Evening journal., 1919-04-02
TELLS OF WORK OF
CHILDREN'S BURE. U
NJ j S Reeder. Director,
Points Out Nece s.ty
Of Clearing House
SAYS DETENTION
HOUSE Is NEEDEL


owing Institutions and ORGANIZATIONS
ient representatives: Associated Char
ties, Delaware Hospital, Babies Hospi-
al, Juvenile Court and Probation Asso-
ciatlon. Ferris Industrial School. Chill
1ren's Home. Italian Neighborhood
House. Society for Prevention OF
Cruelty TO Children and the Juvenile
Court
Miss Grace A Reeder, the director OF
The Children's Bureau, made a report,
In part as follows:
The Children's Bureau Of Delaware
submits herewith the report OF the
work accomplished since November IS,
the date on which the bureau BEGAN
actual case work. Previous 10 this time
the Efforts OF your director were de-
voted to e1ecting the organization OF
the bureau and becoming acquainted
with the different institutions and their
methods OF work. During the past four
and one-half months. 90 cases have been
referred 10 the bureap and been in
Vestigated. These cases involved the
welfare OF t25 children, and were re-
ferred by the following organizations /:
To Associated Charities. 10 cases. IS
children; Babies Hospital 80 cases. 20
children; Children's Home, 20 cases, p
children; Rcd Cross, cases, II chill
dren; italian Neighborhood House. 3
cases, 9 children; tuberculosis Asso-
ciat'on, case, 4 child; Visiting Nurse
Association, case. 1 child: Juvenile
Court, 1 case, child; Girls Industrial
School, case, 1 child; Delaware Hos
pltal I cases, 5 children; Hebrew Char
ity Organization, ? cases, 3 children;
Peoples Settlement, 1 case, children;
Children's Bureau Philadelphia, .
cases, 2 children; Keeper County Aims
house. 1 case. 1 child; Relatives. ease,
1 child: Kent County Nurse. 1 case, 1
child; Child Welfare Chairman, case,
children. Total. 90 cases. i25 chill
iren.
an several instances cases have been
referred by more than one orsaniza-
ton showing the need OF a clearing
house so that there should not be dupll-
cat.on OF effort. This Is illustrated by
a case In which one institution. two
child caring organizations, a visiting
nurse. and two doctors were deallng
with the same family Their only point
OF contact was the Children's Bureau
which finally had the disposition %
the case. The work divides itself under
three main headings:
Il. The INVESTIGATION n the cases
Of children needing institutional
-. The placing and supervision Of
children in foster homes, together
with the visiting OF children returned
70 their homes from institutions.
g. The Investigation OF diflcult
cases referred 10 the bureau because
there is no other organization TO han
Hing them
investigations before admission 10
Institutions have brought TO light many
cases where institutional care was not
needed. and was sought by relatives
as means OF shifting responsibility.
"Five babies have been placed in
foster .homes by the bureau, and mr.
rangements are being made for the
placing OF a sixth one. Twenty-Five ap-
plications have been received for chill
dren, and where the homes have been
approved and the bureau has had no
children the age desired, they have
been referred TO the. Delaware Chil-
dren's Home Society, the Juvenile Court
and the Children's Home. Five appli-
cations from families living down State
are awaiting Investigation. Because OF
the distance and the train service the
Investigation OF these homes will In
UTOUHUlllIN
in the visiting and supervision OF
the older placed-Out children II has
been very plainly demonstrated TO the
bureau the need OF some sort or a
detention house or temporary home In
Wilmington 10 which these children
can be brought when they need special
medical treatment, or when II is neces- /
sary 10 remove them from one home 10
n~Nc hnnrl hW
the bureau 10 secure good boarding
homns In which to care for these tenn
porary cases, but 10 has been extremely
dlflcult to flnd suitable families who
would be willing to care for the chill
dren. even when paid board for them
There Is also another group OF chill
dren needing temporary care while
awaiting admission 10 institutions for
feeble minded or to foster homes. For
these older more difficult cases. insti- /
tutlonal care Is preferable to care in |
a boarding home. Probably the easiest |
way TO arrange for this temporary care |
would be for some institution TO create |
4 department for such cases.
"The most difficult cases that have !
come TO the bureau have been OF three !
main types-cases OF feeble minded /
children needing institutional care,
crippled children, children and young
zirls afflicted with venereal disease. |
0ne child has been sent 10 Elywn. but /
here are still a number OF cases need
ng Institutional care. The bureau ex-
poets TO have a number OF cases TO
present TO the Delaware institution for
feeble minded as soon as II Is COM
pleted. The institution at Elwyn has
refused 10 take a feeble minded girl
OF II, because she has had an illesiti-
mate child, which Is most unfortunate
as Il Is more OF a menace for her 10
be at large in the community tnan
many OF the younger cases. AS there
Is no institution In the State for GRIP
pied children. the bureau has had some
difficulty with cases OF crippled chill
dren In need OF institutional care The
need OF a place for the adequate care
OF venereal disease cases has come 10
the bureau through two recent cases.
"In addition TO the case work done
by the bureau, some progress has been
made in working out uniform record
blanks. An agreement has been drawn
up for the use OF the Babies Hospital
and families taking children from that
institution. This may be used by any
institution by merely substituting its
name In the form. History sheets per-
tanning TO the family and personal rec
ord OF child are In use by the bureau,
and In such form that they may be
readily used In any institution desired.
Physical examination blanks have also
been prepared. and are in use by two {