In the United States, the first day nursery was opened in 1854. Nurseries were established in various areas during the{{U}} (51) {{/U}}half of the 19th century; most of{{U}} (52) {{/U}}were charitable. Both in Europe and in the U. S. , the day nursery movement received great{{U}} (53) {{/U}}during the First World War, when{{U}} (54) {{/U}}of manpower caused the industrial employment of unprecedented numbers of women. In some European countries nurseries were established{{U}} (55) {{/U}}in munitions plants, under direct government sponsorship.{{U}} (56) {{/U}}the number of nurseries in the U. S. also rose{{U}} (57) {{/U}}, this rise was accomplished without government aid of any kind. During the years following the First World War,{{U}} (58) {{/U}}, federal, State, and local governments gradually began to exercise a measure of control{{U}} (59) {{/U}}the day nurseries, chiefly by{{U}} (60) {{/U}}them and by inspecting and regulating the condition within the nurseries.
The{{U}} (61) {{/U}}of the Second World War was quickly followed by an increase in the number of day nurseries in almost all countries, as women were{{U}} (62) {{/U}}called up on to replace men in the factories. On this{{U}} (63) {{/U}}the U.S. government immediately came to the support of the nursery schools,{{U}} (64) {{/U}}$6,000,000 in July, 1942,for a nursery school program for the children of working mothers. Many States and local communities{{U}} (65) {{/U}}this Federal aid. By the end of the war, in August, 1945, more than 100,000 children were being cared{{U}} (66) {{/U}}in daycare centers receiving Federal{{U}} (67) {{/U}}Soon afterward, the Federal government{{U}} (68) {{/U}}cut down its expenditures for this purpose and later{{U}} (69) {{/U}}them, causing a sharp drop in the number of nursery schools in operation. However, the expectation that most employed mothers would leave their{{U}} (70) {{/U}}at the end of the war was only partly fulfilled.