The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1928-06-07
Child Welfare Society Has
7: ao..> Huge Task to Perform

~ pldCcS upOH Tie SCdte bOdfQ OF
Control responsibility for seeing
that the child gets fair chance
and more particularly that pro.
ceedings to establish paternity are
begun and properly concluded and
that the responsibility is assumed
There were 48 illegitimate births
in Stearns county during 1927.
There was judgment Of paternity
with stipulation in Is cases during
that time. There was acknow.
Judgement of paternity in eleven
cases. There are seven warrants
for arrest out. Eleven unmarried
mothers married during 1927 OF
whom seven married the father of
their child.
In the majority of these cases
payment for the support of the:
child is ordered made to the Coun.
W Child Welfare Board. Over
eighteen thousand dollars has
passed through the hands of the
board for the support of these
illegitimate children and over
$1,000 is held in trust for them.
The placement of dependant
children in foster homes is made
by licensed child placing agencies
but the investigation of the home
with the subsequent approval of
the State Board of Control is en-.
tirely in the hands of the Chile
Welfare Board. Certain definite
requirements are laid down by the
state. Children of the same ag.
but: of opposite sex are not allow
ed in foster-homes. Foster par
ents should be young enough tc
have life expectation carrying
the child well into maturity. They
should be of the same religious be-
liefs as the child. Material ad.
vantages in the foster home are
small factor. A child must occupy
definite place, as member of
the family and cannot he taken
for work alone. An investigation
is made regarding all these matters
and the material laid before the
Child Welfare Board who vote re.
garding a recommendation as tt
whether placcm ent shall be ap-
proved or disapproved. This rec
concentration is sent to the State
Board of Control.
The supervision of the feeble
minded is an imp ortant part of the
work of the Child Welfare Board.
There are three definite types of
feeblemindd PRISONS with whom the
Board has to deal.
Types for committeeman are
those suffering from severe cpl
leptic attacks; those dangerous to
the community because of sexual
tendencies; those of the imbecile
or idiotic class who are members
of families in which there are 9TH
er young children or of families
who are unable to care for them
properly in the home.
Types for outside supervision
are those who are able to work and
earn their living either partly or
entirely but who require super
vision to prevent their exploita-
ton, their marriage or any effort
on their part to leave the state
and become public charges else.
where.
Types that may remain in the
home are those in which there is
sufficient means to properly care
for them in homes in which there
are no younger children.
The State has recently passed
sterilization law in which feeble
minded person may be rendered in.
capabl of bearing children upon
signed consent Of the nearest rel
ative if that feebleminded person
has been committed as such
through the courts to the State
Board of Control.
The work with delinquent boys
and girls occupies a large part Of
the time of the executive secretary.
Girls come before the Juvenile
court largely as incorrigibles, be-
cause of bad home conditions or
bad associates, because of i'm
morality or veneral infections.
Boys are brought in for the same
reasons but more frequently for
stealing and destruction of prop
ertv and lately, for drinking. Ex-
cept in cases where treatment is
required, a first offense usually
means probation for either boy OF
girl. Supervision in these cases is
by the Child Welfare Board. In
many cases it is necessary to
place the boy or girl in another
home and the finding and manage
ment if these placements are done
through the Child Welfare Board
Aside from the above, the Child
Welfare Board makes complaint
and files information with the
county attorney in all cases in
which the welfare of minor chill
dren is threatened. Brutal drunk
en- husbands are brought into
court, crippled and defective chill
dren are placed under treatment
cooperation with special agencies
is active and all forms of social
work in the county are done by the
Board. In the nine years the Board
was formed over 400 cases have
been handled.