Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1925-03-14
Aid Society Seeking
Abodes For Homeless
Children In Maryland
Miss Meeth Visits Pocomoke City In
Interest OF Henry Watson Chill
dren's Aid Society

The following was handed the
Democrat for publication, and, in the
interest, of homeless children the
space is given, with the hope that it
may interest some one to take one of
the friendless into a good household.1
From time to time we have heard
the name of the Henry Watson Chill
dren's Aid Society or maybe one of
our friends or acquaintance Who has
a particularly attractive child tells us
she secured her from the H.W.C.A.S.
Very few people in Pocomoke City,
however, know just what this organi-
cation is or exactly what it does. The
H.W.C.A.S., as it's name signifies, is
an organization which cares for de-
pendent children in the State Of
Maryland, particularly children who
are fit for placement in ordinary fam
lily homes. In Baltimore at the pres
ent time there are forty children in
private boarding homes who are a.
waiting their turns for real homes of
their own with "honest-to- goodness"
mothers and daddies. The majority
of them resent the idea of being
boarders and being shifted about from
place to place. They want a home
where they can stay and where they
feel that they will belong. Through
no fault of their own all of these
children have come to the H.W.C.A.
S. thru the Juvenile Court with the
legal phrase "a minor without proper
care and guardianship" Poor home
less little bits of humanity; they do
not realize that their unsatisfied crav-
ing for love and affection is due to the
accidental or wilful failure of their
parents to assume their rightful re-
sponsibilities.
Many of them come to the CAS-. in
an undernourished condition with de-
fective teeth, diseased tonsils, and I'M
familiar with the habits of decent liv-
ing. Regular visits to the doctor and
good home training correct these
faults during their temporary stay Of
few weeks or months in boarding
home before they permanently are
placed in free foster homes. Mary
learns that toothbrush is something
that can be used, and Henry finds out
that bathtub is not just receptacle
for holding ashes.
When these children are finally in
good physical condition and when
they can behave and act like normal
human human beings, the great job
of the C. A. S. is to find satisfactory
free homes for them. This is not by
any means an easy task, because the
CAS-. is a careful guardian and de-
mands that it's wards be sent to school
regularly, have time to play and en-
joy all the privileges that an all round
youngster wants in his own family.
The babies are not such a difficult
proposition, because it is surprising
how many people are interested and
willing to adopt babies, and yet the
preference for curly-haired, blue-eyed
girls is so great that the sturdy,
equally attractive but less fortunate
boys are often left for comparatively
long periods in a boarding home. No
body at all, however, wants a boy or
girl between six and ten years Of age.
No matter how much these youngsters
lcng to have a daddy to buy them
dolls or marbles, there is no such
daddy looking for them.
To get one of these youngsters from
the H.W.C.A.S. it is necessary to fill
out one of the Society's application
blanks. After the blank has been
properly filled out and returned, a
Worker from the organization visits
the home Of the applicant. Applicants
are not confined to the limits of Bal
timore city or any particular terri
tory, but any person living in the
State Of Maryland may apply for such
a child.
Even after all arrangements are
completed and the child is placed in a
foster home, the responsibility of the
CAS-. is not over. If in any way the
child or the family are unable to adj
just themselves to each other, the or
ganization stands ready to again re-
ceive the child. Besides this, rep
resentative visits the child regularly
until such child becomes of age or is
legally adopted by the family. On
the occasion of such visits, the work.
err talks over with family the child's
schooling, plans for it's future, and