The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-11-23
Work of State Reviewed by
Secretary of Charities /
and Probation Board
IN PRIVATE HOMES
AS FAR AS POSSIBLE
institutions Resorted to Only When
Other Means of Care are Lacking
Review OF Typical Cases-Work Done
for Feeble Minded.

Jeffrey of the board of charities and pro- |
baton has filed his biennial report with |
the governor, and in reviewing the work
of the board in the child care department
SAYS:
This work with children presented TO
the board not only is its greatest oppor,
tunity but also its greatest problem.
The field of work with dependent chill
dren, before the boards establishment,
had been scarcely touched in this state.
To those few institutions that have in
the past been doing this noble work the
state cannot give too much credit. 1t is
for the state now TO extend its help to
those not hitherto reached, located per-
haps away from the larger centers, in the
smaller towns, and back on the hills, Yer.
mont has recognized its obligation TO its
dependent children. That obligation
must now be fulfilled.
a report from the overseers of the
poor. made Jan. l.. 1918, showed that
there were $50 children receiving aid
from the poor departments of the state at
that time. outside of institutions and or
phanages 1t has been necessary TO make
arrangements as rapidly as possible for
taking care of the children living in poor
houses in some other way. as the law
provides that dependent child shall not
be kept in poorhouse for more than 80
days
| Every dependent child committed to
the custody OF the board presents prob
| lem all it's own and must receive special
and individual attention. 1t is the belief
Of the department that ordinarily the
best place for n child is its own homie;
next in order for the child's welfare is
placement i'll another home; and as "A last
resource, resort must be had TO institu-
tional care. Acting upon this principle,
an investigation is first made OF the
family conditions and environment sur
rounding the child to see if it is not pos
sible to so adjust matters that the child
may remain at home under the care of
it's parents More often this Is imprac-
ticable. the home conditions or death OF
parents being the most frequent cause
of the child's commitment TO the board
The law seems to contemplate that
the principal method of caring for chill
dren by the board shall be placement in
private homes An obstacle to the sue
cessful adoption of this plan in many
cases is the expense involved. Will,
the towns financially responsible for thu
care of these children, where other finan
| cial support is not available, have beer
| willing in the main to do their share
war conditions have made the problem
| of living so much more acute for tn
| average family than in normal time
| the adoption of this method of solyinl
II the problem has not been feasible in al
II cases. In some cases il has been followe,
II with marked success, families haviu,
II taken children into their homes, oftel
without receiving any compensation
II therefor
II The board has committed children t
the care of institutions only in thos
cases where other methods of care hav
> been impossible. II has often been neces
sary to temporarily entrust child {
an institution with the ultimate purpos
in view of placing out the child in pr
vate home. In certain cases it has bee
found that children were feeble-mindeC
= and in such cases the board has had
Y petition brought to the probate coul
that the child be committed to the Stat
A School for Feeble Minded Children.
The following is. brief numeric;
I VI lit N0Ih w u
board. While it may not bulk large
!. quantity, it has been the object of II
board not TO attempt more work than
could carefully carry out:
8. Children placed in temporary or pc
manent homes, 81: children sent to Il
State Industrial school al Yergennes. 9:
= homes investigated involving childre
279; children in homes investigate
| \ ol,sId,o.,. a -. a. d.
Charities and Probation, 30 sent To q
State School for Feeble Minded at Bra
don, 3; defective, dependent child cas-
investigated, 80; dependent boys sent
Vail school, ?; poorhouses inspected.
} children placed on probation, 5; childr
! removed from three homes where paren
were infected with vcnereal diseases,
baby farms found and investigated,
orphanage involving GO children inves
gated.
AS result of the eases handled
the department., il has been inevital
that certain conclusions as to the fut,
- policy of the state with reference to {
pendent children should have be
reached"
The report here includes a review
several typical cases; and, continue
y WI JeHltI says
!. "The cases just described are fai
representative of those which da
- occupy the attention of the departing
Even casual reading of them will
mediateiy raise in the minds of
thinking persons an inquiry as to vi
e may be done 20 prevent the recurrence
"a such conditions in the state. OF o
standing Importance in the experience
the board is the problem of feeble. mi
edness, which has played very imI
tant part in large number of cases {
far investigated Vermont will ne
solve the problem of the dependent
t.S neglected child in satisfactory man
mai until II has made adequate provision
Ma suitable legislation and BY providing