The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1913-11-22
WHAT INDIANA Is DOING FOR :: :: ::
:: :: :: THE UNMARRIED MOTHERS
BY E. ETHEL CLARK
Inspector for the BOARD OF STATE CHARITIES

without due regard to the health. COM
Tort, and morality of the inmates. 1t
requires that each patient give at the
time OF admission her own name. the
place of her last residence and the
name of the father of the child to be
porn The admission of pregnant
woman, the birth of the child. and the
discharge of both the woman and the
child must be reported to the Board
of State Charities within twentv-four
hours. Should the child become a pub
lie charge. the county in which the
mother had legal settlement mus as
sumo charge of the child and pay all
}expenses connected with it's return to
the county. The necessary expenses of
the confinement of the mother of an
hiegltimate child and the care of the
lcnid shall, unless paid within four
months after such confinement, be a
tcharge and collectible from the county
in this state in which the mother had
illegal settlement. Should the mother
come from another state and become a
public charge. she and her child can
be returned to her home state at the
expense of the state of Indiana
This law has been in operation since
March 1909. To those who we're fami-
liar with the conditions at the time it
went into effect and have since watch
ed its operation, the results have been
gratifying Only a short time before
the law went into effect, seventeen
private maternity homes in Indianap-
OILS were reported. At the close OF the
nscal year, September 80, 1913, there
was one private licensed maternity
home in the entire state. On that date
ffty-four maternity hospital license.
fnrCa ~
by general hospitals, some of which
have but few maternity patients and
only a very small percent of which
care for unmarried mothers Most O,
the latter class are cared for in four in
situations known as rescue home.
which are conducted by private or
EXAMINATIONS.
| The law has been the means of less
lening the number of so-caled materni
, ty homes and baby farms: has improv
) led the conditions of whose now in ex
istence and has protected the woman
, the child. the county and the state.
has broken up the habit of mother
coming from other states to become
inmates of institutions In ours, an
then leaving their children to be publ
: charges to be supported by our people
, The disreputable lying-in home, whic
, twas used as a black mailing establish
ment, has become thing of the pas,
; There has been notable lessening o
the death rate of babies and a ia
smaller percentage of Infants now be
! come public charges.
~ Besides the maternity hospital Ii
licenses. this same law provides for tn
r annual licensing of all boarding house
flor infants. boarding homes for chill
. dren and child placing agencies
ri As has been stated before, the stat
is endeavoring by means of this la,
a to protect the mother during confine
v 'ment and see that the child has a. RICH
4 istart in life so far as health and moral
a Iare concerned Many of the unnarrie
y imothers need more than careful nurs
s ling and medical care. They nee
:. Temporary care and they need to b
: Encouraged and given an opportunit
s Ito do their duty by their Offspring
J. All this and more is being done in tn
5 state by private organizations. TheI
v are few persons at this present az
e lwho do not agree that the unmarrie
mother should be encouraged to kee
. lher child and the institutions of tn
: Estate which make a business of carin
9 for this class use their influence towar
. this end and make an effort to provio
= la way by which she may do So One
: these homes requires the applicant II
admission to sign statement that
ishe becomes a mother she will kee
= iher child. She lis also required
!, Ipromise to remain in the home at lea.
six months or as long as those
. lcharge consider it advisable. Anoths
/. institution requires the unmarrie