Action Committee for Decent Childcare records, 1965-1973, bulk 1970-1972

This collection is open for research use.

Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.

Gift of Heather Booth (accession #:1974.0010).

Please cite this collection as Action Committee for Decent Childcare (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.

Correspondence, proposals, contract lists, bulletins, speeches, directories, licensing reviews, one photograph, and photocopies of articles and clippings collected by the Action Committee for Decent Childcare (ACDC). Also included are materials on the Day Care Crisis Council of the Chicago Area and the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference. Also present are materials on the Sojourner Truth Day Care Center.

The Hyde Park Chapter of the Chicago Women’s Liberation Union created the Action Committee for Decent Childcare (ACDC) in 1970. Heather Booth chaired the committee. Its members included women who needed childcare, women who worked in childcare centers, and women who were simply interested in childcare issues. This direct action organization advocated for better childcare programs in Chicago and worked to change restrictive licensing requirements. In 1970 and 1971, the ACDC made its own recommendations for licensing requirements and successfully urged the city to revise its regulations. The ACDC also aided groups interested in starting childcare programs. It acted as a liaison between centers and communities when problems would arise. The organization sponsored a series of community meetings in Hyde Park, the southwest side, and the north side to which state representatives, senators, and aldermen were invited to present their positions on day care.

Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research enter, include the Midwest Academy records; and materials related to Citizens Action Program (Chicago, Ill.) and the later organization known as Citizen Action.

• Subject
  • Booth, Heather -- Archives
  • Child care -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 20th century
  • Day care centers -- Illinois -- Chicago Metropolitan Area -- 20th century
  • Feminism -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 20th century
  • Political activists -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 20th century
  • Women in community organization -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 20th century
• Names
  • Action Committee for Decent Childcare -- Archives
  • Booth, Heather
• Geographic Coverage
  • Chicago (Ill.) -- Social conditions -- 20th century
  • United States -- Illinois -- Cook County -- Chicago

The collection is arranged in one series.

Series 1. Administrative and research materials

Correspondence, bulletins, contact lists, and information files on day care facilities in the Chicago area collected by the Action Committee for Decent Childcare. Much of the correspondence is between Heather Booth, ACDC chair from 1971-1972, and various state and local officials, regarding ACDC-sponsored meetings and other direct action activities. The General materials box includes: Reports from the City of Chicago Human Resources/Family Services Division, childcare questionnaires, flyers for ACDC meetings, a hearing transcript of Child Day Care in Illinois, April 26, 1972 from the Illinois Budgetary Commission, day care and child development reports, and a critique of the 1972 City Budget.