Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-05-31
ORPHAN CHILDREN TO
HAVE FOSTER HOMES
DR.. Denny Advocates Provision
For Dependent Ones
"A HOME FOR EVERY CHILD"
Home life the Highest Product of
Our Civilization

next best thing to the natural home.
President George II. Denny OF Wash
ington and Lee University, chair
man Of the State Boar of Charities
and Corrections, made one of the
most forceful and important ad-
dresses Wednesday morning which
has been delivered at the Child's
Welfare Conference now being held
in Richmond. The speaker was lis
tened to with profound attention
and his words apparently produced
the deepest impression.
The subject of DR.. Denny's ed
dress was "Virginia's Placing Out
Work. The speaker mentioned
the fact that the Legislature author
lied his board to investigate all in
situations in which children we're
taken care Of, whether OF public
)r private character and that the
welfare of the little ones was now
being more carefully looked after
than ever before
In speaking of orphanages DR..
Denny said, 1T is recognized that
orphanages and similar institutions
are necessary for the temporary.
and perhaps in rare cases for the
more or less permanent care of de-
pendent children, but just at this
time in Virginia we need to put the
emphasis strongly upon the duty
Of all classes Of institutions to place
these children in families when
ever, by careful inquiry and actual
experiment. proper families can be
found. Nothing need thereby be
sacrificed, whether of religious
training, denominational loyalty or
social opportunity; and much is to
be gained when care is exercised in
selecting the home.
1T is perhaps better and, in the
long run, more economical, in many
cases, to pay for their board in fam
lily homes than to group them in
larger numbers under the plan OF
institutional care
The carefully selected foster
home is for the normal child the best
substitute for the natural home.
Adequate visitation on the part of
home finding agencies is, OF course,
essential. There has been more or
less criticism of certain phases of
this kind of work in Virginia as
elsew here. At times there has
been an echo Of suspicion of actual
wrong-doing. There are few things
in all the catalogue of crime more
henious than the traffic in children.
and the State Board OF Charities
has the fixed determination that any
complaint of moral delinquency in
this direction shall be dealt with in
such manner as will save the honor
OF this Commonwealth and protect
the interests Of the unfortunate
children.
In conclusion DR.. Denny said.
The most encouraging thing con-
nected with the whole problem is
that we have at last begun to study
it in earnest, to recognize our plain
duty concerning it, to realize that
the child is father of the man, and
the most valuable asset Of the Com
mOnwealth.
Home life is the highest product
OF human civilization. 1t is, under
God, the most potential factor in de-
termining individual destiny. A
child for every home was the creed
OF great Saxon prophet and phil.
osopher. A home for every child is
the creed of our modern humanity.
1t is because | have faith that Vir-
glnia will suffer her children to
come unto her and forbid them not
that | have heart for the great bat
tie, and | summon all good citizens
to unite in this work as q debt due
to our common humanity and as q
solemn obligation due to the Maker
Of US all. "-Richmond Virginiau.
Experiments in France with huoo