Women’s Liberation, Family, and the Fight for Daycare at the University at Albany

Author

Sheri Sarnoff, University at Albany, State University of New YorkFollow

Date of Award

5-2017

Document Type

Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

History

Advisor/Committee Chair

Ryan Irwin

Abstract

On October 9 1970, the Albany Student Press, the University at Albany’s student newspaper, featured an article entitled, “Day Care A Basic Issue,” which discussed the Pierce Hall Day Care Center. The students using the center claimed that the University’s Administration contradicted their original support for the on-campus daycare center. The students exclaimed, “issue after issue has been fabricated (Space, money etc) to stall the progress on the Center.”¹ The article also featured a quote from a spokeswoman from the Women’s Liberation Front arguing that, “the Administration has continually enjoyed putting forth the facade of working with women, when in reality it has worked in opposition to the program detailed in the original demands of the concerned women, parents, and their supporters.”² Announcing that the Administration claimed that no funds could be appropriated, the spokeswoman went on to say, that the Administration refused to “recognize the basic issue of (this) entire struggle, the oppression of women in a male dominated society.”3 One year later, the Albany Student Press released another article about daycare entitled, “Day Care Opening Delayed Due to Insufficient Funds.” A group of parents who needed the on-campus daycare center, created a club called the University Parents for Day Care so that they could receive funding from the Student Association. The club’s bylaws included that membership, “shall consist of all parents of children served by the facility and all those who pledge their services towards the continuance of this program both in the operation of the daycare center and the administration of the sponsoring corporation.”⁴ All members had to pay $5 per year and attend regular club meetings. The parents also willingly stated that they would give credit to students who needed community service in exchange for their help.⁵

Recommended Citation

Sarnoff, Sheri, "Women’s Liberation, Family, and the Fight for Daycare at the University at Albany" (2017). History Honors Program. 5.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/history_honors/5