Evening star., 1920-02-01

factories--not for making
sosp or biscuits or woolen shirts. but
FOR making people. These factories
are equipped with the very latost
machinery. run by men and women
who are specialists. They are called
infant welfare centers and their
trademark is, Keep the well child
WE'LL These centers are conducted
under the auspices OF the Child Wei
fare Society, formerly known as the
Washington Diet Kitchen. AS the
latter it had become familiar as a
meeting place for expectant mothers,
nervous young mothers with their
hrst babies and calmer women with
children of four and Ave.
Since 1913. when the frst center of
the association nailed up over It's
door the blue sign. the mothers OF
Washington have had the oportu-
nifty OF obtaining for themselves and
their babies the aid of skilled physi-
clans and registered nurses. This
aid covered prenatal instruction,
lessons in feeding and bathing and
dressing the new baby. assistance
when necessary in securing homes
for the children and part time work
for the mothers, and cooperation
with all national and local agehc'es
interested in the welfare of the child.
X X X
The centers have grown from one
to eight. Two weeks ago came the
gift by Mrs. E. H. G. Slater OF the;
house and grounds at 2100 street
northwest. This building. unrecog-
.nizably remodeled, will in a few
months be the center of all the CEN
ters and possibly the hub of all child
welfare work in the United States
The Child Welfare Society has re-
Gently enlarged the scope Of its super
vision by including the child OF the pre-
school age of from two to six. The
needs of this, heretofore. neglected pc
riod in child growth were made apparent
during the weighing and measuring of
Washngton's children, which was part
of tho splendid achievements of the chill
dren's year. Last April, at the cohclu-
sion OF the year. the children's bureau
chose the Child Welfare Society as the
natural medium through which to carry
on-the work it had started, and all the
registration cards were turned over to
the society to keep track OF the health
of these promoted babies. 1t rests now
with the public to realize that though
Teddy, aged four. and Margaret aged
six. are playing about happily in the
nd mot 10 tt,in rf
chill or fever. adenoids may be de-
velopng or eyes and lungs weakening,
which defects, when the children enter
school. will show themselves in slow
ness TO learn, falling behind the
healthier children at promotion time and
in the easy succumbing to any epidemic.
All this work of the society has been
done in the last seven years despite
lack OF funds and public interest, the
superhuman demands made by the war
and the active opposition of the very
people the society was trying to help
This misunderstanding came most
strongly from some of the passing gem
eiation OF mothers and mothers law.
The cry of baby" said grand
mother. had but one meaning he was
hungry. Feed him then. Ten. fifteen
times day, it mattered not And WHY
always feed him milk, when the rest of
the family was sociaby drinking tea or
coffee or beer?'
" hen there wasn't time to cook oa;-
meal Tor two-yearold Sam, a nicely
ir'eo pork chop, dill pickle and
piece or mince pie were sometimes the
appetizing substitutes Sam didn't
seem to digest his food, somehow. but
then he always was a sickly baby"
And then one day after a series OF
commissions, Tan-eyed, fragile Sammy
left his family forever for some other.
batter place. where his tiny stoms cit
didn't have to work so hard
X = + X
In 1913 other agents for good were
at work. but the nurses were few
aud the babies many. and sometimes
two or three months would elapse
between visits. "Washington's babies
have right to a fair start I'm life
and they are no; getting it," said Miss
May Gwynn. then and now the presi.
dent OF the Child Welfare Society. "1,
the nurse cannot visit the mothers
and babies more often, why not let
them come to the nurse?'
So in tiny shop over in George
town. the then called Washiupton
lHt