The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-01-30
CHILORENS'
GUARDIANS
Abstract of the Annual Re-
port Of the New Jersey
State Board.
STEADY INCREASE OF FREE HOMES
President Fox and superin-
tendent Stone Give Their
Experiences.

The fifth annual report of the New
Jersey State Board of Children's Guar
dams has just been issued. The work Of
the year is carefully reviewed both by
President Fox in his report addressed to
the Governor, and by Superintendent
Stone in his report to the Board. The
work has shown steady progress, both
in the number of children cared for and
in the increasing confidence Of the pub
+ lic Especial attention is called to the
great necessity for careful and persistent
supervision of children placed out, and
also to the possible relation of mid-wiyes
tt the question of abandoned and de-
pendent children.
Mr.. Fox says in part:-.sWe are glad
to report a steady increase in the num-
Der of children who are maintained IN
free homes without any expense to the
locality from which they came. The per-
centage is now forty. The Importance
of economy in the care Of the children is
never lost sight Of At the same time
we have Interpreted the law first of all
in the light of the welfare of the child.
The average per capita, cost of main
| tenance during the past year was $60.42
or 81. .16 per week. This includes board,
clothing and medical attendance, and is,
arrived at by dividing the total cost by
the total number of children, both in
boardin gand free homes.
"The very great danger of placing
children in families without constant
oversight and frequent visitation has
been proved by number of occurrences
which have attracted notice lately. here
and elsewhere. We regard this as a
matter of such vital Importance that we
cannot continue to bear the grave re
sponsibility which rests upon us. unless
the State makes adequate provision for
its cost. Last year we spent $741.21
more than our appropriation for which
/ the Legislature failed to reimburse MS.
This year we have again exceeded our.
Appropriation by S9fS.9O. We are,
J therefore out of pocket 1,660.11, for
4 which we trust this Legislature will
make provision We have no apology to
make for this appeal The State cannot
afford to hazard the fortunes of its
wards by any neglect, and we should
have been recreant to our trust if we had
done less than the law requires.
"The successful continuance Of the
work of this Board is due to the generous
support of our treasurer, who has per-
sonally advanced most of the excess
funds required, which the last Legisla-
ture overlooked
Superintendent Stones report is. o
! part, as follows:
Desertion by parents is again this
/ year the principal cause Of commitment
and the percentage Of such cases would
have even been sgreater bit for the sigor-
Gus manner in which all clues to desert
ing parents have been followed up and
even extraditiop measures resortedto.
The number of commitments caused by
the unemployment of parents have de-
eidedly increased
With the natural increase in the NUM-
! ber of children placed Ia families under
i our care, the work of visitation becomes
extremely difficult, involving as it does
more time, labor and expense. But we
wish to emphasize the vital Importance
Of thorough and constapt supervision.
Every child placed out should be visited
at frequent intervals by an agent of the
placing society, and this visitor should be
man or woman equipped, not only with
love for work among children, but also
with a full knowledge Of the conditions
of good placing-out, and mind alert to
see that these conditions are fulfilled
| In making our first Investigations of
cases of children with unmarried mothers,
committed as public charges, I'VE some.
times find that the mother has been ad-
vised TO give up her child. The policy of
/