Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-10-18
Strict Reuiews
Iowa Effort For
Iowa Children
Ey Associated Press.

Des Moines, Oct. 1S.--Iowa at this
time has three state institutions con-
Quoted for the care of it's orphaned,
neglected, dependent and delinquent
children-the soldiers orphans home
at Davenport, the training school for
girls at Mitchellville, and the train
ing school for boys at Eldora. all
under the supervision Of the board
of control of state institutions. said
]. IL. Strict. OF the board Of control,
before this afternoons session Of
the state convention of social work.
ers being held here.
Working in connection with the
three first named institutions" said
Mr.. Strict I'VE now have seven state
agentS-iive women and two men.
The state agent system was inaugu-
| rated In 1904, at which time one
such agent took care Of all such work
for the three institutions. Approx
| mately 1000 children have been
placed In homes since the beginning
of the state agent system. OF these,
1900 were from the soldiers or
phans' home. One thousand seven
hundred from the training school for
| boys. and 500 from the training
school for girls. All were placed in
good homes. large number on farms.
From the two training schools there
were paroled into homes In q two
year period, .635 children--4s3 OF
whom had been in the schools less
than three years, and 142 for longer
than three years. The remaining pop
| ttla In no fu,0 tniy, Ia
at the close Of this period totaIled
57l. The average stay OF the children
at the soldiers orphans home Is less
than three years. Children are kept
in the state institutions only suf-
ficient time for proper training and
placement in suitable homes. Our
placement contracts provide that the
children are to be trained, loved and
educated and fitted for the ordinary
/ requirements OF life.
/ I'VE have also the school and homo
for feeble minded children at Glen
wood, and the children's department
OF the state colony for epileptics at
Woodward.
ANY child committed to state
correctional institution should be
permitted to remain there a suffi-
Gent length Of time to be reason
ably certain of elimination and cor
rection OF old habits formed pre-
vious to commitment. Generally such
cases are the result Of environment,
but not all can be cured Of vicious
habits. Parents are constantly plead
! Ing for the return home Of the chill
dren. Many Of the homes we find are
unfit places to send child and such
| requests are denied. Some parents
seek the return home Of children
because the children are capable OF
| earning few dollars. It is the dol
lars they crave more than the COM
pany OF the children. These requests
also are denied. After child is once
placed in charge of the state. the
state is Interested then only in the
welfare of the child. and whatever
can be accomplished for its best in
| terests is done. ~
"On the first day Of this month the
board Of control opened new home
for state care Of boys and girls, the
Juvenile Home at Toledo, Iowa, at
present equipped to care for $50
inmates. This institution will pro-
vide a home for dependent, neglected
i VI NSotAtuSc LAc dSS
of fifteen years that should not be
| committed to the training schools at
! Mitchellville and Eldora-and a home
free from the stigma that now seems
| to attach. to children committed to
| both the trair,ing schools"
/ Mr.. Strict said that the majority of
! children who are state wards are
such because of divorces, death Of
/ one or both parents, or inability or
unfitness of parents to care for them.
He stated that the total number of
child dependents is constantly in
creasing, as is the number of juve-
nile delinQuents.
| The Iowa laws governing the board
Of control provide for the supervision
/ by the board Of all institutions or as
,sociations, public or private, that re-
ceive children or place children in
foster homes. All such institutions are
subject to inspection and endorse
ment,by the board Of control.