The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-01-30
Superintendent Cullen Of the
S. P. G. G. Tells Of the
Large Accomplishment Of
the Year
| 700 FAMILIES INVOLVED
THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN
WITH WHOM THE SOCIETY
DEALT REACHED 2s71 sys-
TEArATIzING THE WORK.
Special to aThe Jersey city News.'o

TRENTON, Jan. 30, 1906.-At the
regular monthly meeting of the Catholic
Childrens Aid Association, Superinten-
dent Cullen read detailed and analyti-
cal report Of the work of the society since
it was organized in August, 1903. Con-
sidering the difficulties that beset the in
itial work of a ehildren's aid and S. 2.
G. G. society the report has shown most
encouraging results. 1t is not the proy-
ince of this article. says the Juvenile
Record, to 60 into the details Of the work
done, further than show that manly
and humane effort has been made by this
society to rescue many of the waits and
strays of the community from degraded
and unwholesome surroundings. It is
only those engaged in such work as this
who can adequately appreciate the eff
forts made to save the great numbers of
children in some of our large cities who
are struggling to manhood and woman
hood, but too often with an indelible
mental strain produced by drunken and
vicious habits of their parents. of which
they have been lifelong witnesses.
The reDort shows that 700 families
have been treated for neglect cruelty and
immortality; involving 2,371 children un-
der the age of 10 years; of this number
it was shown that s26 children suffered
because of drunkenness of parent or par
ents; $50 because of desertion of parent
or parents; 166 because of sickness and
disease of parent or parents; 1S5 because
of Imprisonment of parent or parents;
| 100 because of open immortality of parent
or parents, and 514 because of the death
of parent or parents.
| The method of dealing with such fam
| lilies as detailed in the report reflects con-
| siderable knowledge of the law of social
economics on the society. Great care and
caution were exercised in interfering with
the normal relationship which is suppos-
| ed TO exist between husband and wife
| or parent and child, and children were re-
moved from parental control only when
| it was proved conclusively in court that
such parents were actually cruel grossly
| careless, vicious or otherwise immoral,
and when the child was likely to be a
menace to society as a consequence.
| Where there was hope the children were
left with the parents and supervised.
Children placed in institutions by the
| in foster family environment, owing to
mental and physical defects, numbered
one hundred and ffty-six. the average
| age being seven years; and the number
of normal healthy children transferred
| to clean and moral foster homes was two
! hundred and seventy-seven. the average
age being eight and a half years. The
society has now trained visiting agent
| on the staff whose duty it is to visit
quarterly every child placed in foster
home, and make separate report on
| each under the following heads:
Name age, date of visit, location Of
home date of placement, condition of
home, the general condition of child,
physically. mentally and morally. Ma
- <,l 1Nx~ oh iirir 1-
duties and school record. Interviews
with pastor. school teacher and with fos-
| ter parents. General remarks as to sur
roundings and child's companions. etc.
| To systematic and make this placing
out system unit, for the care of all
Catholic children placed in foster homes,
the Rt Rev Bisho~ John J. O'Connor
that in future all the children transferred
/ to free foster homes must be done
! through this society that regular super
vision may be ensured.
| 1t is the intention of the society to de-
velop largely the placing OUT system when
| the child is normal, that is, susceptible to
| such treatment, as most children are
| rTOIl dcludIi experience the SucieIy mas
proven the fact that the family is the
natural place for the child and its object
will be to develop and encourage a love
! for that home life's which is the boast
| of Americans.
Some remarkable facts were brought
out in the report illustrating the force and
influence which environment has exercis-
Ting in moulding some of the children,
which have been placed out, in spite of
heredity.
In dealing with cases of illasiEmat
children reTe-c-sS- = iss4 i1iadequacy of
proper state superyision~for the care Of
1 such children was deplored BY the So
/ ciety.
1t was suggested by the superintendent
that some protective measure should be
framed by the Legislature TO suppress in
| discriminate baby-training by controlling
/ persons who undertake TO rear children
apart from their mothers. Under some
such measure a foster mother would be
/ required to register the reception Of a