The evening times., 1900-07-13
SCIENCE OF CHILD SAVING.
The ''PlacinE Outn System for I'estI-
tute Children Commend ed.


The "PIacinE Outr System for I'estI-
tute Children Commend
The report OF the Committee ol the Ma
tionai Conference OF Charities aad Correc-
tion on the care Of destitute and neglected
children. read by the chairman, Galen A.
Merrill OF Owatonna, MINI. at the recent
conference in Topeka. Kan. has Just been
issued. Some Of the more interesting par
agraphs are extracted:
The branch Of phiIanthropic work which
is applied in behalf OF destitute and neg
lected children is so full OF promise and
hope that it is attracting the attention it
deserves
The test Of value is being applied. and
and every institution and horne-finding So
cieiy must now give a reason for its exist
enee in the results it Is able to produce.
The infusion into Institutional methods Of
the spirit OF the student is salutary. and
the help that is being given by scientific
men and methods is leading TO the en-
foreemert Of the principles that should
govern in such work. The failures Of in
stitutions and societies organized for the
pointed out and unfinehingly acknOwl-
edged
The placing out system has received
such cOmmendatiOn from the specialists
who have been identified with the most
progressive work for dependent children
and the results accomplished where it has
been best administered so strongly com
mend it, that. notwithstanding the abuses
it may lead to when badly administered. it
IL -ad n h -
OF providing permanently for wholly de-
pendent children
The development OF this system has re-
suited in changing the functions OF many
asyiurns for children. II has done away
with child storage institutions in all
places where the most advanced ideas have
taken root
The permanent separation OF a child
from its natural parents IS such q grave
matter that il should be permitted only
when parents cannot be helped O. COM
PEELED 20 meet their obligations as parents.
Zeal in this direction must be tempered
with prudence and the truth kept in mind
that, while extreme moral degeneracy may
justify the disiRtegra Ton Of the family.
poverty alone IS not always a sufficient
cause for such action
1t is Z natural and proper function OF
private institutions TO receive the children
OF unfortunate parents, with the view Of
returning them TO assist perhaps in re-
uniting the family. Il is a noble service
10 aid in the work Of rehabilitatlng A brok-
en home
No more important question can arise
in connection with any chill saving ageu-
cy than the enquiry, Does II succeedg Is
IL ccing q valuable work fer Uae State and
contributing heiPiu!iy 10 The improvement
CT general social cOECitiOns2 Is il helping
and saving children Il is IN easy matter
for the officers OF a Institution CT society
70 report the number O. children received
into its care. and the number placed in
homes. ard the cost OF doing this bur il
IS more difficult 10 tell the real results. TO
report faithfully. trUthfUlly. and fully the
actual condition Of those il has tried q
help. especially when they number hun
cercs and perhaps thousands This is not
a small task and can be accom- pIlshed only
by the most careful and considerations work
and the expenditure OF much tine and
money Every child under care must be
visited by perscu OF tact. intelligence.
and experience. one capable Cf seeing a2l
judging conditions accurately. Reports Of
the first few months or years viii not an
swer- Reliable information Of the full
grown men and women is wanted
The records OF the state public sch0oiA
have available the most complete and &C
cu-2te information Of any agencies We have
been able 20 consult In Minnesota special
attention is beng given to children pas;
eighteen years OF age who have grown Up
in homes. in order to determine what kind
OF men and women they are. Three hun
drst and eighty-siX are now past eighteen
years OF age. all Of whom have been care
fully considered individually. and il has
been found that S24 OF 81 per cent of them
have done well Great pains have been
taken and much expense incurred 90 visit
these personally. and the Information o.
taired is reliable.
An especially interesting study has been
made Of les Of the children who are over
seventeen years OF age. one or both Of
whose parents are known 20 be OF bad char
scteT- Personal visits were made in order
20 gain full information, and il has been
. found that eighty-eight- or ~ per cen, or
them have developed irtO young people OF
good character"