The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-28

often with success. In this connection | it may be interesting to know that our efforts to induce the mothers of fnegi- innate children to assume care of their l offspring are meeting with very grati- | flying results. In the old days 1t was the prevailing practice in many relief agencies to accept these helpless in- fants from the hands of the mother | in whom contact with her child had not endured long enough to develop the maternal instinct. This was the easiest disposition of such eases, but l the poorest for both mother and child.
 The mother needs the constant care I of her infant to develop in her the best that womankind contains, and the ichild is entitled to the love and care that only the mother can give. Many a woman is saved from life of intol- erab1e misery and degradation by this enforced responsibility for her childs welfare.
 POLICE CASES.
 Neglected children are those commit 1 ted by police, district or municipal court or trial justice upon complaint of any person that any child under sixteen years of age within it's or his jurisdiction by reason of orphanage or of neglect crime. cruelty, insanity. idrunkenness or other vice of it's par ents is growing up without education or without salutary control pr with out proper physical care or in circurn-
 
 and absolute life, or is dependent up- on public charity.
 | Delinquent children are those boys and girls between the ages of and IT years who violate any city ordfn-. Iance or by law or commit any offence not punishable by. death or imprison- ment for life. A wayward child is boy or girl between and IT years who habitually associates with vicious or immoral persons, or who is growing  her to lead an immoral. vicious or criminal life.
 All such delinquent children or ju- veniie offenders under the law must be tried separate and apart from the trial of criminal cases, and notice is given to the State Board of Charity, whose agent attends the court to as- sist in the disposition of the child if found guilty of the offence charged If found guilty the record shall not stand against the child except in sub sequent criminal proceedings or sub- sequent cases of delinquency or way Wardness against the same child.
 CORPS or INVESTIGATORS.
 During the last year we have had 1142 applications to receive children There is a corps of Investigators, con sistfng of five women, whose duty it is to investigate such applications and upon whose Investigations the final decision of the state depends. Of the entire number of applications we found upon Investigation that SS applicants for relief merited no aid whatever They made application merely because they thought they could get aid, not because they needed it. Tn IA cases relatives were found and persuaded to assume responsibility of children; 2o3 were found not to be state charges but properly chargeabIe to cities and towns, who assumed charge of them:
  agencies. Only 184 cases were actual ly received by the State Board of Charity.
 Once in the care Of the State Board of Charity children, no matter from what source received. are treated pre- cisely alike. NO distinction is made between dependent, neglected or de- HnQuent children. On December 31 1913, the end Of the fiscal year, the State Board Of Charity had under it's care 54s4 children, distributes as fo1- lows:-S1O4 were neglected; IA were delinquent and 1946 were dependent. The number show a steady increase of about 6 per cent.
 SO@6 PHYSICALLY IMPERFsHCyr
 Eighty per cent. of the children re- ceived into our care have some physf- cal defect, requiring treatment. Usual tonsiIs, defective teeth or sight Some children. of course. come to us with fearful diseases. These are sent to the State Infirmary at Tewksbury But the children received, eighty Der cent require some treatment This treatment may continue for month or years When children are placed in temporary homes, each one is assigned to a visitor. and it's subsequent care is the responsibility of that visitor It Is her duty to see that it receives prop Ter treatment, either at the Eye and Ear Inf1rmary. one Of thes hospitals or the dentist s, and that when the child is placed in a permanent home it is placed in such a home in good con dition. us are extremely backward even about the ordinary things that children Of their age are supposed to know. When children come to us in this condition we get all the facts possible about their antecedents and if, after a fair trial we find that they are ment ally def- cient, they are removed from the nor maI children. They are segregated and sent to special homes in different parts of the state, each home con taining between six and twelve such children. Of course, many children who appear backward are not feeble minded They simply have not devel-s .oped as rapidly as others. Under nor may conditions they are apt to respond to teaching and treatment and become healthy and even bright children
 ! The placing of so many children in private homes requires constant effort We have to make very careful investi- gation to ascertain the character of the family, their standing in the con-N smunity, their normal standards whether they are fond of children, or whether they are simply trying to help out their income. We must decide whether they will be patiente and resourceful Every factor counts
 SELECTION OF HOMES.
 An important factor in the selection of homes is the financial one We do not consider it advisable to place a child in a home where the first con- ceived for the board Of a child. The amount we pay for board is not high enough to induce many people to ac-