Evening star., 1928-05-01
Child Welfare Work In District
Described by Vile Over Radio

an end the rather confused situation
resultant from privately conducted
agency, which, because of partial sup
port By congressional funds, was sub
iect TO semi Federal control.
In 1925 the child hygiene service Of
the Health Department opened two
new stations. and in 1927 still another
This makes at the present time 10 sta
tions In all under control OF the Dis
trtct health authorities
The personnel, keeping pace With the
steady growth in the service rendered,
has increased from a stan OF 5 nurses
and 6 doctors, including the director,
to IS nurses. with a fuil-time Supervis-
ing nurse, and i6 doctors. including the
director.
The appropriation for the service has
made corresponding progress. Raised
In 1925 10 $25.000 and 10 $4,000 in
1927. tine amount for 1928 Is 45,OOO.
1t is very much 70 be hoped that the
increase may become ar annual event.
The Importance OF the work thus made
possible is coming to be more and more
recognized by parents and by the Dis
trict community at large.
Statistics, ! am sure, are just as tire
some over the radio as under other
circumstances. but the figures Of child
welface work IN Washington really tell
an impressive story.
In 1925 the attendance at child
welfare stations was Just under 10000.
Last year the attendance was just
under 10000 In other words, In two
years attendance just about doubled.
In 1925 there were l2,500 visits by
nurses Last year nurses made 2i 600
visits. In 1925 the station books recorded
q total registration OF ! TOO cases. In
1927 $500 cases were registered.
Let me narrate 10 you briefly what
the Child Welfare Society. concentrating
its energies upon the model unit at
Children's Hospital has accomplished.
The Children's Hospital. would like 70
say In passing. Is a model Of its kind,
and the child welfare unit maintains,
in full degree, the entire establishments
high standards.
The children's Hospital child welfare
department Is maintained as q memorial
10 Miss Mary Gwynn. a pioneer in
children's work i'll the District of
Columbia
The same general system is in opera
ton there as In the 10 child hygiene
centers conducted by the District Of
bring their children there for health
examination and for education In ma
ternal duties.
The Children's Hospital Center serves
the section Of the city extending from
N street north 10 Park road and from
North Capitol street west 10 Connect
cut avenue. This is section not served
by the child hygiene centers Of the
Department Of Health and embraces. as
you know. 'one Of the most populous
regions In Washington.
Some phase OF child welfare work IL
going on at the Childrena Hospital
| unit every hour Of every week day
Last year showed q definite increase
In the amount Of work II was called
upon 20 perform. The total clinic at
tendance for 1927 was i01b7, as against
g,b05 IN 1925. In other words, there
was an increase IN the center's opera
tions Of more than go per cent In ~
months
Home visits were made by nurses 10
babies and pfe-gehooi children In 5.I2g
cases. Nutrition CLASSES are held twice
week. In addition the nutrition
| WORKER az the center gives good demon-
atfali1ns 10 attending mothers ut regu-
/ lar conferences held for the purpose
| Last year there we're i4T Of THESE
| demonstrations and 2,40s mothers
! Asmiled themselves OF the practical
knowledge there disseminated.
| In addition W regular child welfare
| conferences, an ImmunlzatiOn class has
been instituted During the past year
/ nearly 500 children we're given the
| toxin ~antiioKin. Diphfheria occurs
/ mostly N children between / and j
| years o. age, The doctors tell us that
| none ot them should be denied this sim
pie and safe precautionary measure,
The Child Welfare Center at the
Ehildren's Hospital nov carries on thia
diphtlleria imlannizaii0n clinic AZ part