Harvard May Gain Day-Care Sites

Two day-care centers have gotten underway at Radcliffe this Fall. A total of 33 pre-school children, most of whose mothers are affiliated with the University, are enrolled.

The centers are located at Currier House and at the Radcliffe Gym (afternoon session at Comstock Hall). Cost is $30 per week for full-day supervision.

Proposals for instituting more day-care centers in the University have been made by various interested groups, one of which is the Harvard Day-Care Action Group.

The group has attempted to secure the city-owned portable classroom building on DeWolfe St. (temporary site of the Houghton School) as a day-care facility. The building, located on land owned jointly by Harvard and St. Paul's Church, will be vacated by the city next Fall.

The stumbling block has been the city's unwillingness to give out an estimate for rent. The city plans to dismantle the portable school building if Harvard doesn't state other wise, and the site will become a parking lot for Harvard.

In a congratulatory letter to Derek C. Bok upon his election, the Day-Care Action Group thanked Bok for his sympathy with the cause of day-care. The letter expressed the group's desire to work with him on future day-care sites.

Another group active in day-care planning, the Graduate Women's Organization (G.W.O.) will hold an open meeting in Memorial Church on Jan. 28 to initiate action on a new day-care facility there.

"The advantages of using Memorial Church are that it's rent-free and already equipped for children because of the Sunday School program," Elisabeth W. Mahnke 63 said.

A group at the School of Education attempted to set up a day-care center in the Fall, but not enough people signed up. "We know there are people who need the center," Bob Mathai of the Ed School said. "I just hope we can find them." Mathai said that the projected day-care cost is $15 per week for students, $30 for faculty.

Last August, the KNOW committee wrote a detailed and lengthy proposal for day-care at Harvard. The Council of Deans has agreed to set up a Steering Committee on day-care at Harvard, which may be born this week.