Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1920-10-29
NO SUBSTITUTES FOR
PARENTS AND HOME
Problems Relating to Child Welfare
Discussed at State Conference
of Social Workers

Miss Nellie Moran, secretary of the
Stevens county Child Welfare Board.
In her report to the Board, gives the
Following review Of the more import
ant papers read during the Social
Work Conference held at the Curtis
Hotel in Minneapolis on October y.
8, and Q:
On Thursday evening, Oct. in
the main ballroom in the Curtis
Hotel at 8 o'clock, Miss May Bart
leme, assistant to the Judge of the
Juvenile Court of Chicago, gave a
most splendid paper on the subject
Probation for Girls" She brought
out the fact that it was lack of par
entail care and happy home life that
caused the downfall of nine out of
ten girls who found their way into
the Juvenile Court. Complete UNDER
standing Of the viewpoint of these
delinquent girls must be had by the
social workers If real help is to be
given. This forms one of the
greatest problems for the worker who
is interested in these girls. Love for
fine clothes or the desire for mother
hood or wifehood, instincts common
to all women are often the underlying
forces which have controlled those
unframed girls and finally placed
them in the delinquent class.
The education Of the child was ably
discussed by Mr.. M. e. Haggerty, of
the State University. He pointed out
that in every community there were
as many gifted children as subnormal
children, but the attention was in
variably given to the latter, and the
talented child was taken as a matter
of course. He strengthened the fact
that equal attention should be given
both classes, and urged educational
tests, especially for subnormal chill
dren.
Capt. w. S. Miller also spoke along
this same line and urged a division
of grades according to the child's
mental ability rather than the
classification now adhered to in our
schools. The exceptional child would
not be retarded, and the less able
child would be placed in the grade
suited for him. Capt. Miller predict
ed that the time was not far dis
tant when intellectual fitness would
be the basis, and the division of
grades made accordingly.
In urging the giving of proper care
to insane patients, DR.. Emerson fav-
ored the sending of such patients to
local hospitals where specially
trained nurses and physicians could
attend to them rather than to SEN
fencing them to institutions for the
insane.
"The insane are merely SICK" said
DR.. Emerson, you would not think
of locking in institutions patients
delirious from typhoid fever or pneu-
monia. Why then do you commit the
mentally sick to such places?" DR..
Emerson suggested the formation Of
mental hygiene society for the
study of mental trouble, and also the
special training in the state medical
college of students and nurses for
this particular field of work. He
stated the early treatment of mental
disorders would prevent much insan-
ity. .- -
round table discussion of the CO.
operation of the Child Welfare Boards
with the Red Cross, United Charities,
County Officials and with educational
forces was held.
Minnesota now has sixty-seven
county welfare boards working under
the supervision of the Children's
Bureau These boards are charged
with the disbursements of mothers
pensions, the commitment of feeble
minded children, the guardianship Of
iillegitimate children and the hand
ling of child adoptions. Delegates at
the conference voiced the opinion
that social workers should hesitate a
long time before separating a child
from his home, however improper
the surroundings, and placing him in
an institution. Home and the father
and mother cannot be substituted
for, so great care should be taken be-
fore the relation is broken. The chill
dren now in institutions or adopted
in private homes in most cases are
not orphans, but are left as charges
because of the desertion of one or
both parents. Fifty-six per cent OF
the children in the state home at
tOwatonna have both parents living.
Only eight per cent are orphans.
Forty per cent of the children have
been deserted by their parents and OF
that number twenty-seven per cent
was deserted by the father and nine
per cent by both parents.