Evening star., 1923-11-14


the work of the board to a high level
The program was submitted to the
beard of guardians by special COM
mittee. headed by Mrs. Frank B.
Noyes. vice president, and approved.
The recommendations contained in II
were laid before the conference for the
purpose of obtaining city-wide coop
Grafton.
The report indorscs the principle
that a good home is the proper place
- rear 4 normal child" 1t states
that Il centrally located. modern
temporary receiving home. where
children might be studied before be-
ing placed in foster homes, is one of
yhe outstanding needs OF the board
of guardians.
It is recommended that consideration
be given to the advisa bilitv of selling
he Industrial Home School property,
which Is regarded as too remote and toe
elaborate to be used as d temporal ry
receiving home.
Another object of the conference IS
% ontain more good homes in whio Al
Yards of the board of guardians &C aid
De boarded or placed for adoption.
List OF Recommen endn tiou<.
The recommendations follow:
the people as the public child caring
agency. by securing a closer cooper
ltion among all organizations inter
"sted in child welfare; in an earnest
desire TO provide more suitably for
the needs of more than 1000 children
zinder our care, by raising and main
tanning the standards of child welfare
n the District of Columbia to the
highest standards set by modern
study and experience; we, the com
Guardians. offer the following for
our earnest considerations.
First, heartily indorsing, support
sng and applying the principle that a
s'ood home Is the proper place to rear
T. normal child; that the policy OF
placing children in foster homes
rather than in institutions has Ions;
heen recognized as the best policy for
Inc care OF dependent children; en-
pioying every possible means to ap-
oly success ssfully this principle and
.ealiziug that to revert TO the policy
II institutional care in the District of
Columbia would be a step backward
child care; get IL is well known
md admitted by all that for the sub
normal or the abnormal child inSti-
.utional care is III many cases indis-
1ensable 10 its proper adjustment in
society.
1T is also true that experience has
hown that even after every means
n home finding is exhausted there
are some children claSsed generally
IS incorr!gihles. but otherwise nor
nal, who cannot DC controlled In pri-
Nate homes. without first being. for
3 time at least. under institutional
discipline. where not only their de-
linquent tendencies can be corrected.
out also where they can Ice studiei 4
with Il view to proper home place
nents. thus avoiding many unsuc-
''eSsful attempts and experiments III
ylacing lacorrigible children in foster
:.ome$.
"Thereforc. since nj institution is
HeceSSary that longer period OF
-raininE and Observation can be had
han would he given by temporary
receiving home. ana since modern eN-
trieuce has proved that an institu-
ion operated on the cottage system
more p1;irlX provides the home en-
. ironment and influence, at the same
Tine offering the institutional disci-
Line necessary in caring for dclin-
uert and abnormal children; that IN
lew of the foregoing facts We con-
-ider carefully and with open minds
he pUSSihi tiles OF converting the
':eorge Junior Republic, near ArIap-
lis Junction, Md. (which can be Sc
ured for such a purpose). into an In
:tituti"u toperated on the cottage
..ystemD for these white child"en for
whom institutional care is indispensa-
lie, trher@ the child can receive agrt-
"uItural and industrial training, as
well as elementary and preparatory
Receiving Home Needed.
second. since one OF the greatest
tecds f":- p.oper ca!e Of children
committed Ia Us Is a modern tempo
rHry receiving hcmo, fully equipped
.,'ith clinics for mental and physical
s,Sami-atiofS of children. under COM
l,etent staff. supplied with everything
.ecesSary. not only for proper tempo
ary care preparatory to placing the
L. tFC-r, a 81 ttN.l1
If the child in order that his limi-
,ationS. characteristics and propensf-
lies may he understood before any
placCment * attempted; that We con-
.ider the Feasibility and possibility
II securing such a receiving home.
Third. since the Industrial Home
school neither serves our purpose us
IN institution nor Is temporary re-
,eiving home: as it could not he CON
erted into IL modern institution; and
sincc il is too remote. too elaborate
md entirely too expensive TO be USED
>oiely n temporary receiving home,
md since the property has become
cry valuable, that we consider the
feasibility of the sale of this prop
rty, proceeds Of which going TO
ease and equip temporary recei--
ing home, centrally located. and to
rect and furnish modern cottages on
he site of the George Junior Repub-
ic; Incorporating the funds now
available for the Industrial Home
school with those of the board of
children's guardians to further. aug
.lsnt the entire funds, if necessary,
20 maintain such an institution ade-
.7uately: and to appeal for such re-
adjustment of appropriations at the
next session of Congress.
Consider Additions.
Fourth, that We carefully consid-
cr the needs and possibilities OF. the
Industrial Home School at Blue
plains. with a view toward providing
Tor the erection OF suitable cottages
Tor the care of delinquent coiored
lsirls, instead Of being forced, as at
resent, to either send them to, fnstl-
Lutions outside of the District OF
Columbia or to attempt the impossi-
sin lifting them in normal homes.
Fifth. that wo consider with open
minds the proposal to have the eN-
sting law changed, so that after tenn
,orary commitment to the Board OF
,'hildren's Guardians. upon. their
recommendation, a child could pc
.,onmitted.. at the discretion or tine
:,uftAble, supervised private child
airing agency. which agency would
assume the guardianship.
sixth in view OF the aforesaid, We
r,ropose to invite representatives or
tther agencies to meeting to be held
81 the boardroom of the District build
ing on November Is. 1923, and to pre-
Eent the substance of those minutes for
their consideration, nopiis ny oetIef
understanding of our problems to OBJ
tain their full co-opera tion.~
"Finally, that we invite the assistance
~ those who attend this conference in
the solution of our most pressing prob
tem-namely, that of finding suitable
foster homes in or near the District OF
Columbia"
The representative men and women
present indicated by their addresses
that they were in hearty accord with
tho plans of the guardians for i'm
proving the child caring facilities of