Morris tribune., 1918-04-12
CHILD WELFARE BOARD
FOR COUNTY NAMED
Charged With Enforcing Laws Re-
lating to Defective, Dependent and
Neglected Children

The State Board of Control has
appointed as the Stevens County
Child Welfare Board Mrs. w. H. Ma
hattie of Morris, Miss Nellie Moran
of Morris, c.. C. Erstad of Donnelly,
besides County superintendent Ray
S. Roberts and Commissioner D. H.
Lawler, ex-officio.
provisions of the new laws relating
to children which were passed by
the last legislature.
The board will act as local ad-
ministration unit for the county in
the enforcement Of all laws relating
to the protection of defective, de-
linquent, dependent, and neglected
children. It is an official body act
ing throughout the county and in
behalf of the state, for the protection
of children who are in need of the
states care and guardianship.
The board will work in close con-
tact with the probate judge, A. D.
Stenger, who is the judge of the chill
dren's court. 1t will investigate for
the judge applications for county al
1owances (so-called mothers pens
ions) and will visit frequently the
homes where such allowances have
been given in order that the fullest
possible measure of help and assist
ance may be rendered to the mother
and her children. The judge will al
so be assisted in the administration
of the new Juvenile court law. Cases
of delinquency and neglect of chill
dren will be investigated by the well
fare board, and the shaping of an
enlightened policy in dealing with
delinquency SHOULD result from the
mutual labor of the board and the
judge.
The new laws require special con-
sideration for the feeb1e-minded,
whose numbers are constantly in
creasing, and the menace of whose
existence without supervision and
oversight becomes more alarming as
times passes. The states present
facilities are totally inadequate and
yet some temporary policy must be
worked out until the legislature at
the coming session can take action,
which is imperatively needed. The
county welfare board will advise and
assist the State Board of Control in
the establishment of temporary rem
edial measures.
The new laws require that homes
which seek to adopt children must be
visited and approved. In the same
way home that receives child for
permanent care without adoption
must on investigation prove to be a
proper one to receive the child. The
welfare board will assist in making
these Investigations and will recon-
mend the proper action to be taken.
The unmarried mother and the il
legitimate child who are so often in
need of friendly assistance and care
will find the welfare board ready to
help in every possible way.
In general it may be said that the
child welfare board becomes respon-
sible within the county of it's juris-
diction, for the protection of children
and the promotion of their interests
in all the varied ways in which those
interests may appear. The welfare
board serves without compensation
but it may have a paid executive
agent if the approval of the board
of county commissioners is secured.
Oftentimes in other counties coun-
ty nurse or other social worker in
the county has been chosen to do
this work, which results in economy
and prevents duplication of effort