The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1920-07-02
THE RIGHT KIND OF INSTITU-
TON

endure, because they are founded on
| eternal principles and governed by
wise policies. The orphans home or
asylum, in the old sense, is bound to
change its ways if it desires to do
good rather than merely make sacred
its worn-out traditional policies. The
old orphan asylum is capable of do
ing a great deal of harm in the guise
| of good works.
The institution that would get mold
| of helpless children and wilfully con-
| fine them in an orphanage apart from
normal, free life, for a period of ten
years or more, is putting curse upon
the youngster instead of helping him.
| 1t is conviting and sentencing him
| without fair trial. 1t is enslaving the
most helpless of our population. When
man is put in prison, it is for some
crime he has committed. He is sup
posed to be paying the penalty, or So
| clety is combining him to protect itself
from him. But an orphan child sem
| fenced for ten or twelve years to the
confines of an institution is punished
\ without due process of law. 1t is gen.
orally kept there when the outside is
| most needed to develop initiative, per-
sonality, self-confidence. 1t is kept
there when the affections should be
taking root for life, but the institu-
ton with large numbers of children
| huddled together therein can not do
better than starve the affections.
Children reared in an orphanage lose
the meaning of home, of mother. of
the deepest feelings of love. Thinking
people are now readily conceding that
every child should have a genuine
home.
But perhaps we have not reached,
and never will reach, the time when
certain kinds of institutions will be
unnecessary. Take, for example, the
Atlanta Home for the Friendess. 1t
seems too bad that that in consider
ing an institution that is so valuable
| we should have to call it by a maine
so urk'nd and unchafitable. But the
name IS all we can say against it. This
is the right kind of institution. 1t does
not propose to keep any child therein
tor longer period than a year, and
tries to make the period much shorter.
1t is tor emergency needs and not for
/ any other purpose. When a mother
with three children has to go to the
hospital for an operation and cannot
provide anybody at home to take care
OF the little ones, she finds the Home
| on Highland Avenue one of her best
friends. The children are there but
a few weeks or months, and thew do
not become victims of institutional,
ism. A father is suddenly left with a
number of motherless children on his
hands. In his grief he can not work
out a way to provide for his children
at home while he goes out to labor
tor their daily bread. He NAV secure
a relative from distant community to
come and make a home for his Chi.
dren, but it takes time to get this new
plan going In the meantime the
Home for the Observation-Disclosures
home out on Highland Avenue will
fake the children to board for the
amount he can spare from his wages
iney are not offering to board them
tor year, or five years, but for a
iilontn' or several monts if necessary
ne Home for the Friendless (par-
don the name) keeps its population
moving. Any child therein which is
found to be dependent indefinitely. is
turned over to the Georgia Children's
nome Society to be placed in a select,
ca private home This institution does
NOT attempt to place child in a pri-
vate home, for it is not equipped to
40 TINS III a modern way. 1t realizes
there is something more required than
giving away Children They could
40 TINS, but they are not satisfied
with 1t. They take care of Fulton
countys children therein till they can
each be located in the right home
ne Home Society Agents are out
looking tor the right homes, thorough
ly inspecting them and taking all the
risks after the child leaves the insti-
tuition. The Children's Home Society
has the full confidence of the Home
OF the .trlendless management, and
the institution is not worried about
the welfare of the child after the plac-
ing Society takes charge of it. The
latter visits the child from time to
time IN the private home, but it is
not expected to report to the Home
OF the Fr1endless concerning its well
fare unless in some special case
where inquiries are made due to I'M
usual interest in particular child.
Some OF the Orphans Homes in
georgia are a little inclined to fol-
low policies somewhat similar to
nose OF the modern Home of the
Frlendless in Atlanta They realize
that 1T is BAD for a child to live
IN, an institution for number of wears
They will not agree to take a child
TOR long indefinite period and keen
1t in the institution all the time Bnt
other Orphans Homes are TAKING
more pride in their rules adopted fortv
years ago than in meeting the needs |
OF the present day. Those who made
these rules, established these customs
which have become sacred traditions
are gone from this earth, and their
successors do them the honor of fol- !
lowing to the letter the rules adopted
long ago rather than adopt new ones
to meet modern conditions and re-
quirements.
II these worn out policies did not
1rlng a curse upon the children in
the guise of Sweet charity" it would
not make so much difference that the
public money is spent foolishly. for il
is nearly all given voluntarily with
eyes open Yes, it would make a dif-
ference, too, for this money in MANY