The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-11-19
FINDING HOMES
 FOR OUR WAIFS
Former Happy Go Lucky Methods In- vited. Disastersifting Processes
 Used as sa1eguards-TriaI Adop-
 tios,s Now the Rule.

|
 1 tBy James P.ss Heaton. Exclusuive
 Service The Survey Press Bureau.)
 Only thirty-eight homeless children out of the 5000 minor wards of the commonwealth itself were legally adopted in Massachusetts last year. Over 25, 900 youngsters are now in the various institutions, public and pri- vate in New York state. Yet a grear
 organization the official aim of which
 is to find childless homes for home less children and place homeless chil-
 dren in chfld1ess homes, brings
 about this combination in but about
 6ner hun dred cases annually This
 the association rightly considers a big suecessfu1 years work. These
 figures do not of course include all the children for whom new homes are all of these thousuands techn;-
 eally eligible for adoption. but the fact is true that relatively few or
 phans find new parents.
 In the face of this, showing it is surprising to learn that the public and private institutions in many states receive more applications for the adoption of children than there are children to be adopted Why s it then that in so few instances the homeless child and the childiess home are brought together The explaia- ton is a sitting process applied to ap- D ,iea1atss and children alike.
 The investigations begin with the ef1ildas First an extensive search is made to learn whether or not it has relatives of any reasonable degree of nearness who are financially able or morally fit to assume responsibility fa- it's care
 s &sxt its percentage is traced if it is
 ss.fle The projeny of degener- efess. confirm ed #drunkards and gross lv s-1l1aoraI persons are not offered for aoootion Likewise a child who IS defective mentally is not considered. [ 7cssI7sl;tfes of hereditary taints of .s7 k nd are ferreted out even to the faird or fourth generations. In ae-- sgit5on the child's institutional record .sg carefully considered Only then i he ready to Joe shown to his fu- tnre father and mother
 Following this coraes the delicate work Of passing uupons the fitness Of those wishing to become foster pa rents. An agent usually visits the irrespective home to see if it is clean and. sanitary. References are re- quired and neighbors consulted Ser wants even are sometimes questioned to make sure that the mars and his wife do not quarrel for responsible agencies do not wish to give child into the care of wran g1fng parents
 v ed for Johnnie or Jenny to have a new permanent home Other steps still remain to be taken. Proba bly, the request for a child says girl is desired. Often the years record shows that two girls are adopted for every boy. However that may be the applicant usually specifies a child of a particular age, build or complex ion. But in fact, this first prefer ence is often forgotten. Wise SUI perintendents allow for a change of mind They show the applicant children of all kinds and often the man and woman who were determin- ed to have a blonde go away well sat isfied with brunette.
 When, finally, all these details have been settled the waif goes to it's fos- ter pa rents for the year of probation. With the best of intentions on both sides the relation may prove to be un- wise owing to ten perapenta1 differ ences Again fair promises are not always kept especially if nature. plays a trick and presents a childless couple with baby of their own. Oc- casiona1ly a couple find that the | adopted child increases a latent | proneness to wrangling or again the expense is to much being greater than l was anticipated. Usually, however I the probation period proves satisfac- l tory to both sides
 Even though this is the case no | person will suggest that | these precautions are superduous-S It l Is easier to adopt child than to in l adopt one. It may indeed be better | for the chiTd to live in a free home l or' boarded home.'' for then the sta te pr private society interested can in lerfere if undesirable developments .ake place. To consent tC adop ion is always to take a certain risk l important schi1dren's aid societies which have the oversight of a quar- CT of a thousand children som etimes arrange for but two or three adop- ions q year.
 Thirty forty years ago the risks involved in the adoption of children were not so well understood with the esult that fewer safeguards were ta- len. Sometimes the field agent of orne Of the institutions of the lar