A Guide to the Barrett Day Care Center Papers
A Collection in the
Special Collections Department
Accession number 3283, -a, -b
Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections LibraryUniversity of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
USA
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Reference Request Form: https://small.lib.virginia.edu/reference-request/
URL: http://small.library.virginia.edu/
© 2015 By the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved.
Processed by: Special Collections Department
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.
Preferred Citation
Barrett Day Care Center Papers, Accession #3283, -a, -b, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.
Acquisition Information
Accession #3283 was loaned to the Library on August 3, 1949, by the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery of 5th and Commerce Streets, Charlottesville, Virginia. Accessions #3283-a and #3283-b were loaned to the Library on August 8 and October 4, 1996, by Cynthia Stratton, Director of the Barrett Day Care Center, 410 Ridge Street, Charlottesville, Virginia.
History of Barrett Day Care Center
The Barrett Day Care Center , formerly the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery , is the oldest day care center in the State of Virginia . It was organized in the fall of 1935 by Daisy V. Green , a registered nurse of Petersburg, Virginia and former employee of the Charlottesville City Health Department; it was supported by the Works Project Administration of the Education Department . The Nursery was originally located in a building owned by Courtney D. Goodloe at 126 4th Street, N. W. This small facility served as the Nursery's home until August 1940 when it closed upon Mrs. Greene's departure. During these early years, many friends made donations, and the children were admitted free of charge.
In January 1941 the Nursery re-opened under the same name and still under the support of the Works Project Administration. A December 23, 1942 letter from Mrs. Frances Cromwell , State Supervisor of the Child Protection Program , stated that by order of the President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, all W. P. A. projects would be liquidated as of January 16, 1943. On December 31, 1942, Douglas Edwards and Otelia L. Jackson , members of the Nursery, along with members of the Belmont Day Nursery , met with the Charlottesville City School Board . Board members of both nurseries were in favor of continuing the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery and closing the Belmont Day Nursery. Following this meeting, during which the School Board informed the Nursery that it was not its sponsor, an appeal was made directly to the State. This advisory committee succeeded in getting the Department of Public Welfare to sponsor the program. This could be done under the provisions of the State Child Care Committee appointed the previous fall, if the program was classified as "day nursery" rather than "nursery school." On January 13, 1943, the Nursery was given permission to continue. Responses from volunteers and local organizations were good. The Child Welfare Association paid salaries of teachers following the first month when teachers had given their service free. Rent had also been donated that first month. The Nursery continued operation through 1943 without interruption under the supervision of a group of Charlottesville citizens with funds raised entirely in Charlottesville . In becoming a day nursery, it had extended its services by taking care of children for ten hours rather than only from nine to three; it also took the five-to-six-year-olds who had been excluded under the former plan. The Nursery struggled to maintain its existence until the organization of the Community Chest and its acceptance of the Nursery as one of its agencies.
There was a regular tuition charge of one dollar a week per child. A plan was worked out whereby the mother and the employer were asked to share this tuition as each benefitted from the care of the child. Response from employers was chiefly favorable. A few mothers paid the entire tuition themselves. A few others were unable to pay any because of financial obligations. For such cases, there was a scholarship committee which investigated the case; and, on the basis of their recommendation, whole or partial scholarships were granted.
In addition to tuition fees, the Board of the Nursery sought other sources of income. It was granted an appropriation of seventy-five dollars per month by the City Council, which was given as an increased appropriation to the Department of Public Welfare , the official sponsor of the Nursery. The local Child Welfare Association was the next largest contributor with $700 per year. There were also individual and group contributions.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the Nursery inhabited several locations until moving to its present location of 410 Ridge Street in the late 1950s. During its first few years, the Nursery lacked the requirements to meet the needs of the community, such as not having an outdoor play area or the services of a trained director. From July 1950 until July 1951, the Nursery secured the services of Miss Velma Branch , a graduate of Hampton Institute and College with a year's experience in the Nursery School at Hampton Institute. The board members and staff gained valuable information on the needs and management of a nursery school from Miss Branch, and used this knowledge to the Nursery's best advantage. Immediately prior to Miss Branch's resignation there had been a reduction of the budget by the Community Chest.
During the 1960s, the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery moved from the sponsorship of the Community Chest to the sponsorship of the United Givers Fund . It continued to grow under their sponsorship. In the 1960s, the Nursery provided a unique service to Charlottesville and Albemarle County as the only day-care center for children in the community. It provided day care for children of low-income families thereby enabling parents to hold full-time jobs, thus increasing the family's income and keeping it off welfare. The community also benefitted from the productivity of these families and the availability of additional workers for its businesses, industries, and personal services.
Present day management of the Nursery by a Board of Directors came into existence during this time. The Board of Directors consists of citizens from all areas of the community with an interest in pre-school children and who demonstrate leadership qualities. The Board determines the policies of the Nursery and supervises its finances. The Nursery program is based upon standards established by the Virginia Department of Welfare and Institutions for day-care centers.
During the 1960s, about 70% of the Nursery's operating expenses were provided through the United Givers Fund . Most of the other 30% came from tuition fees paid by parents. There were also surplus food items and gifts of services from a local business and physician. Tuition was paid by the parents of all children in the Nursery. Fees charged were based on the income of the family and the number of independent children with a minimum of $2.50 and a maximum of $8.50 per child per week. A small scholarship fund was available to assist families of children who may have become financially distressed through loss of job, loss of a parent, or extended illness.
The building located at 410 Ridge Street in which the Barrett Day Care Center operates was owned and operated by the United Givers Fund throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The building was deeded to the Barrett Day Care Center, Inc. in 1977 by the United Givers Fund, now the United Way , with the stipulation that it be used as a day care center. As of 1989, the Day Care Center operated solely on donations and tuition fees and was the only non-profit day care center in Charlottesville that did not have an underwriting sponsor to help pay for such expenses as utility or maintenance costs. Donations were not as strong as they needed to be; and, although United Way assisted ten children at the center with scholarships, there was still a waiting list for children whose families needed financial assistance for tuition. Working with the Board of Directors of the Day Care Center and a representative of the Monticello Area Community Action Agency , the center's director, Cynthia Stratton , helped to set up a committee of individuals to raise the money necessary for the most pressing needs at the center and to continue the operation of the Barrett Day Care Center. Within two months, donations from Charlottesville-area businesses and individuals helped push a state-mandated project through at the center. They also boosted revenue for refurbishing the seventy-two-year-old building at 410 Ridge Street.
The Nursery is licensed by the Department of Public Welfare (formerly the Department of Welfare and Institutions ) of the Commonwealth of Virginia. This license certifies that the Nursery meets health and safety regulations, has adequate space and equipment, has sufficient staff, and conducts a program that is beneficial to the age children admitted to the Nursery. In the past, the Nursery was a participating agency of the United Givers Fund of Charlottesville and Albemarle, Inc. It was also a member of the National Committee for the Day Care of Children, Inc. , a non-profit agency which promoted adequate day-care centers and good standards for centers and which disseminated information in this field.
A digital exhibition drawn from these papers is available online .
Significant Persons Associated With the Collection
- B. E. Payne
- Beatrice Frye
- C. W. Johnson
- Cynthia Stratton
- Daisy V. Green
- Dorothy Donovan
- Douglas Edwards
- Edward van Lear
- Evangeline J. Howlette
- Frances Cromwell
- Frank D. Daniel
- Janie Porter Barrett
- Jean R. Burns
- Karen (VanCampen) Jansson
- Lillie Mae Brown
- Otelia L. Jackson
- R. Garsed Sketchley, Jr.
- Richard S. Callaghan, Jr.
- Sarah Elliott
- Vaness G. Terrell
- Velma Branch
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Albemarle County
- Charlottesville
- Virginia
Container List
- Box 1
Applications for Admission1950-1951
- Box 1
Budget1943-1985(3 folders)
- Box 1
Children's Lists of Names and Records for Tuition1955-1970
- Box 1
Community Chest1951-1961(3 folders)
- Box 1
Correspondence of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1942-1954
[correspondence with board members and employees; donations of money, food, and supplies; budget; liquidation of the Child Protection Program of the Works Project Administration (23 Dec 1942); R. E. Lee & Son and Edward van Lear estimates according to specifications for the nursery building (16 July 1953); rental agreement (1 Sep 1954); personnel committee's study of retirement problems in the nursery (14 & 21 Dec 1954)]
- Box 1
Correspondence of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1955-1956
[correspondence with board members and employees; donations of money, food, and supplies; budget; Yadseut Club interest in civic organizations and sponsoring the Nursery (16 & 18 Jan 1955); Community Chest agencies receipt of gifts and services from local commercial establishments (20 June 1955); Community Chest budget for the Nursery (29 June & 6 July 1955); recommendations based on the minimum standards for licensed day care nurseries, following a visit by Sarah Elliott , Children's Agencies Section, Department of Welfare and Institutions (29 Aug 1955)]
- Box 1
Correspondence of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1957-1966
[correspondence with board members and employees; donations of money, food, and supplies; University of Virginia nursing students observation of the Nursery (19 June 1957); University of Virginia pediatric nursing students observation of the Nursery (8 May 1958); completion of remodelling for the Nursery at 410 Ridge Street (14 Aug 1958); program for graduation exercises (1 June 1961); Department of Welfare and Institutions (13 Aug 1962; 24 Aug 1965); case between Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery and Holy Comforter School (13 June 1966 with attachments)]
- Box 1
Correspondence of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1967-1968
[correspondence with board members and employees; donations of money, food, and supplies; estimation for painting outside trim (11 Sep 1967); Special Milk Program (Oct 1967); purchase of nursery equipment (Nov 1967-Mar 1968); hire of a kindergarten teacher (May-July 1968); University of Virginia Maternal-Child Health Nursing faculty observation of the Nursery (31 July 1968)]
- Box 1
Correspondence of the Barrett Day Care Center1989-1995
[letter to the editor of the Daily Progress from Cynthia J. Stratton, Director of the Barrett Day Care Center (1 Aug 1989); program for "Barrett Day Care Center Presents Songs of Jubilation," including a "history" and "purpose and mission" (13 Oct 1991)]
- Box 2
Correspondence of Richard S. Callaghan, Jr. , President of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1965-1966
[correspondence with board members and employees; budget; amendments to By-Laws of the Nursery (3 Jan 1966); Federal Exemption (7 & 14 Mar 1966); case between Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery and Holy Comforter School (17 May-2 Aug 1966); "Problems and Policy Questions Faced by our Nursery," with attached relative material (27 Sep 1966); sales tax exemption (28 Sep & 4 Oct 1966); Charlottesville-Albemarle Community Action Organization, Inc. proposal for a youth community program (22 Dec 1966 & 5 Jan 1967); Special Release of the National Committee for the Day Care of Children, Inc. (Dec 1966)]
- Box 2
Correspondence of Richard S. Callaghan, Jr., President of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1967
[search for head teacher and director of the Nursery; hire of Karen (VanCampen) Jansson as director; hire of Vaness G. Terrell as head teacher; United Givers Fund and the Nursery's appeal for additional funds]
- Box 2
Correspondence of Richard S. Callaghan, Jr., President of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1968-1969
[correspondence with board members and employees; budget; parent's questionnaire (1 Feb 1968); search for kindergarten teacher (May-Aug 1968); recent history, objectives, and activities of the Nursery (22 May 1969); application for admission (n.d.)]
- Box 2
Correspondence of Frank D. Daniel , President of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1943-1948
[donations of money; budget; request for monetary donations from Lions Club (20 Jan & 29 Mar 1943) and Kiwanis Club (25 Jan 1943); reorganization of the "colored nursery" into a day nursery to be supported by local funds (28 Jan-4 Feb 1943); food rations (6 & 14 Apr 1943); Charlottesville and Albemarle Community and War Fund concerning the budget (3 July & 5 Sep 1945; 11 June 1946); surplus commodities/Commodity Distribution Program (2 Sep, 15 Oct & 30 Dec 1947); rental agreement (16 Oct 1947); Charlottesville and Albemarle Community Chest concerning the budget, agency standards, and Red Feather Services (1947-1948); Child Welfare League (26 Mar & 2 Sep 1948); recommendations and concerns following a visit to the Nursery by Dorothy Donovan , Children's Bureau, Department of Public Welfare (1948); recommendations and concerns following a visit to the Nursery by Evangeline J. Howlette , Hampton Institute (post 2 Dec 1948); radio teleplay about the Nursery (1948)]
- Box 2
Correspondence of Frank D. Daniel, President of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1949-1950
[recommendations for the provision of health services at the Nursery compiled by the Instructive Visiting Nurses Association (12 May 1949); search for director of the Nursery and the subsequent hiring of Velma Branch (Jan-May 1949); Community Chest and the budget of the Nursery (25 Oct 1950)]
- Box 2
Correspondence of Frank D. Daniel, President of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1951-1956
[correspondence with board members and employees; budget; Community Chest and the budget of the Nursery (30 Jan & 10 Aug 1951); request to the use the Jefferson Elementary school building (16 & 21 Mar 1951); survey of children and method of arrival to the Nursery (14 Apr 1951); search for Director of the Nursery and subsequent budget cut (June-Aug 1951); form letter re tuition rates (21 July 1951); University of Virginia Department of Nursing students observation of the Nursery (25 & 26 Apr 1956)]
- Box 2
Correspondence of R. Garsed Sketchley, Jr. , President of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1960-1961
[donations of money and supplies; correspondence with board members; study of the nursery administration by Jean R. Burns with detailed list of problems (25 Jan 1961); L. A. Lacy Plumbing and Heating proposal to install new controls and wiring for the oil burner (17 Apr 1961); Charlottesville and Albemarle Community Chest re Campaign Cabinet meeting and the Agency-Chest Agreement (May 1961); program for graduation exercises (1 June 1961)]
- Box 2
Directory of Private Schools in Charlottesville and Albemarlen.d.
- Box 2
Establishment and Administrative Policies1943-1944
[forward; constitution; certificate of incorporation]
- Box 2
Establishment and Administrative Politicies1944-1971
[articles of incorporation (1944); constitution; policy governing leaves of absence... (Sep 1963); by-laws (Jan 1966); policies and practices (Feb 1966; 1971); regulations; miscellaneous on day care centers]
- Box 2
Federal Assistance1965
[publication lists]
- Box 2
Fee Schedules1956-1971
- Box 2
Films1965-1966
[lists of films concerning children]
- Box 2
Finances: Reports on Examination1970-1971
[ Hantzmon, Wiebel & Company ]
- Box 2
Health Certificates and Inspections1948-1967
- Box 2
History of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1942-1965
[correspondence and papers; essay, "Children of Mothers Who Work" (ca. 1943); articles of incorporation (May 1944); brief history of the Nursery by Otelia L. Jackson (1 Feb 1953); sketch of Janie Porter Barrett (22 Mar 1953); program of the "Janie Porter Barrett School & 50 Years 1916-1965" (20 May 1965)]
- Box 2
History of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1947-1965
[correspondence and papers; brief history of the Nursery (30 June 1947); brief history of the Nursery by Otelia L. Jackson (16 June 1950; Feb 1953); survey on who uses the Nursery (1952-1953); statement on the Nursery (28 Apr 1959); United Givers Fund brochure on the Nursery; application for admission; miscellaneous papers re child care (1960s)]
- Box 2
Insurance1958-1967
- Box 2
Licenses for Day Nursery/Child Care Center1944-1971
- Box 2
Licenses for Day Nursery/Child Care Center: Correspondence and Papers concerning1943-1972, 1988(3 folders)
- Box 2
Membership Lists1948-1968
- Box 3
Minutes of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1942-1957(12 folders)
- Box 4
Minutes of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1958-1972(13 folders)
- Box 4
Minutes of the Barrett Day Care Center1973-1979(3 folders)
- Box 4
Minutes of the Barrett Day Care Center kept by Lillie Mae Brown1979-1981(3 folders)
- Box 5
Minutes of the Barrett Day Care Center1980-1981(2 folders)
- Box 5
Minutes of the Barrett Day Care Center kept by Lillie Mae Brown1981-1983(2 folders)
- Box 5
Minutes of the Barrett Day Care Center1982-1984(3 folders)
- Box 5
Nursery Equipment1955-1958
- Box 5
Nursery Equipment: Creative Playthings, Inc.1957-1969
- Box 5
Nursery Equipment: Crown Institutional Equipment Company1953-1958
- Box 6
Photographs of the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery1965, n.d.
- Box 6
Photographs of the Barrett Day Care Center: Children; Front entranceca. 1960-1992
- Box 6
Photographs of the Barrett Day Care Center: Children, Staff, and Volunteers1992, n.d.
- Box 6
Photographs of the Barrett Day Care Center: Group photos1977-1985, n.d.
- Box 6
Photographs of the Barrett Day Care Center: Group photos1988, 1993
- Box 6
Photographs of the Barrett Day Care Center: Individual Childrenn.d.
- Box 6
Photographs of the Barrett Day Care Center: Social Functions1985-1992(2 folders)
- Box 6
Publicity: Newspaper Articles1967-1991
- Box 6
Rating Forms for Four-and-Five-Year-Oldsn.d.
- Box 6
Registered Agent1957-1968
- Box 6
Reports and Surveys on Day Nurseries1949-1953
["Recommendations for Personnel Practices in Day Nurseries" (Apr 1949); Midcentury White House Conference on Children and Youth (3-7 Dec 1950); "Report of Survey of the Families of Children Enrolled in the Janie Porter Barrett Day Nursery" (13 May 1953)]
- Box 6
Taxation and Exemptions1952-1966
- Box 6
Treasurer's Reports1962-1969(3 folders)
- Box 6
Tuition Studies1967-1971
- Box 6
United Givers Fund1964-1971
- Box 6
Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission1983
[Nursery building at 410 Ridge Street being entered into the National Register of Historic Places ; application for an historic preservation matching grant under the Emergency Jobs Act of 1983; Forest Hill Associates, Inc. proposal for work on the exterior of the building]
- Box 7
Receipt Book1954
- Box 7
Receipt Book1958-1960
- Box 7
Record Book1949-1963(5 folders)
- Box 8
Record Book1962-1985(2 folders)
- Box 8
Teachers Roll Book1952 Jul-1955 Dec(2 folders)
- Box 8
Teachers Roll Book kept by Beatrice Frye1969 Jun-1972 Aug
- Box 8
Teachers Roll Book1969 Sep-1972 Jun
- Box 8
Teachers Roll Book kept by C. W. Johnson1969 Sep-1972 Aug
- Box 8
Teachers Roll Book kept by B. E. Payne1972 Sep-1975 Apr