The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-03-17
TELLS OF WORK
AMONG CHILDREN
Children's Aid Secretary
Shows Vital Need
i'm Vermont
MISS WEBSTER AT
WOMAN'S CLUB
Gives Startling Figures Concerning Num-
Der of Feeble Minded in Windham
County-Would More Than Fin Bran
don H0me-Buisness Transacted.

COunty-WOuid More Than FlH Bran
don Home-Buisness Transacted.
An enlightening talk and an appeal to
members of the Brattleboro Woman's
club to help find the right kind of homes
in which to place homeless or neglected
children was given by Miss L. Josephine
Webster. of Burlington, general secretary
of the Vermont Children's Aid society, in
a meeting of the club in Odd Fellows
temple yesterday afternoon. The meet
ing was not largely attended, but those
present were greatly. impressed by the
report of the work being done among the
children of the state and the vital need
of extending the work was brought home
to them.
The talk followed a business meeting of
the club. after which the speaker was in
PRODUCED by the president, Mrs. G. l..
Stickney, who referred to the Womans
club having become q sustaining member
Of the Vermont ChildFen's Aid society
lost vonr- when more than 5000 twas raised
through a canvass which was made of the
town under the direction OF the philan-
thropic committee.
In opening, Miss Webster ccrnplimented
the club for the size of its contribution
and its interest, saving that while the
!
not begin to mean as much as the moral
support She spoke of the difference be-
tween the state board of charities and
probation and the Children'S Aid society,
saying the board was authorized by an
act of the legislature and was financed by
an appropriation from the state, while the
society was a private affair, the money
| TO carry on the work coming from people
| interested in that kind of work who had
| given subscriptions
The work in Vermont. she said. is new.
and is based on two general principles:
| First,-that the best place for a normal
child is in its own home if that home IS
I a proper one; Second,-if the child has
been deprived of its own home the best
| substitute is a well selected and a well
supervised foster home.
4 Miss Webster referred to the mothers
pension law which enables good mother
of q small child, or a woman who has
been deserted, to apply for aid, but added
that the appropriation granted was not
large enough She said there were II
mothers in the whole state of Vermont
i who were being helped to care for their
| children; that institutions are filled with
/ children of widows. She said that there
should be an effort to build up the family
! not to take 1t away, but to make II q
proper place for the child.
4 The speaker told many interesting
stories of her experiences with the homes
of children and of the children themselves.
! She spoke OF the way in which the state
board of charities and probation and the
Children's Aid society worked 50 as not
to duplicate efforts in single case and
lof the cooperation with overseers of the
poor. who are brought in contact con-
lstantly with the children in peer homes.
!, She stated that the society now has two
headquarteTs,-One in Bellows Falls with
Miss Harriet Z. Abbott as field agent
for Windham, Windsor, Remington and
Rutland counties and one in Burlington.
where Miss Webster herself is located as
field agent for the 10 northern counties
, of the state. A placing-out agent also is
: employed by the society. So many calls
+ are being received continually that nearly
all of the time there are % cases of chill
J dren needing care which have been re-
!. ported and which the society is unable
, to investigate because of the lack of time
! and strength. One aim of the society.
+ said Miss Webster, is TO get a worker in
: each county.
The somewhat astonishing statement
), was made that there We're more feeble
, minded in Windham county than it
would take to fill the home for feeble
minded at Brandon, and that home will
care for Id. As the society cannot
undertake to care for the feeble minded
that work has been left for the state.
n In speaking of the need of homes for
children Miss Webster said one person
had said, I'VE have got to go out of Yer
/ mont if we get the proper homes for our
n children and Miss Webster declared
, THAT SiIc hAeN lhetl Sohiu Hot bt 81
: Good homes are wanted, she said, with
n moral parents, clean home. and 4
II chance for education.
l. At the close of the talk club members
asked several questions and it was
n brought out that the appropriation for
N the state board of charities and proba
e ton. including the work of the children
= had been $4,000; that $50 900 had been
pl asked for this year and that probably
,r $4,000 would be voted. 1t also was
| stated that plans were under way for en-
o larging the plant at Brandon. but thai
when this was done there We're 40 feebl,
minded at Vergennes to be transferred
before others could be taken into the nev
building Several persons remained ais
TO to talk with Miss Webster personally.
In the business session which preceded
3 the talk the club voted So to the Nationa
lyl Public Health Nursing association. an,
ii SO to the American Woman's hospital
q 4 nominating COMMITTEES of three con
he siSting of Mrs. Oscar Z. Benson as chair
IN man, Mrs. O. B. Hughes and Mrs. ". B
ad Vinton, was elected to prepare a list O
10 officers for the informal ballot which vii
he be taken April 20 in preparation for th
nd annual meeting in May. Several an
pd nouncements were made, including tn
,Iv preliminary plans under way for the boys
~ and girls work, clubs for the vaeatio
K months: the concert to be given by The
and Eugene LaSarge, pianist; also the al
nual guest night of the club. which win b
held in Odd Fellows temple Wednesday
NO April g. when DIR. George Earl Raiguel q
New York city will speak on Internal Al
,g. fairs in the United States. The socis
"a committee will serve a buffet luncheon
he the close of that meeting.