Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-02-13
CHILDREN'S AID
WORK WIDE IN
SCOPE, SERVICE
General Secretary Makes Re-
port at Associations An
nual Meeting.
REGISTER LASS BABIES

A summary Of the work done by the
Childrens Aid Association, IS Baldwin
Block, was given at the annual meeting
held today in the Hotel Lincoln, by Paul
L. Kirby, general secretary.
"Our work is to buttress the home,
supply its deficiencies and mold it into
a semblance of the right kind of influence
for the children In it," said Mr.. Kirby.
He summed up the work of the FIVE
departments and ended with the state
ment. "our vision is not yet Of the day
in which there shall be no need to be
met; but it is of the day when we shall
be competent to meet the need"
RECORD EACH
FAMILY STORY.
Il want you to understand the work of
our visitation department" said Mr.
Kirby, in outlining the scope of the as
ISOLATION, (which is our department of
investigation and counsel. The situations
reported to this department, perhaps by
parent, a neighbor, a school or hospital,
are taken in hand by it for inquiry and
subsequent treatment. As much peril
nent information as can be secured is re-
corded. The name is then cleared
through the exchange and thus 1t is
learned what other organizations, If any
Each family story is filed in It's own
separate envelope.
"The visitation department, with such
Information as may have been obtained
in the initial interview, makes a prompt
and careful inquiry into the conditions
reported. in order to verify and supple
ment the facts given, so that the wisest
suggestions may be offered and the most
helpful cooperation of other agencies Sc
cured The child continues to receive at
tention until his case can be satisfactorily
closed.
"Our dental clinic offers the free serv-
ices of competent dentists to children
whose parents are financially unable to
secure the necessary attention. Last year
col different children came to the clinics.
1906 appointments were kept by them,
1906 teeth were extracted and there was
a total of 1,294 filings.
WORK OF BABY
HEALTH STATIONS.
Our baby health stations, eight in
number, through physicians and visiting
nurses, offer free advice and demonstra-
ton as to the care and feeding Of infants;
and through this department free milk is
supplied when necessary. In 1921 the
nurses had registered 1,458 babies and
4O6 children, while more than twice this
number were visited. A total Of %, 525
visits was made. The department cost
was S13, S33.43.
Our boarding out department very
carefully selects and supervises the fos-
ter homes in which children are boarded.
Each home is seen and inspected by
visitor, a first hand impression OF the
boarding home mother is formed and the
positive recommendation of six persons
is secured Each child boarded must be
fitted into one of the approved homes
and after he is placed he must be 'su-
pervised.' Last year we found that
eleven visits in every twelve were visits
in supervision, two field visitors looking
after an average of about forty-hve chill
dren each Altogether 5000 visits were
made of which 331 were made by the
graduate nurse working in this depart
ment. The department cost was S25,601
fof which Sc 922 was for board alone. A
total of 81 ,S31 days care was given. There
were no deaths among the pa children.
FREE OUTINGS FOR
CHILDREN, MOTHERS.
The Summer Mission with grounds
located just north Of the city on the
banks Of the " hlte River, provides dur
ing the summer months free outings for
children and mothers, giving a medical
examination to each child admitted. The
Missions little cottage hospital, under
the direction Of a physician and the SUI
pervision Of a graduate nurse, has beds
for twenty-five little patients. Opening
late and closing early, the Summer Mis-
sion season was two weeks shorter than
usual. The early part Of the summer
was intensely hot. Throughout July,
when we became accustomed to midday
temperature of IS degrees, the calls were
exceptionally urgent and numerous. 1t
was possible to care for forty-three
mothers and 237 children, total of $50.
''In the large central office room, we
have our yisitation} department. First
applications are made here; persons in
need or With complaint may confer in
this rim. In the next ON we have
our boarding out depart Mt and all
of our record files. In tho steel cab
fnets are the stories of 81 families,
473 new ones having been added this year !;
and Of course in many of these cases sew
eral children have been concerned.
MOST OF WORK
DONE ON OUTSIDE.
'In the room beyond this, are the baby
health nurses who occupy the room in
common with the staff of the Public
Health Nursing Association. Across the
hall is one Of our dental clinics, used
also as the Doctors examining room for
the central baby health station. The
other stations and the dental clinic at
the Jewish communal building, we can
not see in this brief tour; nor can we
visit the extensive and beautifully
situated summer mission grounds.
Most of our work Is done on the out
side. The nurses are in their districts
practically all day, and the visitors are
all out on their cases, perhaps in the
homes, or the courts, or the schools. The
office is little more than the place to
which case may be reported, and
Mhera records are written and fled .