai'&r’pe^'eal SoügpotTem 0Qi!3|ysti!yi, ism 1 . A well-baby clinic in every community 2 . Care for children of employed mothers 3 . School lunches in every school 4 . Schooling for every child 5 . Play and recreation programs in every community 6 . Employment safeguards for every boy and girl Remember the Mother at Home Community action for children is community action for fathers and mothers. For the fathers who are at the front doing our fighting. For the mothers and fathers who leave home every day to do our war jobs. And for the mothers at home, too. Mothers who work at home, building buoyant health and spirits in their children, are doing essential war-work, just as surely as mothers who take jobs outside the home. Communities have large responsibilities toward such mothers. Some o f them need help in finding and holding on to decent living space for their families and playing space for their children. Some of them need help on their cost-of-living problems, if they are to forego the chance o f adding to the family income by outside work. Some of them have too great a burden o f work to carry and must have help with it if their children are not to suffer and their own health is to be kept sound. Some o f them need help in getting the right kind o f father-substitute for their children when fathers go to war. Some of them need help in learning reassuring answers to their children's wartime doubts and fears. Give all these helps you can to your mothers at home, and above all give them community recognition for being what they are— war workers of the highest rank. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis COMMUNITY ACTION FOR CHILDREN IN WARTIME — that they will be strong to carry forward a just and lasting peace. Not one o f our children is expendable; either in war or in peace. Whatever may happen to grown-ups, our children must be kept safe, strong, and assured. Parents must be the first to shoulder that task. When they do a good job by their own children they are doing a vital war job for our Nation. And there’ s no care so good as the care that devoted parents can give at home. But in war many parents, hard pressed by new responsibilities, need help. Not for themselves, but for their children. Never have so many children depended on so many people for their chance to grow in safety, strength, and security. This leaflet suggests the kind o f help urgently needed for the children and youth o f most communities right now. There are other responsibil ities, too, which communities should assume toward their young citizens. Not all o f the projects proposed are equally needed in every locality. The six suggested here, however, reach needs which are most common throughout our country. Some communities are already at work. In others, one or another program is still to be started. N o community can consider it has done its full wartime job if it leaves a single child whose mother is employed without good care, or any child without adequate health supervision, 1 food, play, schooling, and work safeguards. i Your Government in Washington is working with you for the pro tection and upbuilding o f your children. It cannot do the whole job. Your State government, too, has programs o f action. But it cannot complete the task. Our wartime job for children can be done when you and your neighbors get together and act as a community. 1 519201°— 43 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 1 . A well-baby clinic in every community. Because it is a wartime necessity to keep well children well, and that’s what “ well-baby clinics” help to do. Because the services o f all doctors and nurses in wartime must be stretched to cover more people, and their time for home calls is very limited. Because many mothers cannot afford to engage physicians and nurses in private practice to keep a check on the health and growth o f their children. “ Well-baby clinics” , or child-health conferences should provide at least: 1. A p u b lic-h ea lth n urse, to h elp a t th e clinic an d to visit h o m es. 2. A p h ysicia n , w ith tim e en ou g h to exam in e each child a t least o n ce a m o n th and to talk w ith th e m o th er a b o u t th e ch ild ’s f o o d an d care. 3. A p la ce, w h ich m oth ers, babies, d octor, and nurse can co n v en ien tly reach, and w h ich is a d eq u a te in size to a ccom m od a te ev ery o n e. 4. S im ple e q u ip m en t and supplies, n eed ed by th e d o ctor and nu rse, as th ey su ggest. You can get information about this program from your local and State departments o f health, and from these: "Child-Health Conference,” Publication No. 261, and "Facts About Child Health,” also a publication o f the Children’s Bureau, U. S. Depart ment o f Labor, Washington, D. C. Free. A film on the child-health conference is available on loan. t 2 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Care for children of employed mothers Because no child whose mother must work outside the home should be allowed to suffer from the loss of her time and attention. Because many working mothers are unable to provide the right kind o f care for their children while they are at work. Because community facilities for caring for children must be multiplied to cover many more children. Because mothers work best when they are sure their children are well cared for. Programs for children o f employed mothers should provide: 1. Planning w ith War M an pow er A gen cies— to see th a t m o th ers o f y o u n g ch ild ren are n o t recru ited unless all o th e r sou rces o f labor su pp ly are exh au sted . 2. C ounseling and in fo rm a tio n service. 3. N ursery sch ools or d ay-ca re cen ters. 4. B efore an d a fte r ch ild ren . sch o o l prog ra m s f o r sch ool-a g e 5. F o ster-fa m ily day care. 6. Supervised h o m em a k er services f o r ch ild ren w h o are ill or w h o sh ou ld b e cared f o r w ith in th eir ow n h om es. 7. H ealth supervision f o r p rogram s. all ch ild ren under th ese You can get information on this program from your local and State departments o f welfare and education, and from these: "A Community Program o f Day Care for Children of Mothers Employed in Defense Areas,” and "Standards o f Day Care for Children of Working Mothers,” publications o f the Children’s Bureau, U. S. Department of Labor, Washington, D. C. Free. Also ask the Bureau for a copy of the War Manpower Commission’s "Policy on Employment in Industry of Women With Young Children.” "School Children and the War Series,” Leaflets 1, 2, 3. Publications of the U. S. Office o f Education, Federal Security Agency. (Each leaflet, 5c. Order only from the Superintendent o f Documents, Washington, D. C.) 3 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 3 . School lunches in every school Because only well-fed children can take full advantage o f school opportunities. Because, with more and more grown-ups working away from home, more children must stay at school for lunch. Because many children can neither bring an adequate lunch with them nor buy one. Because school lunches are one o f the best ways to safeguard the health o f children. W hy? School lunch programs should provide at least: 1. F ood th a t is nou rish ing an d th a t m akes u p f o r th e lacks in th e rest o f th e day's m eals. S om eth in g h o t m akes a sch ool lu n ch m ore satisfying. M ilk is essen tial. v 2. A ch eerfu l, clean p la ce, and tim e en o u g h f o r eatin g th is lu n ch . 3. Equal con sid era tion f o r all children ea tin g tog eth er, w ith n o d istin ctio n b etw een th ose w hose p a ren ts can p a y and th o se w ho ca n n ot. 4. In fo rm a tio n on g ood m eals, given so sim ply th a t ch ild ren will learn dnd will carry th e in form a tion h o m e. You can get information about this program from your local school prin cipal or superintendent, your local nutrition committee, and the nearest office o f the Food Distribution Administration, U. S. Department of Agriculture. (For the address get in touch with your local defense coun cil.) These will help you, too: “ The Road to Good Nutrition.” Publication No. 270 o f the Children’s Bureau, U. S. Department o f Labor, Washington, D . C. Free. “ School Lunches and Education.” Publication o f the U. S. Office of Education, Federal Security Agency, Washington, D. C. (5c. Order only from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C.) 4 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 4. Schooling for every child Because the job o f winning the war and o f rebuilding the world when war is won imposes on us a greater responsibility than we have ever had before to assure every child the best education possible. Because school days lost now may mean a permanent loss. Because the development o f young minds and bodies can best be watched over if children attend school regularly. Because it is difficult for children who leave school for work to return to it in later years. Because our children must be protected from unreasonable demands for their labor. Community provision for schooling should include at least: 1. S ch ool buildings a n d e q u ip m en t available f o r every ch ild o f sch ool age, w ith o u t d iscrim ination based o n race, p e r m a n en c y o f resid en ce, or social sta tu s, \ 2. E n ou gh qualified tea ch ers and o th er sch ool sta ff to assure every ch ild a w ell-rou n d ed sch ool ex p erien ce. 3. Sou n d p o licies, str ic tly en forced , con trollin g release f r o m sch o o l a tten d a n ce an d rea d ju stm e n ts o f p rog ra m to avoid sh orten in g o f term s, 4, G u id an ce an d h ea lth services, especially th ose p rep a rin g th e ch ild f o r en tra n ce in to e m p lo y m e n t. You can get information about this program from your local school principal or superintendent and your State departments o f education \ and health. The Children’s Bureau, U. S. Department o f Labor, Washington, D . C., will be glad to give you information on school attendance in relation to employment. The U. S. Office o f Education, Federal Security Agency, Washington, D . C., will be glad to give you information on wartime programs of education. 5 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 5 . Play and recreation programs in every community Because learning how to play wisely makes for wholesome living. Because overcrowding at home and in the community often deprives children of any place to play. Because more parents must leave home to work, and longer horns at work keep more parents from sharing in their children’s recreation. Because hoys and girls whose school life is being shortened and whose work responsibilities are being stepped up need more wholesome leisure-time opportunities. A play and recreation program should provide at least: 1. A p la ce, eq u ip m en t, an d su p er vision f o r active g a m es, and f o r q u ie t p la y , d ram atics, arts, cra fts, m u sic. 2. A p la c e a n d s y m p a th etic ad u lt supervision f o r boy and girl c o m p a n ion sh ip . 3. C o m m u n ity co n tro l o f th e kinds and q u a lity o f com m ercia l recrea tion fa c ilitie s . 4. Special leadership an d gu idance f o r ch ild ren w ith special p ro b lem s. You can get information about this program from your city recreation department, or council o f social agencies, or war recreation committee of your local defense council. The Children’s Bureau, U. S. Department o f Labor, and the Recreation Section, Office of Defense Health and Welfare Services, will be glad to direct you to agencies that can help you with your special wartime recreational problems. The Children’s Bureau publications on youth in wartime (free) and "Handbook for Recreation Leaders” (No. 231. 20jé. Order only from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D . C.) will also help. And this: "Volunteers in Recreation.” Defense, Washington, D . C. Publication o f the U. S. Office of Civilian Free. 6 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 6. Employment safeguards for every boy and girl Because their eagerness to be doing war work and earning their own money is attracting more and more boys and girls into jobs, both part-time and full-time. Because the pressure for wartime production often obscüres the long-time danger in lowering work standards for youth. Because long hours and other bad working conditions are harmful to their health. Because inexperienced boys and girls do not know how to protect themselves. B Programs to safeguard working boys and girls should provide: I . C on tin u in g p u b lic ity o n e m p lo y m e n t standards rela t in g to ages, h ou rs, and w orkin g con d ition s f o r y o u n g p e o p le , and o n jo b s b est su ited f o r y o u th . 2. C ounseling and p la c e m e n t services t o h elp boys and girls d ecid e w h eth er to leave sch ool f o r w ork, and to fin d su ita b le p a r t-tim e or fu l l - t im e jo b s . 3. A d eq u a te sta ff f o r p r o m p t issuance o f em p lo y m e n t and age certifica tes, to m ak e sure n o child u n der legal w orking age goes to w ork. 4. H ealth services, w h ere y o u n g p erson s goin g to w ork can b e exam in ed to m ak e su re th ey are ph ysica lly f i t f o r th e j o b . You can get information about this program from your local school superintendent, the local office of the United States Employment Service, and your State department o f labor. The Children’s Bureau, U. S. Department of Labor, Washington, D . C., will be glad to give you information on legal standards and wartime policies on the employment of youth as they apply in your community and to send you: "Wartime Employment of Boys and Girls Under 18.” 7 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 4 GEARING FOR ACTION — children can’t wait for war to be won. Right now they need your help. O f course you want these programs for your community, hut they won’t get started just by wanting. Responsibility for starting them and keeping them humming must be placed on some community group. Such a group may already be in existence in your community. There may be a committee concerned with children attached to your local defense council. I f not, it may be your opportunity to assist your defense council in organizing such a committee. Work through your local coun cil, if possible, as this machinery has been set up to enable citizens together to plan for the protection and welfare of the civilian population in war time. There may also be a council of social agencies to which you can turn for guidance. Whatever committee assumes the job, it should represent every interest concerned with children in the community: loeal departments o f health, welfare, and education; public employment offices; parent-teacher associations; children’s and youth ■ ‘ serving agencies; labor and employer groups; farm organizations; religious, racial, and citizen groups. Specific responsibility should be assigned to the chairman, secretary, and to subcommittees. Every committee has its own way o f working, hut a first job for a beginning committee is to find out what similar groups in other communi ties are doing for their children in wartime; what help can be had from Federal and State Governments. Then comes exploration on the home grounds. Your committee will drive ahead faster if it knows: (a) how much of the need for the program given here is now being met, and by whom; (b) how much o f the need is not being met; (c) what it would take in funds, personnel, and time to meet that need 100 percent; and (d) how far toward a 100 percent goal your community can go within the next year. Next come the blueprints. Draft the course you are going to take, defining clearly who will be responsible for what, and when and how each ope will work. 8 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Now comes the work. Remember, as you move ahead, all of you are working for the community, so let it know your plans and your progress. Keep your news flowing out through every useful channel. In many communities the war-information committee of the defense council can help plan a program o f public understanding of needs and rally public support, through the press and radio, through Victory Speakers, and in planning for discussion groups. It is well to start early to think o f the volunteer help each project will require. Plan and provide for training volunteers. Check first at the volunteer office of your defense council for volunteers and training courses. Neither from your own operations, nor in the minds of the families you are attempting to help, let it ever be truthfully said that you are working behind a barrier o f prejudice toward the children of any nationality, color, or creed. Even when you get all six programs running along in high gear you may not be giving all your community’s children all the help they need in wartime. Every locality has its special concerns. No one plan of action, designed at long distance, can fit or foresee every local need. All over the country, communities like yours will be gearing for action with you. The Children’s Bureau Commission on Children in Wartime is at work on national policies and programs. It has drawn up a "Children’s Charter in Wartime” that marks the goals the Nation should aim at. It has drafted a "Program o f State Action,” which has gone out far and wide. And now, with this suggested program of local action, it urges you to join forces in the greatest effort ever undertaken to assure all our children safety, strength, and security now, so that when they are grown they will be the better able to work with us in making our dreams for democracy come true. You are invited to send to the Children’s Bureau, U. S. Department of Labor, Washington, D. C., for free copies of the "Children’s Charter in Wartime, Program of State Action,” and a newly published hand book on "Standards o f Child Health, Education, and Social Welfare,” Bureau Publication No. 287. 9 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis This plan for local action to meet the wartime needs of our children has been adopted by the Children’s Bureau Commis sion on Children in Wartime. It is ad dressed to every citizen who wishes to join with others to conserve, equip, and free children of every race and creed to take their part in democracy. U. S. D E P A R TM E N T OF LABOR Frances Perkins, Secretary U . S . G O V E R N M E N T C H ILD R EN ’S BUREAU Katharine F. Lenroot, Chief P R I N T I N G O F F I C E : 1 9 4 3 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office Washington, D. C. - Price 5 cents v https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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