The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-11-30

interests OF such child or children
shall require. and said board shall
have full power to contract for such
outside care. In all cases where the
said board deems It advisable and for
the best interest OF such child or chill
dren, it may provide that such child
or children may be placed under the
care OF their mother and that she shall
be allowed such compensation theTe-
for as the board may fix, not exceeding
the legal per diem for each child Al
lowed for the care Of the wards o.
such board. The county council shall
appropriate and the county commits
sioners shall allow the funds neces-
saryr TO carry into effect the provisions
aud purposes OF this act
The law nov allows 80 cents day
for each child That IS the maximum.
Our law. as you know. IS elastic and
the court together VITA the Board OF
Guardians, may fix any proper amount,
and the mother Is In no way paupertz
ed and yet she can secure such relief
as is absolutely necessary and for the
best interest Of the family.
In administering this law we have
agents Of the Board OF Guardians who
tevote all or their time to this work
and other juvenile work. and these
agents Investigate the financial stand
ing of the persons for whom relief Is
proposed, her relatives, and her con-
nections with them. II any, the neigh
borhood she Is living in. the condi-
ton OF the family physically. etc.:
whether or not they are attending
school, and II so, where; and all other
| facts OF interest and Importance. This
agent makes 1ull report to meeting
| Of tla-- 1ypa I'd ~ I'D ar1 (which &c
held at least once each month. The
| Board then may investigate further.
and often does Investigate further by
delegating a member Of the Board
| from tho particular locality wherein
! the applicant resides to make a per-
| sonal invests cation. At the next
| meeting OF the Board action is taken.
and the accommodation OF the Board
| 10 made es TO what relief. II any. the
| applicant shall receive. II the Board
! reports favorably the mother Is
/ brought into Court at the next session
| ofsthe Juvenile Court with her children
| and such witnesses as she or the
| Board may desire TO bring, and the
| Court then thoroughly investigates
| the financial condition O. the mother.
and considers her application in every
| particular. Then the Court makes
4
| to consideration the reconl1n dation
| OF the Board, ought to be made in the
/ premises. An agent CT the Board
! visits the home at least once a month,
| and in that way supervises or as
| sists the mother in applying the funds
she receives towards the support OF
| the family. We find that It is necessary
I in many instances. or. the funds would
be dissipated before tho month is over.
and the children still suffer. AS tho
children grow older, and the older
ones arc able to help take care OF
| themselves. and the load lightens, the
| amount Is reduced.
know of no Mothers Pension Law
| that is as elastic 5 this. and can not
see how It could work TO any better
! advantage for the dependent children.
In Lake county we have a popuia-
+, ton in round numbers OF 10000 peo-
| pie. We have 81 mothers who are re-
| ceiving assistance for 107 children. I
think the estimate given by Mr.. Fo-
land as to the amount OF money we
| are spending ia about right. that is.
about $4,000 But OF course this In
cludes the~money paid 10 institutions