The Washington herald., 1909-01-19
Denendent Children

L IS probable that great good VIII re-
suit from the conference called to meet in
this city on January 2s and .. by Presi-
cent Roosevelt. for the purpose Of DIS
cussing the best and most practical means
Of caring for dependent children In re-
cent years there has been q lot Of good
work done IL the way Of caring for de-
Hnquent children Special courts have
been organized and there has been a
marked change in the administration Of
reformatories to the end that children who
had shown a tendency 10 30 wrong in
life might be put in the right path. Tn
.doubtedly this has been work in the right
direction. far-Teaching IN It's effects ard
Of the highest importance. But It has
occurred to several sensible social reform
ers that # IL was a good thing 10 save
delinquent children, IL might also be q
great thing 10 see that those poor chill
dren who had become dependents through
no fault OF their own should also be cared
for and kept good
The idea Of the coming conference
originated with number OF people
who have given much time and study 10
the problem Of improving the methods Of
caring for dependent children; those who
are dependents through no fault Of their
own, but because Of the loss Of their
parents OF through extreme povertv or
Illness :
There Is no doubt that President
Roosevelt entertains very decided views
on the subject Of the care OF dependent
children. He believes that these can be
much better and more fttingIy taken
care OF in private homes than in asyIurns
OF institutional homes, and he has been a
keen enough student OF sociological prob
lens and so earnest a worker IN these
directions that his opinions-outside Of
his high oflce-are entitled to respect In
calling the conference to meet in Wash
ington. President Roosevelt wrote:
Surely nothing ought to interest o,r reops more
than the care Of tbe children who are destitute and
neglected. but not delinquent. Ps7sonaIly I yery
earnestly tsieTe that the best way u ere for de
pendent children IS in the family home. In Massa-
chTsstts many orphan EsylUms have been discon-
tinued. and Thousands o. children Eho formerly
have gone 70 the orphan azlums sre now kept n
private houses either On bUsTd with payment from
public CT private treasures. OF in ado7ted homes
provided b. the generosity Of foste7-parents. Many
religious bodies have within the rast ten years
organized effective ehiidplacing agencies"
There is not likely to be any serious
conflict at the proposed conference in
spite Of the differences Of opinion between
those who believe IN the asylum remedy
for the care Of dependent children. and
those who believe in the home system.
For. after all. the result is practically
the same. and the main thing is that
under either system the children are
cared for. II is, Of course, only BY ex-
perience that We can find out which is
the better plan. and at the coming con
ference the narration OF experiences in
both plans is sure to work for good.
It may be that in some States the home
plan OF caring for dependent children Is
not practicable; It may be shown that
good results have been obtained from the
various asylums and State institutions.
and certainly in this day of the practical
demonstration of the efficiency OF organ
izatiOn IT would seem that the institu-
tional care Of the dependent children
provided always that the institution IS
high-olass and is well g6yerned-shouIa