Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-03-22
CHILD WELFARE
To INSTRUCT IN
CARE Of YOUNG

welfare service as they are outlined
and being put into practice are de-
fined below in a statement issued
by DR.. Sarah Cocker, medical di-
rector.
By an act of the last regular ses-
sion of the legislature the state
welfare service was created under
the department of education. The
governor appointed the following
child welfare board: Mrs. Bertha
Nordhaus chairman; Mrs. Ramona
Gallegos, vice chairman; Jonathan
H. Wagner, secretary; Mrs. S, P,
c, +. Mason, Edgar L, Hewett.
The board met in June and select
ed the following staff; DIR. Sarah
f. Cocker, medical director; Miss
Montana Hastings, A. NJ. child
psychologist. At a later meeting
Mrs. Mary van Stone was selected
for the position of secretary.
So far the work of the staff has
been mostly along the line of or
ganzation and equipment, In adj
dition to this a few examinations
of children have been held and
talks on child welfare have been
given in several parts of the state.
The policy of the state child well
fare service g based on the prin-
ciple that most of the conditions of
children needing attention today
are due primarily to ignorance.
This ignorance is by no means con-
fined to the uneducated. OF course
there is much to be done in the
way of teaching uneducated par
ents the simple points in regard to
the care Of babies and children, but
in addition to this there are many
problems in connection with the
condition of children today which
are puZZling even the foremost
physicians and educators. The
most advanced people who are
handling children feel that there
are conditions in our present day
life which are distinctly lowering
the vitality of our youth. 1t Is
noticeable that in spite of the
spread of knowledge in regard to
hygiene, children are not increasing
in vigor, in fact they are rather
becoming frazier and more suscep-
tible to disease. This Is quite as
evident among well-to-do families
as among the poor.
Taking these facts into consid-
Grafton, it is plain that any child
welfare work which is to be of per-
manent value must be based on a
careful study of all the factors en-
tering into the lives of the children
of today and must contemplate a
we'll planned scheme Of education
among those who take part in the
handling of children. Therefore
the members of the child welfare
service staff expect to hold this as
their aim, to spread in a systematic
way among the mothers and teach
ers of the state the information
based on q study of the children
and of the conditions of child life
in the state.
For the present most of the work
of education will be in connection
with the normal schools. The
teachers of the state are the people
who not only handle great many
children during a critical time in
child life but also have the great
est opportunity of spreading in all
localities Of the state information
in regard to the care of infants and
of children of pre-school age. The
responsibility of the teachers for
the care of children Is especially
great in a state like New Mexico
in which there are. in many sec
lions, very few physicians and
nurses. The heads of the two nor
NAL schools of the state have
shown a hearty spirit of co-opera-
ton in the working out of train
ing course in child welfare to be
given in these institutions.
Examination of small children
by the staff will be conducted oc-
casionally in various counties. Rel
atively, only very small number
of children can be handled in such
examinations, but ii Is felt that the
examinations have a value In slim
ulating public opinion and also in
the attention Of parents
to certain conditions.
1t is planned to make of the
headquarters in Santa Fe center
of information in regard to child
study and care. Also, 1t is hoped
that we may be able to have IN con-
nection with the headquarters a
place where certain children whose
cases seem to need a somewhat
ext nded observation and adjust
r1ent may be kept during the re-
q1irsd time.
We hope for the continued CO.
operation Of all such public spirited
G ganigstians as the Parent-teacher
a ssecist ton. tte woman's clubs. the
Red fret etc. These organiza-
tiona can heln In the spread of in
formation ana also in assisting in
wha teyer We undertake in the
localities which they represent.
II Ia sFiss0t that our plans 10
not PROMISE any snowy or k
results but Ne EEL confiderI at
it would be ery shoitsiga d
policy TO undrt Sc ore thtn q
be effective|5 carried out by 5yr
present small stsff,