Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-05-19
.N J !
c! ! !! |! | ARE
Children's Year Campaign
Conducted Here by the
WOman's Commit
tee.
MRS. GROVES LEADER
Plans Laid for Continuation
Of Work During
Summer.
MRS. GROVES LEADER


be continued until July 1. Many states
plan to extend their activities beyond
that date, and in many places perma-
nent organizations for. child welfare are
sprouting out of the children's year
committees. The following endorse
ment was sent to the chairman of the
children's year committee of Washing
ton, d. c., by the commissioners of the
District OF Columbia:
"The different phases of the work
done by your committee, such as the
weighing and measuring of several
thousands of our young children, and
the investigation made for the purpose
of learning the number of children, out
of school who ought to be in school,
have demonstrated the need for and
the Importance of such work in our
city.
1--WE believe also that these efforts
to reveal the conditions under which
Washington children are growing up
are too valuable to be discontinued at
the end of children's year. Therefore,
we ask that this work he continued
through the creation Of permanent
central committee on child welfare for
the District of Columbia.
| 1--WE believe it to be desirable that
such committee should act rs clear.
ing house for child caring agencies, and
coordinate all work done in behalf OF
children, seeking to better the condi-
tons surrounding child life in the Dis
trict of Columbia"
Follow-up Work Planned.
Most of the work planned for the
weeks between now, and the first q
July is to follow up" the three chief
activities Of the year--tlle weighing and
measuring test, the recreation drive and
the back-tO-schoOl drive. The local
chairmen are. endeayoring to use this
time to advantage in placing on a per
manentl footing some Of the child wei
fare activities started during childrenss
year. aa
Reports received from state chairmen
indicate that considerable amount OF
follow work has already been done
The weighing and measuring test EN-
phasized the need for preventive meas
ures. Child welfare chairmen have re-
ported the employment OF new public
health nurses in twenty-four states
From ten of these states total of 137
nurses has been reported. One hun
ldred and thirty-four children's health
centers to which mothers may 60 for
lexpert advice concerning the best means
Of caring for their children have been
established in communities in fifteen
states; health centers have been re-
ported for nine additional states, but
the number has not been given. 4,
More Weighing and Measuring.
Many communities are just starting
on the weighing and measuring test.
Others, which undertook this work last
spring, are holding a second test as q
means of reaching the babies who were
not included at that time and Of NOT
ling the improvement made by the chill
dren who were tested.
| Play Plans.
Swimming pools, Fairgrounds and
Inew leisure time clubs and Organiza-
jtions have become part of the play life
| Of boys and girls in many communities
las a result Of the recreation drive.
From sixteen states the establishment
| of new Fairgrounds has been reported.
Special recreational activities are con-
templated in many communities for the
spring and summer. The children's year
committee in Michigan town where
200 children were brought into court
last year for delinquency asked the
Judge what was to be done about it.
He advocated
1.-Supervised Fairgrounds.
1.-THE organization Of Boy Scout
troop.
3.-ProvisiOn of instruction concern
ing the world in which children live,
through nature study, etc. s.
The Boy Scout troop has already been
organized and Fairgrounds are to be
opened this summer, the school author
tiles furnishing the land and organiza-
ton and the child welfare committee of
the woman's club providing the funds.
The Parent Teachers association of
Colorado has suggested that cOmmuni-
ties provide for vacation leader to SUI
pervise the summer activities Of chill
dren and young people. Such a leader,
1t is suggested, would. among other
things, direct home and school garden
work during the summer, supervise
playground activities during certain af-
ternoOn hours; conduct picnics and out.