South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-12-10
SEEK CHANGES IN
MOTHERS AIDLAW
Indiana League of W o m e n
Voters Conducts Educa-
tional Campaign.

INDIANAPOLIS Dec 9.-(By a.
PA number Of reasons why In
dana should accept the Sheppard
Tower Act. and should amend the
state Mothers Aid law 20 make It's
operation mandatory, are given by
the Indiana League Of Women Not-
ers in an educational campaign II IS
conducting prior 10 the opening OF
the General Assembly on next Jan. 4.
The league points out that the
present provision for Mothers aid
in many Instances results in dis
ruptiOn OF the home. taking the
child from Is mothers care and
placing 10 in undesirable surround
irgs. Under the present act. II is
not mandatory but optional that
county boards OF children's guar
dams be appointed, and also Il is
left entirely 20 the discretion OF the
judge having juvenile jurisdiction
whether or not mothers compensa-
ton shall be operative. The alter
natives, the league states, are as
follows:
When a child or children come
on the county for support, the county
may place them in an institution
with other dependent children, and
the county then pays a specified
sum per diem for maintenance and
clothing. There are several institu-
tions in Indiana conducted by pri-
vate agencies for profit and there
are in all OF them an undue number
Of children who are mentally de-
fcctive.
Provisions OF Act.
The Mothers Compensation act
allows payment TO the mother. 4
she be adjudged q suitable person,
Of the sum allowed 20 be paid TO the
institution for each child. The child.
or children then, who stay with the
mother are no additional cost to the
taxpayer. and the child has the az
vantage Of a normal home environ
meut Agents of the court keep IN
touch with the case and make clear
J that this compensation is only tenn
porary until the mothers financial
condition improves, or the children
are old enough TO help with the fam
/ lily support.
The League Of Women Voters is
I DESTROYS that there should be such
amendment TO this act as would
make - operation mandatory. The
/ League believes. further, that chill
/ dren made wards Of the Board OF
/ Children's Guardians for the pur-
pose Of rendering aid 10 such chill
dren in their homes should not be
removed from these homes without
1 further petition being filed in the
courts by said board Of children'S
/ guadians."
In regard to the Sheppard-ToweI
/ Act, the League says the act is now
| operative in Indiana through actor
Of Gov McCray; that acceptance oil
/ the new act by the legislature vii
make additional federal funds avail.
able and viii entail no new appro-
! priations; simply a continuation Of
| the appropriations which have beer
made for the infant and child n.y.
/ giene division of the state board OF
health. as the Sheppard -Townel
/ act must be administered through
1 this department in Indiana.
/ Through Gov. MCCray'5 action, In
! diana has received and is spending
/ through the infant and -hygienC
division, Indiana's quota of fedora
! aid for 1922, amounting to s2O,700
This money was made available i'm
mediately for Indiana because thu
| Appropriation made by the 1921 leg
islature for the child hygiene divis
ion matched the federal allotment.