Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-29
CH|LDREN'S WELFARE
WORK IS GROWING
Increasing Interest Being Taken
Throughout Every Section Of
VermOnt-TOwn of Windsor
in Particular Taking Energetic
Steps Along This Line

Miss L. Josephine Webster, secretary
of the Vermont Children's Aid society,
with headquarters in this city, announces
that the children's welfare work is grow
ing rapidly in the state and that more
and more interest Ia being taken through
out every section by Vermont. The town
of Windsor, especially, is making great
efforts to take care of the needy chill
dren in that county. and is just beginning
the operation of a new plan for the correc-
ton of defects in school children.
In Windsor. the regular medical inspec-
ton of schools is done by the district
health officer. as early as possible after
the schools open When this inspection is
completed the individual health cards are
turned over to the commercial class of
! the high school and the report cards
are filed out and mailed to the parents.
The members of the commercial class also
make out enough lists of the defective
children to supply all of the physicians
dentists, the district nurse and the school
board.
Each child is given free preliminary ex-
animation by the family physician or dem
fist. AS the pupil is examined and treat
ment begun, the name of the pupil is
crossed off the defective list and reported
to the district nurse. At the end of two
months, all of these defective lists are
turned in to the district nurse, who then
makes a personal call on all parents who
have not sent their children to their
physician or dentist.
Cases requiring trea tment or operation
and not financially able to pay, are cared
for by the Red Cross or the town. In all
cases where it is possible, the cases are
treated by the local physicians OF
dentists.
In all schools. physical exercises are
part of the curriculum and a special
teacher is assigned to this work. Daily
talks on cleanliness and personal hygiene
are given by each teacher in each grade
or school. Suitable banners are paid by
the large and small pupils for which
they compete in the matters of cleanli-
ness physical hygiene and weight The
awards of these banners are made by the
district nurse with the assistance of the
teachers. and the banners are held by
these grades until, in the judgment of the
district nurse. some other grade excels
Measuring and weighing scales have
been placed in the schools and a record
is made each month of the height and
weight of pupils.
| These innovations which are being put
into operation at Windsor are along the
line of the recommendations made at the
recent Washington conference of the
leaders in child welfare work in the
eastern division of the United States
which was attended by Miss Webster
who hopes to put into practice through
out Vermont some of the improvements
recommended. Among these are: More
preventative measures for keeping homes
together and dealing with the causes OF
wrecked homes and needy children; more
demo of child welfare work
enlisting the whole public i'm the work
instead of having it confined to an in
terest group.
movement is on foot in the country
also. toward institutng a chldren's code
which would unity and improve the laws
for children, bringing better relationship
between the public State departments and
private agencies, and incorporation and
I inspection Of private childrens organiZa.
ton by the State. This is already in OPP
GRAFTON in Vermont. Another move is the
development of local units for admins
tration of child welfare work, the coun.
~ unit being the most successful. Then
there are movements on foot for State
wide juvenile courts: registration and
supervision of children of illegitimate
birth, leading to State guardianship of
such children: also medical inspection
and following up work in the public
schools.