Evening star., 1922-06-07
SAYS CARE LACKING
IN PROBING HOMES
Woman DepIores Way Chill
dren Are Taken From In
dustriaI School,.

Charges that proper investigation
has not been made of some houses
to which children were transferred
from the Industrial Home School by
the board of children's guardians
were filed by Mrs. Edmund Brennan,
chairman of the citizens committee
for the preservation of the school, at
meeting of the Congress of Mothers
and Parent-Teachers' Association at
the Langdon School today.
Mrs. Brennan read an open letter
to the organization shortly after the
meeting started in which she cited
specific cases of the removal of chill
dren from one home to another many
times within a half year
Il beg the citizens of the District,
Mrs Brennan said, Ito take interest
in the unfortunate children OF our
from their parents usually on account
of poverty. Much money IS given
I each year to keep families together.
These family problems are usuaiiy
Investigated by young social WORK
| ers who have far too many famliies
to visit to give proper attention 10
| each individual case and have not
the knowledge of the great RESPONSE
| bility and obligation of parents, or
knowledge of child psychology.
"Workers Too Young"
The great number Of social work
ers who come in close touch with
| the home are much too young and IN
ment which comes only to those VINO
have had actually experience; not
enough parents are in the work.
when social workers become dis
| couraged or at standstlil with a
case or family problem. they appeal.
or rather recommend, the case to the
Board of Childrens Guardians. the
case is then brought before the
court and the judge will naturally
! consider the testimony of those VINO
| bring the charge, no matter how hard
! the parents try to convince the court,
they are being taken advantage Of.
The judge has no way to investigate
these cases personally.
These children are then placed In
homes little better, nine cases out
! of ten. than the homes they are taken
| from. Perhaps made better f1nane-
cially by the money paid for the child S
board.
IF the parents had a square deal
| and the same money was put into
the original home. many other prob
of energy.
Expenses Too High.
"At the present time in the Dis
sponsibility of housing. feeding and
clothing four or six children. The
price of every necessity is much too
high for the average person on a
salary, and l am not considering the
added expense of illness or death
which may come to any family.
The housing solution is the great
! est problem of today. l know of
| whole families living in one room,
| one case in particular, grandmother.
! mother and three children. in one
room with one widow, and 1 have
! begged for help to find suitable quar-
ters for this family. the mother prac-
tically self-supporting.
THE suggestion was made to
recommend this case to the board of
children's guardian. Now, why should
this mother be separated from her
! family. which would be the result
She is a good mother doing better
/ than most of us would do under the
! same circumstances). Why should
these children be deprived of the
| mothers love and attention. they are
entitled to. Just because men are so
greedy they will not furnish the de-
cent living quarters for the people
in moderate circumstances at a price
| according to their means.
Moved Five Times.
| 1T is true that one group of chill
dren committed to the care of the
| board of guardians have been moved
five times since January IL. 1 ask
| to be moved, without notice, from
| residence and bed five times in five
| months?
! Sure the proper Investigations of
! the houses were not made, or these
| changes would not be necessary. Now
- IRON ~, h4 u. = -,.,l
Home School, the first time they are
! placed properly, according to my
! judgment, and this school-those in
power-are trying to close. BY all
, means this school should be left open
i as receiving school ANY citizen
who will take the trouble to visit this
! institution will decide that at once.
/ Then if homes can be found where
| the people are willing to take chill
dren in TO the privacy of their home,
! for the sake of humanity and not the
almighty dollar. for you cannot ex-
| pect paid worker to be as sincere
as a volunteer, who is prompted by
interest and love only, with no
thought of financial gain.
Ihen and only then should these
chlidren be placed in private homes
! and limited to three children to a
home, and not in numbers of a dozen
or more.
Tells Of Advantages.
Il am told the social agents all over
! the country have decided to do away
with the institution. Surely they must
| mean the old institution of twenty or
more years ago. and not the properly
equipped institution of today. with
! library and proper recreation besides
| the home comforts and necessities.
What home compelled to take chill
! dren to board would be able to fur
nish books and recreation and chap
eTone at all times?
Doing away with the institution of
| today seems just as reasonable to me
as doing away with hospitals. There
was a time when we would not in
trust our loved ones to the hospital,
i but today we know things have
changed.
"As citizen. you can help if you
will become interested and, having an
understanding, you can prevent the
| individual and the organization from
handicapped in many ways
Board Meeting Today.
! The board of charities is meeting
this afternoon to consider a report
on an inquiry into the situation in the
| school as the result of farming OUT
| of children by the board of children's
guardians
Mrs. Whitman Cross, chairman of a
| committee of three, presented a re-
port on the committees inquiry into
| the situation when the meeting open
ed at 1 o'clock The contents of the
report were not made public.
| Upon the action of the board. it is
| believed, will depend the action of
| the Commissioners in the situation
| The big question at o~aSant is. "rT,1