Although the Children's Bureau has no staff available for assignment solely to services for migrant children, in central office the Assistant Chief of the Program Development Branch carries coordinating responsibility and represents the Division of Social Services in working with other agencies within the Department, with the President's Committee on Migratory Labor, and on working groups and committees giving consideration to the problems of families engaged in migratory agricultural labor. Central office staff considers the needs of migrant children in all aspects of program development, organization, and administration, and use of child welfare services funds. Proposed program Needed action in the light of past experience is for (a) research and study to gain more knowledge about migrant health and welfare problems and about ways to meet them, (b) increased consultation to States on ways to get community acceptance of migrants and on ways of adapting and expanding existing services; and (c) increased funds for the areas with peakloads. The With the current budget restrictions, none of these can be carried out. Children's Bureau will continue through its present staff and resources to stimulate States to meet their obligations to migrant families more adequately. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION Current program directions of the Food and Drug Administration are as follows: I. The Food and Drug Administration, as a regulatory agency, is charged with the enforcement of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The same protection against adulterated or misbranded foods, drugs, devices, and cosmetics is afforded migratory labor as any other consumer in the United States. II. There have been no incidents during the past year in which migratory labor was specifically involved as far as the Food and Drug Administration was concerned. The most likely phase in which this agency might be concerned would be food poisoning outbreaks. Any reports of food poisoning are promptly investigated and if commercially packed food products in interstate commerce are found to be involved, appropriate action is taken. Usually such food poisonings are due to improper or careless handling or preparation of food products at the local or consumer level. In such instances the matter is referred to local health authorities for appropriate followup and action. Our research laboratories are, of course, available if necessary for special investigations which cannot be handled by local health authorities. III. Congress passed, during its last session in 1958, an amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act which provides for better control over chemicals and food additives which may be used in food products. Otherwise, no new programs in this field are contemplated. IV. No funds or personnel are requested for 1959 to carry on any special work as far as migratory labor is concerned. OFFICE OF FIELD ADMINISTRATION (REGIONAL DIRECTORS) 1. General statement The regional directors of the Department exercise leadership and coordinate the work of the various agencies of the Department in stimulating State and interstate activity with respect to migratory labor. Liaison is maintained with the Governors, State committees, other Federal agencies, and interested nongovernmental groups. Assistance is given in the development of special projects, information is provided on the status of migrants and on the actions being taken to improve their situation, consultation is provided, as well as technical assistance in relation to programs of the Department. II. Continuing accomplishments The regional directors in their regular visits to Governors seek to stimulate wider State and local activity in handling the migratory labor problems. In six of the nine regions there are appointed committees representing all operating agencies which meet regularly to coordinate and stimulate activity. In the remaining three, the regional directors have taken personal leadership and have used the departmentwide facilities of the regional office in promoting construc tive activity. In region II a four-State conference included the State leaders in the field who proposed many constructive actions. The Atlantic seaboard regions cooperated in running a similar conference of all the Atlantic seaboard States which resulted in a number of well-received recommendations. In region V, the regional director served as chairman of the planning group, consisting of officials from central and regional offices and from public and voluntary agencies from various professional disciplines in five States. Their purpose was to secure cosponsorship by the President's Committee on Migratory Labor and the Council of State Governments in the preparation for and the holding of a Central State's Conference on Migratory Labor. Stemming in part from this activity and the resultant stimulation, much constructive legislation related to housing, health, transportation, and working conditions has been enacted by State legislatures to improve the lot of the migrant laborers. Equally as important, States and local communities have acted within the framework of existing legislation to make substantial improvements. III. New program emphases Regional directors will carry forward the initial impetus and provide greater stimulation and more coordination in the development of broad programs for this group. The technique of bringing together State representatives is expected to be utilized more fully and effectively. In visits to Governors and State commissioners, greater emphasis will be placed by the regional directors and the program representatives on encouraging more active measures in providing better health, education, and welfare for the migrant. IV. Proposed level of expenditures of requested appropriations Expenditures for activities in connection with migratory labor have not been identified up to the present time. They have been absorbed in the overall costs of the regional directors in coordinating all programs of the Department. Visits made to Governors and State representatives usually include other phases of the Department programs as well as migrant labor. Mr. McCORD. Mr. Chairman, I think the record should show that you invited the Department of Labor as well as the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to testify this morning and we have been advised that the Department of Labor was deferring to HEW, but will submit a statement not directed specifically to this legislation, but just a general statement on the problems of the migratory agricultural worker. That will be submitted, probably, by the end of the week. (The following reports were submitted by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare :) DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE, Hon. GRAHAM A. BARDEN, Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, April 29, 1960. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This letter is in response to your request of April 12, 1960, for a report on H.R. 9872, a bill "To provide certain payments to assist in providing improved educational opportunities for children of migrant agricultural employees." This bill would authorize the appropriation for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1960, and 4 succeeding fiscal years, of a sum not to exceed $2,500,000 in any year, for payments to local educational agencies of an amount equal to 75 percent of the average daily current expenditures per public school child in such State for each day's attendance in the public elementary or secondary schools of such agency, in excess of 10 days, by the child of a migrant agricultural employee. In addition, the bill would authorize the appropriation of $300,000 for each of the 5 fiscal years, to be allotted to the States on the basis of their relative numbers of migrant agricultural employees, for payments to local educational agencies or institutions of higher education for the cost of operating summer school programs for the children of migrant workers; would authorize the ap propriation of $500,000 for each of the 5 years, to be allotted to the States on the same basis, for payments to the States to survey the need and develop plans for summer school programs for such children, to develop and carry out programs to encourage school attendance by these children, and to coordinate such activities with those of other affected States; and would authorize appropriation to enable the Commissioner of Education to award 100 fellowships in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1960, and 150 fellowships in each of the 3 succeeding fiscal years, for up to 3 years of undergraduate or 1 year of graduate study in colleges and universities in approved programs to train persons in specific problems of educating the children of migrant agricultural employees. Unquestionably, the children of migrant agricultural workers, as a group, have fewer educational opportunities than any other group of children in our society. There are many factors contributing to this situation, including the need for school-age children to tend younger children, the employment of very young children in migratory families, and the disruptive effects of a migratory life. Of lesser importance, generally, is the resistance by communities to school attendance of the migrants. Despite growing concern and action, on the part of State and local educational agencies and both private and public organizations, to improve the educational opportunities of these children, the education of most migrant children does not meet even minimum requirements for effective citizenship. Each State should accept responsibility for providing free, public education for children of school age residing within the State. This basic principle of State responsibiilty for the provision of public education is as applicable to the children of migrant workers as it is to any other group of children. In the few States where personnel and funds have been made available to deal with this problem, notable progress has been made. The approach advocated by H.R. 9872 is to effectively shift the responsibility for the education of these children from the States to the Federal Government. The instant bill would not only shift the financial burden for the education of migrant children to the Federal Government, but it would authorize the Commissioner of Education to make payments directly to local educational agencies on the application of such agencies. Except where the Federal Government makes such payments in the nature of an in-lieu-of-tax payment (as in federally impacted school districts), we are opposed in principle to a direct Federal-local relationship in education. We would also oppose Federal scholarship assistance, as proposed in this bill, for undergraduate study limited to this field. We have often stated our conviction that any Federal assistance for undergraduate study should not be limited to particular fields of study. Moreover, we doubt that instructional problems associated with migrant children are so different in character as to require or justify special college programs in this field. There is evidence that many county and other school systems in all but seven or eight States have children of migrant agricultural workers residing in them. The intensity of the consequent school problem varies greatly, depending upon the numbers of children involved and the adequacy of arrangements to accommodate them; but when the peak employment season in a community falls within the school year, the additional pupil load often creates difficult problems. The resulting strain on the financial resources of some school districts is very severe where additional State assistance is not available or is inadequate. Such financial problems, however, can be met through State action. It may very well be that the Federal Government should do more to provide leadership in determining the exact scope and nature of the migrant-worker problems and in formulating programs which can be conducted by States and localities to successfully cope with them. The Office of Education, through its cooperative research program, has supported several research projects in the field of the education of migrant workers' children. For the reasons herein cited, we are not persuaded that the proper Federal role in helping to meet the educational needs of migrant workers' children is that of providing direct financial support to local school systems or fellowship and scholarship grants for teacher training as proposed in the instant bill, H.R. 9872. Accordingly, we recommend that H.R. 9872 not be enacted. The Bureau of the Budget advises that it perceives no objection to the submission of this report to your committee. Sincerely yours, ROBERT A. FORSYTHE, April 29, 1960. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE, Hon. GRAHAM A. BARDEN, Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This letter is in response to your request of April 13, 1960, for a report on H.R. 10378, a bill “To provide certain payments to assist in providing improved educational opportunities for children of migrant agricultural employees." This bill would authorize the appropriation of such amounts as may be necessary for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1960, and 4 succeeding fiscal years, for payments to local educational agencies in each State of an amount equal to 75 percent (during the first 2 years) of the average daily current expenditures per public school child in such State for each day's attendance in the public elementary or secondary schools of such agencies, in excess of 10 days, by the child of a migrant agricultural employee. Such payments would equal 50 percent of the State average daily expenditures per child during the remaining 3 years of the authorization. In addition, the bill would authorize the appropriation of $300,000 for each of the 5 fiscal years, to be allotted to the States on the basis of their relative numbers of migrant agricultural employees, for payments to local educational agencies or institutions of higher education for the cost of operating summer school programs for the children of migrant workers; and would authorize the appropriation of $250,000 for each of the 5 years, to be allotted to the States on the same basis, for payments to the States to survey the need and develop plans for summer school programs for such children, to develop and carry out programs to encourage school attendance by these children and improve the quality of education offered to them and to coordinate programs provided for in the bill with those of other affected States. The provisions of this bill, except for the amounts authorized to be appropriated, are virtually identical to those contained in titles I, II, and III of H.R. 9872, on which we are submitting a report. For the reason set forth in detail in our report on H.R. 9872, we recommend that the instant bill, H.R. 10378, not be enacted. The Bureau of the Budget advises that it perceives no objection to the submission of this report to your committee. Sincerely yours, ROBERT A. FORSYTHE, Mr. BAILEY. If there are no further witnesses, the committee will stand in recess until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning in this room. (Thereupon, at 11:30 a.m., the subcommittee recessed to meet again at 10 a.m., Tuesday, May 3, 1960.) |