The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-08-02
ILLINOIS PENSIONS NEEDY
MOTHERS So THEY CAN
SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN
Especial Aim is to Prevent Pitt
full Separation Between
Parent and Child
THE PLAN is SUCCESSFUL
Juvenile Judge WhS Wrote Law
is Well Pleased With Re
suits Obtained
THE PLAN is SUCCESSFUL

CHICAGO, Aug. 2S.-Why not pay
dren at home. instead of spending
millions on public institutions to care
for those same children when they
have become criminals and depen-
dents? That is the question which II.
Enois answered by the passage OF the
funds to parents act.
The epoch marking law has been
in operation for one year. with such
good results that ii seems likely to
be copied all over the United states.
Judge Merritt w. Pinckney. judge
OF the juvenile court OF Chicago. who
wrote the law, is charged with its
administration In Cook county
There are no boys and girls chat
tering through the Pinckney home.
y et the big father heart OF this chill
dren's Judge goes out TO the thou
sands OF sons and daughters whom
circumstances would tear from their
youth belongs TO Judge Pinckneys
family.
The purpose of the funds TO par
ents act Is TO pension the widow and
the deserted wife who cannot earn
enough to provide for her children;
TO maintain the sacredness of the
home and to spare the pltiful separ-
alton OF mother and her child.
No state funds are provided by the
law. 1t simply provides for financial
assistance 10 be paid by the county
board out of the county funds upon
the order OF the juvenile court
Since the law became effective, on
an average OF 10 children a month in
Cook county, H., which includes Chi
cago, have been kept uWler the care
Of their own mothers, and in the en-
vironment OF their own homes in
stead of being sent TO public in
stitution.
Though new and still imperfect,
both in its wording and it's working,
the funds TO parents act is a sue
cess, says Judge Pinckney
During my four years work on
the juvenile court of Chicago, | have
seen approximately $4,000 dependent
and delinquent boys and girls come
and CO. two-fifths Of whom were de-
pendent You can no more eliminate
the dependency and delinquency or
children by placing them on proba-
ton and by institutional care than
you can cure crime by Imprisonment
and death.
The especial object of the law is
to keep the family circle intact where
mother has been left without suf.
ficient means to do so herself. How
ever, there is nothing in the act
which denies relief to families where
both parents are living Yet under
our policy the existence OF a husband
and father is sufficient to refuse re-
lief unless the husband has been In
capacitated for work by accident or
chronic ailments. or unless husband
has deserted his wife and children so
long as 10 warrant the conclusion that
he has permanently abandoned them.
The payments are based on the
number OF children and the mothers
degree of poverty.
The average relief granted under
the present pClicy is $6.33 a month
per child ! believe il To be too low.
But this is a difficult thing to stand
'ardize as the circumstances. needs,
conditions and resources OF each
family are different.
The law seems TO fulfill its noble
purpose--to preserve the family circle
and allow the child to grow up in its
natural environment
The home is the place for the
child TO grow up The state will be
saving money to pay the mother 10
keep il there.