The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-05-23
CARE NEW YORK FoUNDLINes.
Factors Determining the Religion OF
the Waits.

The foundlings in our city are cared
for in a most systematic way. and
as result large percentage OF these
little waits grow up to be, useful clti-
zens. says the New York Herald. Any
child found in this city is taken at
once to Bellevue Hospital and placed
in the children's ward. Every morning
a representative OF the State CHARITIES
Aid Association aud the Guild or tne
Infant Saviour call at the hospital for
the foundlings. The first association
is Protestant and the latter Roman
Catholic. There are usually about
four foundlings week. The system IN
both cases is the same-each child is
carried away in the superintendent's
arms the morning after it is found
so that no founding remains in Bei:c-
we as long as twenty+four hours.
1t is first baptized in the hospital
ward either by the Protestant clergy
man at the hospital or by. a Roman
Catholic priest whose parish includes
Bellevue, so that half Of the little
ones whhch are found are made Prot,
estants and half Catholics, no matter
what their race or color, unless there
is some indication of an expressed
preference by some one who had
right to decide. The foundling when
it is taken from the hospital goes at
xrrln ret
her own child For this she is PAID
from $40 to So a month until the
child is old enough to be weaned. Then
it is taken into another home, wnere
it is fed by another mother until II
is ready for adoption.
The great majority of foster moth
ers are Italians. One reason for Thu
is the high mortality among theis
own infants at birth, brought abon
by a prejudice which exists among
the ignorant OF this nationality
against the presence of a doctor a.
such times. There is a health alo
physical vigor and warmth of ma
ture in the italian mother that makes
her most desirable foster parent
The founding becomes one OF nes
family and it's place is assured De
cause it contributes in a substantial
way TO the family's support.
The superintendent who has placed
the child in its temporary home Wis.
it's it every week, sometimes ofteners
and if the child is i'll a, physician from
the institution which has it in charge
is sent for. When the infant is old
enough to leave there is usually pa
thetic scene in the Italian home. me
foster mother has learned to love the
little bambino for whom she has cared.
love the strength of which she does
not appreciate until the parting. ltai
ian mothers with half a dozen chill
dren of their own, and depending
sometimes on the wages of a day Ia
borer for support, plead fervently ia
be permitted to keep the child as their
own, but the plea must be refused,
and the system moves on. These first
homes of the foundlings are far up
town or in the suburbs, where there
are free air and green grass. In the
second home the foundlings are no
longer nursed, but are fed as behts
children of their age, and those who
care for Them receive the same pay
from the city as the foster mothers.
/ $3.50 a week
Those whose work 1t is to find
homes for children have learned that
there are more cnildless homes IN
America than there are children to be
adopted. Not one of these found
ings in good health has reached tn =
age Of two years before it has been
placed in permanent home. 1t cam
not be legally adopted till year later.
when the foster parents have had tins
to realize the magnitude of their re-
! sponsibility. The character of these
families and their circumstances are
investigated before they are allowed to
adopt child.