Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1921-10-21
STATE GUARDIAN OF | DEPENDENT CHILDREN ] UNDER l6 YEARS

With the passage of House Bill No. 51, by the Fifth Legislature, Arizona acquired a bran new Department of State in which is vested the develop tment of power long neglected as one of her natural resources and more inn portant than the reclamation of arid lands or the conservation of any other sources of wealth within our borders. Under this department the state be- comes the guardian of every depend lent, neglected or abandoned child un- der the age of sixteen years. In each such child the state recognizes the embryo citizen of the future, an asset and force too vital to be ignored. No longer is this class of children to be ignored or reckoned with as a Charitable liability" but as poten- tial entity, to be supported, educated and guided until able to stand alone self supporting and there self respect ing.
 In the past these unfortunate child ren were cared for collectively in in stitutions private or public, and it was found that ninety per cent of the ba- bies under two years old died for want of mother love. Those who weathered the stress of institutional life, under the very wisest direction, were found to be unfitted for community life or to enter into that wholesome family re- lation that is the very bulwark of American greatness.
 | Under the State Child Welfare Board the child is placed in family for adoption whenever it is possible to do so and its well being is never lost sight of. ;. When this cannot be done he or she is boarded in reliable fam lily and visited regularly by the State Secretary or a member of the State Board. The child is sent to the public school and cared for in every respect as a member of that family. Until such a boarding place is found the child is placed in an existing, non sectarian institution.
 Since the passage of this bill re- pealed the Widows Pension Law there is a provision that mothers of this class when dependent shall receive from the state regular sum of board money each month, enabling her to keep her children with her and give them the care that only mother can give in her own home.
 The Superior Court Judge also ap- points four persons to serve on the County Child Welfare Board and to whom all applications for help from that county are made. After investi- gating any cases presented the County Board refers them to the State Board with all the necessary information and in all worthy instances, help is given from the fund appropriated for that purpose. With the exception of the State Secretary, who gives all of her time to the work the members of both State and County Boards serve with out compensation.
 That forty-two states have Child Welfare Laws similar to this one is evidence enough that it has proven a successful venture in progressive leg islation and that child conservation khas come into its own. Three defi- mite objects are gained by caring for dependents in this way: 1. The child is given family ties and sense of se- curity. 2. His self respect is pre- served. 8. Chances for delinquency are reduced to the minimum. All of this with less cost to the state than under the old institutional methods. The slogan of child welfare workers everywhere today is "Not charity, but a chance for every child"