New-York tribune., 1919-01-12
Women Fear They
Will Have to Ston
Child Study Work
Federation Finds High Cost
of Food and Other Sup.
plies Has Depleted Treas
ury, Mrs. Enrich Reports

The Federation for Child studv
established in July, 1916, for the pur-
pose of helping parents make their
parenthood more intelligent. more EN-
cient and of the highest use to their
children, will be obliged to discontinun
is good work unless tAe public or the
elty comes to its aid.
rms winter the federation is fiph,.
ng nigh cost OF mix and food. and
conditions in general, to carry en- with
is work for the children of the city
n order 10 help publc health clinics
the federation has secured the ser
.ccs OF doctors ana dentists interested
n the work. The organization also
provides luncheons each day for It's
children. and in order that the chji-
dren shall not feel they are objects
OF charity charge Of 5 cents per dav
IS made. The food alone costs 3 cents
per child.
The organization is supported by
private Charity. but the cost Of oper-
~ting the clinics, the classes and the
supply of food and clothing has 30
greatly increased that the federation
Will have to discontinue its work un-
Mrs. Jesse w. Enrich. former vice-
president and now acting president Of
the organization, said yesterday in re-
gard to the future work of the organi-
zation
"We want, of course. to carry on the
work. wish the city would take il
up. New York is backward in the
care of children compared to the work
done in other cities. The federation
has stimulated other organizations ia
conduct similar centres. and seven are
now assured-three conducted hv the
federation and the Society for Ethical
Culture at the Hudson Guild. Madison
House and Toynbee House; the others
conducted by the Educational Dramatic
League at the Y. W. C. A.. BY the
Peoples Institute at Public School No.
40, and by the Emanual Sisterhood
and by the Y. ". H. A.
Even this is only a small beginning.
considering the many children Of tile
city In need Of such care. However.
this little does much good. and should
not be dropped. Only lack of funds
could prevent our continuing with the
federation work"
Started by Group of Women
The federation was started by
group of women headed by Mrs Enrich.
who felt that health work should be
carried on more extensively among
poor children. The federation became
an established organization, with Offices
in the meeting house OF the Society
for Ethical Culture, West Sixty
fourth Street.
1t opened a summer school at the
Hudson Guild for about POO children
They attended the school daily, were
weighed and examined by physicians
of the Academy OF Medicine. who CO.
mated their services. Adenoids and
tonsils were removed where necessary.
teeth looked over and attended to by
dentists. who did the work for love OF
the children, and then the women
supervised torn clothing. personally
sewed on patches where necessary ana
also supplied new clothing where nee
essary.
The classes included informal talks
on fundamentals of health and care OF
the body. Grimy youngsters. whose
wide grins showed teen badly dccayed
were taught the novel use OF "A tooth
brush and were given brush and paste.
Each week the children were weighed
and their loss or gain recorded.
Nutrition clinics were held and the
children given lunchcors calory cor
iSCt, lOiIoWSu ny Il rest OF Itid-Ali ioil
period on the shaded roof of the school.
in lounging chairs provided by the De
partment of Health.
All in Days Fun
Classes in corrective exercises be-
came q part of the days fun. Small
girls whose one shoulder was lower
than the other because of carrying
younger brothers and sisters about.
lr-ar
carpenter shop the boys were initiated
into the Joys of making soap-boN 60
carts for the babies. Also they were.
taught shoe cobbling. The girls learned
to make petticoats and then graduated
to the intrcacies of dress and waist
making.
The success of the summer school
was SO marked, says Mrs. Enrich. that
the Federation decided to carry on the
work during the winter. The health
and nutrition clinics were resumed and
the classes in corrective exercises con-
tinued. Babies who had awkward an
giles cultivated curves, and mothers
smiled when visited by members Of the
Federation.
''Marjory doesn't get kept back in
school any more; she seems TO bc pick
ing up in her studies and gettin'
brighter" one mother reported
Marjory had been equipped with her
share of grey matter but poor teeth
and consequent poor neaith had sapped
her energies. The federation discov-
cred the trouble and supplied the rem
edy.
During the summer of 1918 the sum
mer schooNS were again opened. More
than 1000 children were cared for
daily in the free branches and taught
how to keep well.
Both the summer and winter pro-
gramme of the Federation VIII have TO
be discontinued. however. if the pres
ent shortness of funds goes on