Letter by Senator John F. Kennedy To Mrs. Randolph Guggenheimer

The following portions of a letter from Senator John F. Kennedy dated October 18, 1960, to Mrs. Randolph Guggenheimer, president of the National Committee for the Day Care of Children, Inc., were read by Mrs. Guggenheimer at the conclusion of her speech at the opening session of the National Conference on Day Care:

I wholly agree that, in addition to Federal leadership to control and prevent juvenile delinquency, we must have provision for day care centers for children whose mothers are unavailable during the day. Without adequate day time care during their most formative years the children of the Nation risk permanent damage to their emotional and moral character.

Of the 22 million working women in 1958, almost 3 million had children under 6 years of age and another 4,600,000 had school-age children between 6 and 17. This is cause for serious national concern. Certainly the child welfare program and other services established under the Social Security Act should be expanded. In addition, I believe we must take further steps to encourage day care programs that will protect our children and provide them with the basis for a full life in later years. The suggestion of a program of research, financing and development to serve the children of working mothers and of parents who for one reason and another cannot provide adequate care during the day deserves our full support.

With every good wish, I am,

Sincerely,

JOHN F. KENNEDY