Since it opened in
1935, the Barrett Daycare Center has received funding from
various sources. From January 1941 until January 16, 1943,
the center was funded by the Works Project
Administration. When this program was liquidated by
order of the President of the United States, Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, the members of the schoolboard appealed directly
to the State of Virginia for funding and succeeded in
gaining the support of the Department of
Public Welfare. After the WPA funds were liquidated,
the center relied on contributions from sponsors such as the
Child Welfare Association and the United Givers Fund, as
well as local and private donations. In order to reach the
citizens of Charlottesville, the board members organized a
number of activities, including a radio
promotion,
which was intended to raise funds from the community.
In addition to state
and local funds, the Barrett Daycare Center relied partially
on the parents' tuition. There was a regular tuition charge
of one dollar a week per child. In a number of cases,
mothers who could not afford to pay full tuition were able
to divide the cost with their employer. For mothers who were
unable to afford to send their child to the daycare, there
was a scholarship committee that investigated their case,
and on the basis of the committee's recommendation, whole or
partial scholarships were granted.
