Evening star., 1922-06-23
INDUSTRIAL HOME
ROW NEARS END
Conflicting Boards Assure
Commissioners Agree
ment Is Certain.

The District Commissioners today
called into conference members of
the board Of trustees of the Industrial
Home School and the members of the
board of children's guardians in an
effort to settle controversial points
between the two boards relating to
the disposition of children committed
to the care Of the board of children's
guardians.
The meeting was a climax of the
Industrial Home School situation, in
which charges had been made that
members of the board of children's
guardians were attempting to close
drawing the children there and plac-
ing them in private homes. The Com
missioners notified both boards that
1t was their desire for them to work
in harmony, to cooperate and to clear
up the details which were causing
friction and proving a source of con-
troversy.
The Commissioners were assured
by members of both boards that the
situation which has arisen was not
the result of friction, but merely con-
stituted a difference of opinion upon
certain details and plans Of handling
children. The boards agreed to take
steps in the near future. probably
to hold joint meeting at which the
details and points in controversy
would be thrashed out.
Draft OF Questionnaire.
Mrs. Edmund Brennan. chairman of
the committee for dependent and neg
lected children of the Congress of
Mothers and Parent-Teacher Associa-
tions. today presented 20 the board OF
chlIdrenS guardians while in the
joint meeting. a draft of a question
naire which the organization wishes
submitted to the homes to which chill
dren are committed as wards of the
board of children's guardians.
A statement accompanying the ques-
tionnaire reads:
In behalf of the District OF Colum-
bia Congress of Mothers and Parent
Teacher Associations we respectfully
petition. your board that, except in
cases of formal adoption. children un-
der the care of your board be not
from the District Of Columbia, but be
located near enough so that their
parents OF guardians may visit them
at frequent intervals without burden
some expense and loss of time.
Also that. until further arrange
IL,
until suitable private homes to meet
the requirements of the QUESTIONABLE
are found within reasonable distance,
the children be placed, as heretofore,
in the Industrial Home School"
The QUESTIONABLE deals with va
rious points regarding the child's
case.
Charities Board Report.
A report was submitted to the Com
I'd
Industroal Home School situation by
the board of charities
Points included in the report are
the following:
The board Of children's guardians
and the board of trustees OF the In.
dustrial Home School are practically
independent OF each other, yet they
deal with the same dependnt children
They have conflicting policies and do
not work in harmony. One of them
the board of children's guardians. is
charged with the care Of all depend
ent children. The other, the Industrial
home School. is an agency. since the
Juvenile Court was established. which
may be called upon by the board OF
children's guardians to care for some
OF the children, but It has no voice
In determining the assignments to II
This situation, for which neither
board Is responsible, naturally caused
interests of the children.
The board of children's guardian.
asserts the principle that a famil,
home is preferable to an institution
for most children and believes tha
sufficient number of suitable home.
can be found. 1t believes that
child's individual development is bes
attained through family life under
care of foster parents"
The members of the board of tn.
Industrial Home School. while agree
ing in this principle, hold the opinion
homes can be found for the depend
ent children Of the District. and ;ha
there is a class of children whicl
should otherwise suitably be provid
ed for, according to the report
Home Found Useful.
The board reports visiting the In
dustrial Home School and declare
that 1T has served a very usefu
purpose for the past thirty-fiv
years"
In conclusion the report states tha
the board of charities feels that botl
methods, that of family and of in
stitutional care, will serve a usefu
purpose IL proper classification i
| made. 1t believes that the best re
coordination of all public child-car
ing institutions in the District o
Columbia.
The board report also mentions visit
to the homes of persons to which TIL
board of guardians has removed Chill
| dren. Tnirty-one homes were visited
! In these homes were a total of ninety
eight children, thirty-two of whom hat
! been in the Industrial Home School
The report states that the commtte
has talked with the foster mothers, Il
| many cases with the foster fathers
and in each of the homes visited ha
seen the children. except in some in
stances where the children were Il
school at the time of the visit"
Six homes specifically complained o
| were carefully investigated, the repor
states. 1t adds: I'm three instances tn
complaints were justified. There ha,
been overcrowding during brief periods
| due to the emergency Of the momen
and the fact that the two boards wer