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Conclusion-XXXX

Program helps for recreation are available at various State and National organization headquarters, such as Girl Scouts or Division of Home Missions of the National Council of Churches-for instance, there is much help in the new Girl Scout Manual for councils who are making an effort to reach the children of migratory workers.

Recommendation-XXXX

Youth serving agencies and organizations should contact their national offices for help and should assume leadership in adapting their own programs to include migrant children as well as migrant leadership.

Conclusion-XXXXI

Normal recreation facilities, such as parks, playgrounds, pools, and centers are at times not easily available because of policies on residence requirements. The basis for these policies is usually that programs are primarily developed for and by persons who help pay for them.

Recommendation-XXXXI

Since the growers and canners contribute through taxes to the cost of these facilities, the community migrant committee should encourage special arrangements whereby migrant children could be registered as residents at the address of the growers for whom they work, thus making available facilities which would otherwise be closed to them. Wherever possible, park district boundaries should be carefully reexamined with the thought of including more of the rural area where migrants are employed.

Conclusion-XXXXII

Migrant children are often unaware of recreational opportunities available to them as well as methods of registration, times of attendance, and their regulations.

Recommendation-XXXXII

A subcommittee of the community migrant committee should be given the task of preparing written materials explaining in detail what facilities are available. Arrangements should be made for these to be given to the migrants personally with some explanation. Attention is called to the flyers prepared for this purpose in Portage, Wis.

Conclusion-XXXXIII

Migrant teenagers often find themselves in between child and adult program ages. Although programs are often carried on for migrant children of preadolescent age, and for adults, there is seldom any provision made for teenagers. Recommendation-XXXXIII

The department of recreation, Y-Teens, church youth fellowships and all others under the trained recreational leadership of the town be urged to not only welcome, but encourage the attendance of migrant teenagers. Special parties, dances and picnics should be planned cooperatively with them; with town groups going to the camps where migrant young people may be hesitant. Conclusion-XXXXIV

In many camps there is danger of small migrant children when they are taken into the fields with working parents. In other situations, older children are denied recreation and sometimes even education because they must care for the smaller children while parents work.

Recommendation-XXXXIV

The Community Migrant Committee or some other local civic organizations should give consideration to developing:

A. Play schools, organized specifically to care for migrant toddlers and small children during the day, thus providing a healthful constructive substitute for dangerous hours in the field.

B. Short term summer schools running for a portion of a day for providing constructive and helpful ways in filling long summer hours as well as making up schoolwork lost in travel.

C. Day camp programs in camps where migrant children are present. These should follow much the same plan as day camps for other children, except that activities and crafts should be geared to their needs and interests.

Conclusion-XXXXV

If migrant children are to grow into an appreciation of the constructive use of family time, they should have the example of the constructive use of leisure. The possibilities of constructive family activities are often lacking in migrant camps. Recommendation-XXXXV

Along with the children's program, there should be planned approach to the parents so that they might be provided with group activities furnishing both recreation and training in the use of manual skills (sewing and craft classes, etc.). There might also be a recreational program of movies for the parents which will include adult education subjects on health, housing, the use of leisure, understanding of children, etc. which would, in turn, help them in their guidance of the children in their family.

Conclusion-XXXXVI

The natural curiosity of children makes proximity to machinery, trucks, and unattended storage buildings not only extremely dangerous to them, but a nuisance value to the employers and workers, and a source of anxiety to the working parent. A recreational area, with some durable play equipment located near the housing units, helps to minimize this.

Recommendation-XXXXVI

Employers should give consideration to including a play area in plans for housing for migrant families.

55908-60- -11

[graphic]

Major Illinois crops, by county and season, for which agricultural migrant workers are employed

Boone.

Bureau

DuPage.

Henderson. Iroquois.

Jackson.

Jefferson.

Johnson.

Lake.

LaSalle

Lee-

McHenry.

Madison.

Marion.

June and September,

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14,000 in August and September.

2 Spring work in canning factory rather than fields.

NOTE.-The above dates are approximate and may vary a week to 10 days according
to weather conditions.

The Committee on Agricultural Workers wishes to express its appreciation to the fol

lowing persons and agencies in the publication of this material: Dr. Melvin Brooks,
Southern Illinois University; Mr. Richard B. Calhoun, Illinois Department of Labor;
Dr. Roland R. Cross, director, Illinois Department of Public Health; and Dr. William
Scholes, National Council of Churches, United States of America,

Mrs. GREEN. You said Mr. Reuben Johnson represents the Farmers Union?

Mr. McCORD. That is right.

Mrs. GREEN. Do we have statements from the other two large farm organizations, the Grange or the Farm Bureau?

Mr. McCORD. No. The Farm Bureau was advised of the hearings and Mr. Trigg of their Washington office reported that the Farm Bureau Federation has no policy on this legislation and did not choose to testify.

Mrs. GREEN. Very well.

The committee stands adjourned.

(Whereupon, at 12:20 p.m., the subcommittee adjourned.)

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