The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-11
WORK OF CHILD-SAVING
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF STATE
HOARD OF CHARITIES.
h Agents Visited 231 Children
Placed I'm demonstrating
10 the State.

The work of c~hild-saving in this State,
under the direction of the Board of State
Charities, is attracting wide attention. 1t
IS the most recent of the several lines OF
activity in which the board labors. The
results of the work of Mr.. Streeter and
Mr.. Smith, the agents of the board, for
the past twelve weeks, have been supplied
by the secretary.
Within that period. they have visited 231
children placed in family homes and found
1s2 of them doing well. These are treated
kindly. as members of the family, and are
being given and are profting by all the ad-
vantages their capabilities warrant. Most
OF them are living with farmers N are
learning, from actual experience, the many
things connected with life's economy, pos
sible only to those who's early years are
spent in the country. Twenty-four of the
children were found doing only fairly well.
In some cases. the fault lay in the lack of
capacity on the child's part; I'm others, with
the foster parents, who scarcely knew
how TO manage the child; while in others,
unhappy surroundings contributed. Care
full work is needed in such cases to secure
a change for the better. In some, the child
has to be admonished: in others, the foster
parents have to be counseled and impressed
with a truer understanding of their re-
sponsibIlities to the child; and In others. it
, has seemed best to transfer the child TO
different surroundings.
Twenty-Five of the children were found
doing poorly. This number is a little
greater than one-tenth OF the whole num-
Der visited. Usually. about one-twentieth
OF the children placed turn out to be trou-
blesome cases Some defect i'm disposition.
some result of former environment, or some
unexplained reason. makes il difficult to
find just the right kind of a family I'm
which such a child will do we'll; so through
these defects. all of which, under proper
training. may be overcome, the children are
q source of anxiety and trouble. They are
the ones OF whom repeated trials have 10
Reform School or other institution is so
frequently recommended; they are the
ones almost constantly reported doing
poorly. Another twentieth do poorly mere
ly because OF displacement: and one trans
fer usually changes the tone of the re-
ports.
OF the 2s1 children visited. about two
thirds have been placed by the various au-
thorities and associations other than the
State agency OF the Board of State Chart
ties. Ii is made a part OF the legal duty of
the State agency TO visit all children. wards
OF the public. placed I'm family homes; and
an earnest effort is being made to make
one complete canvass of the State along
this line by the end of October.
During the past twelve weeks. sixty-two
new children have been received from the
various orphans homes and poor asylums
of the State by the State agency and placed
I'm families; fourteen have been transferred
from one family to another, making
seventy-six placements. Nineteen children
have been returned TO their counties for
various reasons a portion because they
proved unsuitable for family life, others
pending placement in other homes. De-
Quoting the nineteen returns and fourteen
transfers from the seventy-six placements,
we find there has been a gain of forty-three
children of of public support, as a result
OF the work of the Board of State Charities
I'm its child-saving department. This num-
Der. added TO the number previously re-
ported. makes a totalof i07 out. Financially.
this represents TO the State, as a whole, a
saving OF $40. 100 per year I'm maintenance,
alone, 90 say nothing of the probabilities
OF good citizenship represented I'm this num-
Der OF prospective men and women. The
total cost To the State and counties. thus
far, 20 accomplish this, has been, in round
numbers. but $1,000.
During the twelve weeks. ninety-two
families made application 10 have children
placed with them: Ice applicants were
visited In their homes To determine their
fitness 10 be intrusted with the care of
children. and twenty-three were found be-
low standard No home Is finally approved
for a child. by this board, until IL has been
personally visited by one Of its agents.
Even when approved. many homes cannot
ne filled because the stipulations OF the ap-
pllcants as 10 the child that will suit are
so particular that none such can be found.
Perfection does not seem 20 exist.