Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-20

is not wanted needs help-not help
to get rid of the baby quickly ana
easily, but help in working out a
plan which will preserve or re-es-
tablish so far al possible the self
respect of everyone concerned. The
mother needs to be protected
| against herself. She may think that
by giving away her baby h can
put him out of her life, that she can
forget that she had eve been a
mother, but this is not true.
Presumably what has been going
on in New York has been going on
all over the country, and the chh-
dren who are placed through news
paper advertisements are only a
small part of those who without any
legal procedure are passed along
from one individual to another. on
and on without any attempt to pro-
tect the interest of the child or the
foster family, or to keep any rec
ord of the child's identity.
This evil has fiourished especially
during the past few years since the
demand for children for adoption
has become so great-greater than
the supply, in fact. AS in all cases
of scarcity there has been a rise in
value so hat babies can now often
be disposed of at a considerable pro-
fit to their parents.
A generation ago a woman was
looked askance who had the temer-
ity to take into her heart and home
an unknown child. Many rgu
ments were advanced against such
a course, one favorite contention
being that it was flying in the face
of Providence, that had the Lord
intended you to have a child one
would have been sent. Many a wo-
man carried ar aching mothers
heart because she would not dare
criticism enough to bestow upon
some other woman's children the
love she hungered to give.
But there has been almost an cpl
demic OF adoption in the last few
years, and many a childless home
has been ~giaddened by the entrance
into it of one or more children.
Doubtless the fact of we'll known
people adopting children had a
great influence in making the GUS
tom more widespread. Also when
an attractive child has been placed
in a locality other people in that
vicinity are stimulated to secure one.
Demand Exceeds Supply
On the other hand, there has been
a great falling off in the number of
children available for adoption.
Just what has contributed to make
this so is difficult to say, but IN
doubleday the mothers pension bill
has much ITO do with il. Figures
show that 10000 children were
cared for in their homes in New
York state by the aid of the moth
er's pension, who would otherwise
have become public charges. Wheth-
e- the high wages of The last few
years helped to bring about this fact
is predetermined, but all workers
agree that prohibition played a large
part in ~effecting this result.
Mrs. Don c. Seitz who finds homes
for children In New York City, SAYS
that it has long since ceased to be
the point to find a home TOR a child
but the object Is to find a child for
the home offered and pray for the
wisdom of Solomon to decide which
home is best for the child in ques-
tim. This inability Of the child
placing agencies to supply the ex-
traordilary demand for Adaptable
children has evidently led impatient
foster parents to turn elsewhere for
assistance. They see an ADVERTISE
ment fine baby boy, six months
old, good disposition" in the news
paper, and they rush after him, will
ing to pay a tidy sum and to avoid
all embarrassing questions concern
ing the child's parentage before
some other eager adopter comes
along and gets him.
More often than not, they them
selves are approached by parents
with a hard luck story and a baby
they are willing to relinquish for a
slight consideration. 1t is possible
that some of these parents dispose
of their children by such methods
only under the greatest duress or
in a spirit of noble s~elf-sacriice,
but experience has shown that this
is seldom the 8 Usually, 1t is
the interest of the adults alone
which is considered not the welfare
Of the child.
urww ME- AMI tIE U1uw vnr