The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-04-05
SOCIAL WORKERS
FORM CORPORATION
Vermont Men and Women Meet in
Burlington and Organize The Yer
mont chlldren's Aid Society

Burlington and Organize The Yer
mont children's Aid Society
Burlington, April AT the Hotel
Vermont roof garden this afternoon,
social workers from various parts OF
the state assembled and incorporated ,
the Vermont Children's Aid society,
There were twelve incorporators.
This organization, when complete,
win have IS directors, six of whom
will be the officers.
For some years there has been a
growing conviction among those in
contact with actual conditions that
the problem of the dependent and Il
neglected child can be adequately met
only through private society sup
plementing the work OF poor boards,
and the State beard of charities.
Definite work for dependent children |
was greatly advanced two years ago |
by the establishing of the State board |
OF charities and probation. This
board, through its executive officers,
William H. Jeffrey and Lena c. Ross, |
has done an admirable work. But
the fac. remains that more cases OF
kouanhuIlap pun lo9ISau 40 .arIi0dap
have been reported than the board
could possibly handle. This has sug
gested the possibility of supplement-
ing official activities by the resources
and work of private society,
There is, however, another and
more weighty reason for adding one
more welfare organization to those
now at work in Vermont. AT present,
except in the larger centers, very lit
tie organized work is being done In
the homes Such work could be bet
ter carried on by private society
than by an official board, and such
work has the merit of being proven
tive. 1t heads off physical, moral.
and social evils at their source. An
officer or board is rather definitely
restricted by law in his work A pri
yate society can pursue flexible poll
cy adjusting it's efforts to the needs of
the individual case. Such considera-
lions have led many Vermont social
workers to desire a society formed
for the specific purpose of concerning
itself with problems relating to chill.
dren and the home
One OF the most difficult problems
in work for dependent children is
that Of child placing. Eevery normal
child should be in home--not an in
stitution. But the foster-home
should be a good home. All too often
the child adopted or harbored is
worked to the limit So serious is
this danger that several States now
have laws definitely safeguarding and
regulating the work of child placing
Here, again, is found field for the
Children's Aid society. II can inves
tigate homes before placing children
and inspect them at frequent inter
walls to be sure children receive hu
name treatment in fosterhomes.
The form in the new society fol
child welfare work comes as result
Of the survey of cases OF dependency
due to influenza recently made bJ
Miss Sybil II. Pease, executive score
tary OF the Emergency Children's Ait
Committee While Miss Pease founC
that most cases thus caused ha(
been met temporarily, her report EN-
phasized the fact that in many casei
readjustment win soon be attempt
ed. Relatives viii find ii impossible
or inconvenient to keep children taxi
en- longer; foster-parentss will tire o
their burden; the scanty resources 0
volunteer beneyolence will becom
exhausted. There is therefore,
permanent problem, the handling o
which requires a permanent societ
with carefully worked out plan o
relief and remedy. Since State al
preparations and poor board grant
have hitherto been Altogether made
quate. 1t seems necessary to supple
ment these sources by the funds of
private association which will provid
an outlet in an organized way 10
the generous social interest and e
fort of Vermont men and women.
Hence the organization of the Vel
mont children's Aid Society