The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-02-15
President Roosevelt Declares
Home Surroundings Neces-
sary to Welfare Of Unfortu-
mates.

Il
of dependent children:
THE census bureau reported I'm
1904 that there were in orphanages
and children's homes about $4,000
dependent children. There are prob
ably $4,000 more (the precise num-
Der never having been ascertained)
in private homes, either on board or
In adopted homes provided by the gen
erosity of foster parents. In addition
to these there were 25,NO0 children
In institutions for juvenile delin-
Iquents.
Each of these children represents
leither a potential addition to the pro-
ductive capacity and the enlightened
citizenship of the nation, or. IL al
lowed to suffer from neglect. a po-
tential addition to the destructive
forces of the community. The ranks
of criminals and other enemies of
society are recruited in an altogether
undue proportion from children bereft
of their natural homes and left with
out sufficient care.
THE interest of the nation are in
volyed in the welfare of this army of
children no less than in our great
material affairs.
''The keynote of the conference
was expressed in these words:
Home life is the highest and fin
lest product of civilization. Children
should not be deprived of it except
for urgent and compelling reasons
surely poverty alone should not
disrupt the home. Parents of good
character suffering from temporary
misfortune, and above all deserving
mothers fairly well able to work but
deprived of the support of the normal
breadwinner. should be given such aid
as may be necessary to enable them
to maintain suitable homes for the
lrearing of their children. The willow
ed or deserted mother, If a good We
man, willing to work and to do her
best. should ordinarily be helped in
such fashion as will enable h.r tc
bring up her children herself In their
natural home. Children from unfit
homes, and children who have no
homes, who must be cared for by
charitable agencies, should, so IA. asI
practicable. be cared for in families.
81 transmit herewith for your in
formation a copy of the conclusions
reached by the conference, Of which
the following is brief summary:
81. Home care.-Children of
worthy parents or deserving mothers
should, as a rule, be kept with their
parents at home.
"'2. Preventive work.-The eff |
fort should be made to eradicate
causes of dependency. such as disease
and accident, and to substitute com
pensatlon and insurance for relief.
"'3 Home finding. = Homeless
and neglected children, II normal,
should be cared for in families, when
practicable.
90. Cottage system.-Institution
should be on the cottage plan with
small units. as far as possible.
ass. Incorporation. - Agencies
caring for dependent children should
be Incorporated, on approval of
suitable state board.
go. State inspection.-The state
should inspect the work of all agen-
cies which care for dependent chill
dren.
"'7. Inspection of educational
.-Educationa work of institu-
tons and agencies caring for depend
ent children should be supervised by
state educational authorities.
ut is not only discreditable to us
as people that there is now no rec
ognized and authoritative source Of
Information upon these subjects re-
Hating to child life but in the absence
of such information as should be sup
piled by the federal government many
abuses have gone unchecked: for pub
| lie sentiment. with its great correc-
tive power, can only be aroused by
full knowledge of the facts. In addi-
ton to such information as the CEN
sus bureau and other existing agen-
cies of the federal government al
ready provide, there remains much to
be ascertained through lines of re-
search not now authorized by law;
and there should be correlation and
dissemination of the knowledge OBJ
tanned without any duplication of eff
fort or interference with what is al
ready being done. There are few
things more vital to the welfare OF
the nation than accurate and depend
able knowledge of the best methods
of dealing with children. especially
with thee who are in one way or an
other ha tcapped by misfortune; and
In the absence of such knowledge
each community is left 10 work cut
It's own problem without being able
10 learn of and profit BY the success