Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-11-05
CHILD SAVING INSTITUTE.
Movement for Adequate Buildings for
Conductinu the Work.
This statement Is made 10 the


sist in meeting the present neces.
stiles of this organization. The home
is without adequate buildings and IA.
cilities to take care of the homeless
and dependant children in positions
of distress, needing shelter and TEN.
porary care.
For several years past the present
buildings have been inadequate to
meet the demands. The old build
ings can only accommodate comfort
ably about 400. The number appeal.
Ing for admission has been so large,
hundreds have been refused adresss
sion who need temporary assistance.
In spite Of the small quarters the In
stitute has sheltered and fed and pro.
vided for 2,371 children the past IL
years. During the past II months
341 homeless and dependant little
ones have been cared for and 40 of
these are on hand today.
Cottages have been rented for two
or three years past in the neighbor-
hood of the Institute in order to ac-
commodate children and nurses and
helpers and on account of having
these additional rooms near by the
Institute could shelter more children.
The average number on hand daily
during the past summer has been from
SO to GO. The old buildings are in
such a dilapidated condition that eX-
tensive repairs are absolutely neces-
sary unless the homo can enter at
once upon the work Of constructing
new buildings.
The Board Of Trustees has been
planning new building for about
four years, but on account OF the Y.
M. c. A. and Y. w. g. A. the AuGi-
toruim, the various hospitals Of the
city and other building enterprises
the matter has been postponed from
time to time until the present. Now
the managers of this Institute feel
that the time has come to launch the
enterprise. They are assured by the
leading business men Of Omaha and
by friends in the country districts
that the Child Saving Institute has
the rightof-way, an open field and
the sympathy and approval Of the
general public in the enterprise to
construct a suitable building for these
dependent little ones.
The Trustees look to the country
district for large amount of help, to
bankers, merchants professional men
and the farmers because this institute
belongs to the whole district for hun
dreds of miles in every direction from
Omaha. A few years ago a message
came from Sidney that the father of
large family had broken In health
and that he was unable to do anything
for his wife and eight children and
that the county had assumed the bur
den Of his case for the rest Of his life,
Almost Immediately following this in
formation came the word that the
poor mother Of the children, who had
been washing to support them and
struggled against poverty, had sud
denly collapsed and died leaving a
baby and seven little brothers and
sisters. This appeal from the citi.
kens was responded to and a repre-
sentative of the Institute sent by the
next train to bring in the eight little
children and provide homes for adop'
ton for all of them.
During the past summer a message
came from Louisville to come for two
little girls, left absolutely homeless
because their mother had died and
the father was an invalid and there
were no relatives or friends to take
care of the children.
Lsss than a month ago three little
children were received from Belgrade
Neb., whose father was dead and
whose mother was sick, with the hope
OF living not more than four to six
weeks longer There were no friends
or relatives to care for the little ones
and they were sent to the Institute.
Telephone messages have often been
received from Blair, Tekamah and
other towns in Nebraska and from
towns across the river in western
Iowa to come at once to receive little
children thrown out homeless and
destitute and such appeals have al.
ways been aswered.
It is the policy of the Institute to
find good Christian homes for chill
dren as soon as possible and 1t is
usually found that two or threa
months time Is required In which tc
carefully investigate homes by per
sonal visits and to make arrange
ments cor placing the children. The
matter Cf final adoption is carefully
looked after and watchful care exer
cised over the little ones until they
grow up.
Another department OF the work
of the Institute is to rescue chill
dren from vile and immoral surround
ings and to prosecute cases In the
courts when necessary to protect
those who need It and in cases where
the parents show themselves abso-
lutely unworthy Of keeping their chill
| dren they are sometimes taken from
them by legal proceedings and placed
in good homes.
IT is also the policy of the Institute
to assist parents to keep their chill
| dren, believing in all cases where this
can be done parents and children
should be kept together. Temporary
assistance is therefore often given in
the care Of little children to help the
mother tide over a hard place until
she can reach position Of self-sup-
port. Efforts are made to re-establish
broken homes and to assist In the
reconciliation of husband and wife by
holding out the encouragement that
they can have their children little
later and that they ought to live for
their children. and the efforts of the
workers have been crowned with sue