Milford chronicle., 1920-05-21
DELAWARE CHILDREN'S WORK
Annl1ersarr Of ChIIdren.s year

more determined than ever to max
the whole country safe for children
Humane and intelligent child welfar
work is being carried on vigorously i
almost every state in the Union, an
to date 3S states. the District of Col
umbia, and Hawaii are working Il
close cooperation with the Children
Bureau of the U. S. Department o
Labor to put the work of Children
Year on a permanent basis.
Other countries are also reeogniz
ing the value of the child as a future
citizen, according to material col
lected by the Children's Bureau. II
France a well known physician is ur.
ging the establishment of infant con.
sultation centers throughout the
whole country, with properly quail
ified woman visitor" to direct the so
cial and medical investigations. She
is to be assisted by other visitors
public health nurses, trained mid
wives, and home economics experts
who are to cooperate with doctors,
school nurses, and child welfare agen-
cies.
The protection of mothers and in
fants in Prussia was declared recent
ly in the Reichstag to be an "enOr-
nous task" needing new medical reg
ulation, better training for physicians,
and better laws regulating midwifery.
Coordination of all child welfare
work was also declared necessary.
The establishment OF childrens bur-
eaus all over the country is planned
and after these are established every
thing is to be done to utilize the ser
vices of women trained in child well
fare work. They are to be asked to
cooperate with the ministry and to
form advisory councils as connecting
links between the government and
the public.
In Moscow a number of houses have
been placed at the disposal of needy
mothers with a view to furnishing not
only shelter but also education IN
more scientific methods of feeding
and training children. Each house
has a reading room, permanent eX-
hibit on the care of infants and a kin
dergarten.
The Italian Minister of the Inter
ior has received from the National Al
lance for the Protection of Mothers
and Infants resolutions that cover the
legal protection of infants whether
legitimate or not, and the strict super
vision of fOundlings asylums by prop
erly qualified persons. From other
quarters it is urged that prenatal
work be undertaken, and that an ex-
tensive system be organized for the
protection of mothers and infants.
Insurance alone is not sufficient to
meet the needs of the expectant mo-
ther. says Professor La Tore, VINO
"should be regarded as a privileged
nerson and should be the object OF
most friendly care
Minimum standards for the protec-
tion of mothers and children in the
limited States were promulgated by
the Childrens Bureau at the close OF /
Children's Year in 1919. These stand .
ards are being carefully studied by
the country and in some places al /
readv applied. The passage OF the /
?TOwner maternity Dill
wonId make possible nationwide ap-
nlicatiOn of the standards for matern-
itv and infancy; a committee of doc
TORS and industrial experts are WORK
ing on the practicable appllcation Vi
tbe standards for working children,
and resolutions passed at the bureau
recent illegitimacy conferences WouIu'
if put into effect, protect the unIorlu-
nate babies born out OF wedlocK.
Delaware is honorably taking ner
place among the governmental uIllts
making effort to save the lives OF mo-
rhers. babies and children. Ihe oIaIe
Reconstruction Commission is Oper-
ating ten children's health centers
and three dispensaries. The prenatal
nfant and child care instruction tnaI
6 given at these places and Dy lne
,hiid welfare nurses OF the Comnls
ion who daily are making scores Oh
,isits TO homes to teach right meth
,ds for care of expectant mothers and
# babies and children are getting hne
'esuIts in terms of life saving and
increased vigor of the rising genera
ion. ,., 5
,ursing school inspection and service
veil started in Delaware. Whining
ON has a school physician and two {
.chool nurses employed by the City I
3oard of Education. The statewide
vorl, is progressing well. The Recon- /
truction Commission nurses nave {
children in "A rural schools
md done follOw-up work on large {
,umber of the cases showing defects. t
Me State Board of Education has ap- t
,ointed A director of medical 1nspec- I
ion for school children and is utll- t
ring nurses furnished by the Christ I
mas Seal Campaign fund and by the I
Commission. Ihese a
'nrses are working under the medical i
iractor of the State Board Of Educa- Z
ion and other physicians who are b
GENEROUSLY giving time and interest,"
= the nroiect. Local physicians, t
cbool superintendents, principals, f
eachers and parents are giving warm e
nnnort to the movement. That TINS t
york is greatly needed is evident il
rom the statement of the medical d. I
actor who SAYS that among the sew
raj hundred children he has exam-
,ed The most prevalent defects are t
afective teeth. adenoids, diseased I
,nsils. defective vision, all OF whlch u
! moi corrected in childhood nave a
erious effect upon general health. D
rrha activity of the Wilmington d
itv Council and other groups IN re- .
ard To better milk and the increased Il
! feeuards established by the state v
nd local boards of health, are lay q
10 the foundations for better pro- a
,ction for children. Special COM u
,ission for the Predetermined and Il
,e Commission for the Blind have v
,ntinued effective work they had un- 5
ar wav. and have developed new E
for bettering the conditions /,
, groups needing special types OF y
are. -. n
In addition to progress made along o.
,aItb lines very distinct advance has u
sen made in Delaware this year by .
- juvenile Court which has secur- = =