Evening star., 1925-03-10
CHILD FARMING"
IN DISTRICT DENIED
Social Workers Declare
Gross Injustice Done Board
of Guardians in Charge.

The popular" idea that dependent
or delinquent children are farmed out
or indentured in the District of Co
lumbia is gross misconception and
should be denounced in most en-
phatic terms, the Washington Council
of Social Agencies was told yesterday
by speakers at its monthly meeting
at the Raleigh Hotel. Miss Grace Alb
bott, director of the Children's Bu-
reau of the Department of Labor;
James e. Stuart of the Board of Chill
dren's Guardians and Joseph w. San
ford, clerk of the Juvenile Court, ad-
dressed the meeting.
Mr.. Stuart said IL is national
shame that Washington has been try
ing to care for it's dependent children
under the methods that have been
used. He said a lack of public under
standing is the greatest handicap the
Board of Children's Guardians labors
under, its entire motive being to pro-
tect, care for and rear children desti-
tute OF suitable home, whose welfare
might be injured If the circumstances
under which they lived at home were
permitted to exist. Referring to the
popular misconception that children
are farmed out" in Washington, Mr.
stuart said no child has been placed
on indenture in this city since 1914.
Walter S. Ufford said the social
agencies of the city have been, "un-
Justly maligned" with reference to
the allegation that they take children
away from parents without proper
cause and farm out" these children
Guardians Overworked.
Social work should begin and end
in the home, Mr. Stuart told the
council, adding that the workers for
the Board of Children's Guardians
are now very much overloaded, each
worker being responsible for 40
chfldren, when the proper standard
is regarded as so children per work
err Each year, he said. the work of
the board with regard to care of de-
pendent children grows less, there
being about 1000 children now in the
care or the board and 2,045 cared for
last year
Reviewing the work Of child
caring agencies throughout the United
states, Miss Abbott said no child
shouid be taken away from its home
without proper cause, and that some
scheme OF caring for children in their
own home is needed. The child is
,happlest in its own home" Miss Abb
oott added. A child should not be
removed from its home and commit
ted to public institution without a
tinued residence in the home would
be detrimental to the DEVELOPMENT of
the child
+ Ihe aim of all child caring fnstitu-
tions, Miss Abbott said should be
10 secure a semblance of home sur
roundings and to give the child an
proxlmately the same conditions
under which he lives at home. Aid
10 the family should be given by
a ,f%
strlngency may be forced to separate
the members of the family group.
she declared. Miss Abbott said the
transfer OF child for legal adoption
should be passed on by some State
agency before legal transfer takes
place.
"Present Laws a Disgrace"
Mr.. Sanford characterized as a
travesty' the fact that the juvenile
court law in the District of Columbia
has remained unchanged for a score
OF years. THE laws for regulation
of children here are a disgrace" Mr..
Sanford added
The Juvenile Court, he said, never
makes commitment on its own
motion, but on complaint usually of
the Board of Children's Guardians.
1t is unfortunate, he added, that per-
sons who are subnorpal or abnormal
and whom he termed "unables" in the
sense that they are sometimes unable
to support their families, usually
have large families. No child is
committed to child home on the
sole ground of poverty. The court
is really one step on the road of
treatment of dependent children" he
added.
Others joining in the discussion
were DR.. John O'Grady. head of the
Catholic charities, and Miss Louise
Beall of the Associated Charities.
John Ihlder, president of the council,
presided.