The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-18

since May 81. 1895, and the State agents
since April 1, 1897. OF these the associations
placed 1853 and the State agents 400. The
number also includes $50 placed with rela-
tives or friends, who are subject to vista
ton.
THE Board of State Charities believes
that these dependent children should grow
up In family homes and learn to live life
as IL IL. The Orphans Home is valuable
as place in which to prepare children for
family homes, but il Is not desirable that
children should grow up In such institu-
tons without adequate knowledge of the
conditions under which they are to live
when they start out In life for themselves.
ION Oct. 81, 1899. there were present in
the County Orphans Homes 1905 children.
During the past year there were received
from all sources 1874 children, of whom
1859 have never been IN the o. pnans ONE
previously and 205 were readmissions One
thousand. three hundred and fifty-three
children were discharged, as follows: 5lS
We're placed in family homes by the associ-
ations, 203 by the St1te agency, $50 were re-
stored to parents by the associations and Z
by the State agency Sc died and 1S2 were
discharged for other causes. This leaves
1,626 in the homes at the end o. the year
gain of Il In the number maintained al
public expense in the rphans' homes
''On Aug. 81, 1896, there were 266 children
in county poor asylIms. On Oct. 81, 1900
there were 40 Twc-.ty-four of these are
under three years of age and therefore
law regarding the retention of children in
such institutions. OF the other o. 16 are
feeble minded and epileptic, are sckly or
crippled and are reported to be able
bodied and bright. Thirty-four counties are
incluoed in this calculation, and in the re-
naming fifty-eignt counties there were NO
children on the date mentioned. One year
ago there were eighty children in the
county poor asylums.
"a computation has been made to ascer-
tain the average age of the children pres
ent in the children's homes on Oct. 81, for
each OF the past four years. In 1897 1t was
SS.042 years. 1898 1t was S.135 years, in 1895
1t was 1884 years and in 1900 it was 7.so.
years. This indicates that the older chill
dren have been placed in families or other
wise disposed of and that the children are
of the age most desirable for successful
placement, though not of an age most cas-
lily placed. According to experience 1t is
much easier to place child under five
years or over ten than between the two
ages.
"a computation based upon the actual
length of residence. by months, of each
of the 1,626 children at present in orphans
homes, on Oct. 81, 1900. reveals the fact
that these children resided in the orphans
homes a total of 80, $50 months or an aver
age of 2064 months each, reduction OF
1886 months per child since 1896. This re-
duction can be accounted Tor only on the
fact, known to those able to survey the
whole field, that there has been much
greater activity in placing children in fam
lily homes: and an examination of the
records Of each orphans home SHOWS that
the associations making the greatest effort
to place children show the lowest average
length of terms in the orphans home, and
those making the least effort to place
children show the longest term of resi-
dence. In some places, however, the great
length OF detention is due to the presence
of non-pla ceable children. who have simply
grown up in the institutions