The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-03-29
This Is the Case NotWith-
standing the Fact That the
Laws of Indiana Are Re-
garded as Good Ones.
RECORD IS KEPT OF
ALL PUBLIC WARDS
During the Past Year There
Were Over Six Hundred and
Fifty Children Placed in
Homes.


President Roosevelt. in the interest of
dependent children, formulated a num-
Der of conclusions as the result of its
deliberations. Some of these were to
the effect that home life is the high
est and finest product of civilization;
that children should not be deprived
of it except for urgent and compelling
reasons; that those who for sufficient
reasons must be removed from their
own homes. or who have no homes,
should be cared for in families when
ever practicable; that the carefully
selected foster home is for the normal
child the best substitute for the nat
ural home.
Indiana's laws and methods receiv-
ed much favorable comment at that
meeting, and it will therefore be inter-
esting to know exactly what is being
done here in the direction Of the con-
illusions just mentioned.
Records on File.
So far as dependent children have
been made public wards in Indiana.
very full records concerning them are
on file in the office of the board of
state charities. There are forty-one
institutions in the state receiving
these minor public wards. In addition
a few 81 the boards of children's guar
dams board their wards in private
homes. Altogether there were 1,743
children in the care Of these various
institutions and associations on De-
cember 81, 1908. The average number
is about LOO.
During the year 1908 total of $50
dependent children were placed in fos-
ter homes by these various associa-
lions and 200 by the state agents.
Among the associations the Indiana
Children's Home society. which has
it's headquarters in Indianapolis. made
the highest record for placing. It
found family homes for 1O2 children.
The next highest number was placed
by the Vigo County Board Of Child
ren's Guardians. -: the next by the
Marion County Board of Children's
Guardians. 81; the next by the India
napolis Orphans Asylum. A. The Ger
man Baptist Orphans Home at Mexi-
CO. Miami county, placed IS and the
| Vanderburgh County board OF Child
ren's Guardians, at Evansville, 81.
These six organizations placed q total
Of 327 children. or within two of ex-
actly half the number placed by the
entire number Of organizations. 81, at
work in the state during the year. not
counting the state agency.
Worthy Institutions.
Some other associations, while not
making SO many placements, deserve
mention for good work done. Among
these are Bartholomew County Or
phans' Home, which placed II chill
dren during the year: the Blackford
County Board of Children's Guardians,
which placed IL; the Cass County Or
phans' Home, IS; the Delaware Coun-
ty Home, IS; the Knox County Home,
IT; the Madison County Home. Is.
and the Tippecanoe County Home, IA.
On the other hand. there are q num-
Der Of institutions for children In the
state which make little effort to fir,i
family homes for their wards. Notable
among these may be mentioned the
Julia E. Work Training School at Ply
mouth. which has population Of 2:8
children and placed only two in homes
during the year; Whites Institute at
Wabash, which has ia children and
placed but eight during the year; the
Home for Friendless Colored Children
in Indianapolis, which has 81 children
and placed three: the German Protes-
tant Home in Indianapolis. which has
AZ children and placed three: the Al
len County Home. which has so chill
dren and placed Is; the Clark County
Home. which has 50 children and plac-
ed one and the Daviess County Home,
which has % children and did not
place any. There were fourteen or
phans' homes in the state which last