Evening journal., 1920-12-18
No PA. Wards
FOR DELAWARE
Stricter Supervision of
Bound Out" Unfortu-
mates is Urged
5000 PHILADELPHIA
CHILDREN IN HOMES

81 think the public would be sur
prised n the facts were made known
regarding the condition Of some chill
drcn who are sent TO live in homes in
our enlightened Pennsylvania" This
statement was made yesterday by A.
]. Whitman. secretary Of the Society
Tor the Prevention OF Cruelty 10 Chill
rcn, at Philadelphia.
Mr.. Whitman was speaking In ap-
proNal OF reports calling attention 10
the unfortunate condition OF hound
out boys and girls In Delaware.
We have sent no children 20 Della
ware farms for about ten years." he
continued. I'm many instances. the
plight or children sent 10 these farms
Is as bad or worse than has been re-
ported. Altogether we have sixteen
children who have been sent 10 live
with Delaware families. The young
est is "A years old and each child is
visited each month. so that we may
nave a complete record OF the case.
But Delaware is not the only state
IN Which the care OF children Is not
given proper attention. Right here in
! philadelphia county there are two or
! three thousand children who have
Deen given into the control or sirang-
| ers by the various courts Tie laws
/ or Pennsylvania safeguard these chill
/ dren better than do the LAWS OF Dol
| aware, but there is great room for
I improvement
We constantly get complaints re-
I gardinr neglect OF childrcl who have
/ been placed in families in the county.
Within the last few days we had a
, case in which two children We're put
/ out or The home to which they had
/ been sent.
There is great need OF a law which
| would create a state department 10
| look after the waits OF city and cOun-
try and see that they are protectea
in the homes TO Which they may DC
sent
some legislation along this line is
/ being prepared. but / am unable 10
say at this time Just what will be the
! terms OF the bin 10 be proposed. Closer
/ watch must be kept upon the condi-
/ ton OF children placed with others
I than their parents. We have visitors
! who see every child thus placed at
I least twice a year. and in other cases
/ as frequently as once every mOntn."
Howard w Lewis, a trustee Of both
/ the southern Home FOR Destitute Chill
/ dren and the Northern Home for
/ Friendless Children. said that IL .
time that the attention OF an citizens
be called 10 the condition OF children
| bound OUT in certain districts.
We stopped sending children TO
Delaware several years ago, he said.
This was the result OF numerous
complaints.
THE Southern Home has either
eight OF ten children now in Delaware
and these have been under close su-
pervision. They are happy and are
( being educated. We stopped scndins
, children 90 Delaware because OF com,
plants that in many instances they
were placed in homes too far from
any school.
There is no question that theu
have been gross abuses in the indis
criminate placing OF children in out
side homes, and ! would favor am
p measure proposed 10 put more safe
guards about them. The placing OF I
child in a home Is a question which
virtually determines the future life OF
the growing man or woman
Laws 0f Pennsylvania are far bet
ter than in Delaware for the protec-
ton OF children for whom a new home
must be sought, but there is plenty
NJ room for improvement. SO far as
Della are laws are concerned. l sim
ply peat that we do not send any
children there