Putnam patriot., 1923-03-02
Child Welfare Commissioner
Replies to Attack on Workers
prP KEITHS CRITICISM OF WORKERS IN PUTNAM
GETS FULL EXPOSITION FROM BUREAU HEAD
DIFFICULTIES THAT COMMISSION FACE
"Creyous Injustice to Panstakng, HardW orkng Woman
So He Calls Published Statements.

At tae request Of The Patriot and
l., .enIV 10 an attack recently made at
Hartford by Representative Luther
n Keith of Putnam on the work
ubirh is at present being conducted
tere bQ representatives of the Child
WeIfare Commission. Charles +. Dow.
commissioner of Child Welfare, has
forussrued to The Patriot complete
statement Of the work of the com
MISSIONS representatives. illustrating
AT length, its conduct and the neces-
sity for the investigations which are
being made.
Mr. Keith's recent attack came ut
hearing where the Child Welfare
Commission asked for an appropria-
tiou of S251, 056 maintenance funds.
The Putnam representative declared
tbat this sum was exorbitant in view
~ the fact that he was of the opinion
nat the commissions work had been
s,sffplafized until its wheels failed
to turn.
Mr. Keith further said that the
Young women who have been working
in Putnam for the commission had,
with one exception. made a poor I'M
preston. that the woman in charge Of
the work appeared on duty only twe
DAYS n week and that the girls were
too Young and immature 10 realize the
seriousness Of the work.
Commissioner Dow Replies
In his reply through The Patriot.
CONN. issioner Dow wrote as follows
i ana glad to answer your question
abol. the special work THAI the State
Bureau IF Child Welfare Is doing with
relation to the children IN the Wind
nam County Temporary Home. This
work consists solely of visits By our
workers to gather necessary informal
tioa about the children in the County
Horne. WHo NAV be considered for
adoption or placement IN family
homes. and also information concern
ing the suitability of available homes.
First of all. let ne say that the work
has been undertaken with the consent
and approval of the Nindham County
Comn issioners. Let me say also,
that We nope To do similar work in re
speet % the children In each Of the
County Temporary Homes. Wind
nam ounty was given first consider
alton because the need there seemed
to be most urgent.
County Home Inadequate
"Tfr population Of the Windham
COUNTY Temporary Home has been in
ereasine rapidly for several years
past There were 70 children in the
Home ON June so. 1916, but on June
50, 1870. this number had increased
10 49, When the special work was
begun by the bureau about the first OF
Decor Der. 1922. the number stood at
i30. The accommodations and facil-
ltIes e the Home were not adequate
for so large number of children.
The Bureau has undertaken IA
study If the children in the Home,
looking INTO their family history, per
sonality characteristics, mental and
physical equipment The purposes of
this study is TO determine whether a
sufficient number of the children may
be returned To their parents or rela-
tives, - placed out in free family
homes. to reduce the number of the
children IN the institution TO 100. No
promise has been given that such a
reduction can be made. The Bureau
Is merely TO use its best efforts to help
out IN a difficult situation.
The Bureau. since il began its
work a little more than a year ago,
has been concentrating its attention
upon a reduction in the number OF
children committed to county temper.
AIRY homes throughout the state. The
method most frequently employed to
Continued on Page Five)