The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1922-04-12

the case may warrant. They may be
handicapped physically or mentally,
or they may have immoral parents SO
the right opportunities for chance
to become a good citizen would be
denied them.
"No. 3. Duties of Board with re-
gard to the specific classes of children
and institutions for their care. Boards
must license all child-caring agencies
and private societies which receive
children for board and care, or which
place them in homes. Here is re-
cognition of the right of the state to
some little assurance that children in
private institutions have a fair OPP
portunity for growth and develop
ment. In the great majority of cases
the private institution is ready and
willing to counsel with the State
Board of Control in the attachments
of high standards.
eve are made to feel at every turn,
the desire of all those in the Chill
dren's Bureau to place every child in
an environment as nearly like norm
al home as possible, when they can't
actually be placed in a home. The
future of the state institutions
will be cottage plans of building rath-
er than dormitories.
''The placing of children naturally
relates itself to the age-long problem
of LEGITIMACY for the child born out
of wedlock frequently needs foster
home. The Board of Control func-
lions by assisting to establish pat
ernity, and by conserving the inter-
ests of the child and mother in what
ever way is needed. The responsible
tv of illegitimate paternity is made
the same in this state as that of leg
itimate paternity so far as care, main
tanence and education are concerned.
The State Board of Control may
make settlements with the approval
of the Juvenile Court and may pay out
sums for the child's care. In this
way they may see that the money is
wisely spent. One advantage of a
public body securing these settlements
is that it tends to raise the standards |
for the care of these children and
gives them a better start in life.
minnesota has made some provi-
sion for county allowances for widow
ed mothers of dependent children.
However very little has been done ex-
cept in counties containing large
cities. The statute of 1917 makes it !
the duty of the State Board of Control |
to promote uniformity and efficiency
by providing a state refund of one
third the amount expended by coun-
ties to be paid upon approval of the
board. The state legislature so far
has failed to appropriate any money
for this use, but the situation at pre- !
sent really gives promise of better
things in the near future. You will
note that l have talked of the State
Board and not the county board. That
is because the county board derives
all it's authority from the state board.
We make all Investigations and re-
ports for which they ask, and we re-
port to them all cases which are given
to US here in the county. You can
readily see why they prefer to have
us employ a trained worker to give
direction and professional method to
the Investigations and reports. You
also know, am sure that the trained
worker in this county is the Executive
Secretary of the Red Cross, paid by
Red Cross funds.
County Boards are more than
mere instruments of the State Depart
ment they, in sense, must be the
keeper of the community conscience
in doing justice to childhood. At all
conferences they keep before US the
idea of the county board being the
center for the dissemination of right
standards and ways of thinking in
our vicinity, thus rendering an indis-
pensable service in a statewide
scheme of child perfection. l imagine
we cannot even dream how much more
will be done to direct children into
ways of good citizenship in ten years
from now.
"When I meet these cases of
neglected children, some neglected
from little babyhood, I realize more
keenly than ever before the meaning
of a thought Alice Robbins gave a
group of Young Women's Christian
Association girls long ago. It ran
something like this The greatest
gift a good fairy can lay in woman