Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-21
i. S. and Child Welfare

delphia of the relationship between child
welfare and the employment OF mothers
in that city. Information was sought
on the effect of the mothers employ
ment upon her efficiency as mother
and the health, schooling and conduct
Of the children. A house-to- house can
vass was made of l2227 families. When
completed this study will throw much
light on the extent TO which mothers OF
children in a modern industrial COM
munity are employed outside the home,
the trends and causes OF such employ
ment and the relationship between
mothers employment and the occupa-
tions Of the fathers. with their earnings
and contributions to the family income.
Delinquency and Labor.
Child delinquency bulks large in the
bureaus work. as does child labor. At
the request of the Maine department of
public welfare a study has been under
way in that State OF the extent Of juve-
nile delinquency. Juvenile courts
throughout the country have been CO.
operating in the general program OF
the bureau for obtaining facts by send
ing to it statistics Of delinquency in
their areas.
It has gathered statistics on child
labor in various States. with compare
tive data on child labor legislation. The
bureau has made study also OF the
family court. AS result it has recon-
mended principles which should govern
the esta blishment of new courts and
the reorganization of existing courts.
Dependent children constitute an
other major problem. About A. States
now have mothers aid legislation. and
,,,0ra tbo,, ON mn children are Y0U re-
ceiving public aid. A survey in re-
lated field was made Of the effect which
the Imprisonment of the fathers Of 2l0
Kentucky families had on the welfare
of their wives and children.
Despite the fact that the mothers did
everything in their power to earn liv-
ing for their dependents. it was found
that only 80 of the families were COM
pletely self-supporting At the time this
study was under way Kentucky had
made no provision for aid to dependent
children nor for organized country
agencies for case work with families in
need.
Miss Abbott Heads Bureau.
The present director Of the Children's
Bureau is Miss Grace Abbott. There
are six divisions. These are the ma
ternity and infant hygiene division. in
charge Of the Federal administration OF
the Sheppard Towner act; the child
hygiene division, which investigates
, problems Of child health; the industrial
division, which is primarily concerned
with the problems Of child workers: the
social service division. which is con-
cerned with the problems Of the de-
pendent children and all those who
need special care: the statistical divi-
sion. which helps other divisions
! 4t.ra L,Y1a ~ he daf al
and by suggesting lines Of inquiry; the
editorial division. which publishes the
reports of surveys and populariZes this
information through charts, posters,
motion pictures, leaflets and newspaper
and magazine articles: the periodical
summarizing Of child welfare informa-
ton and the correspondence section.
In 1920 the bureau began q series Of
surveys Of the employment Of children
in agriculture. The surveys covered
about 1880 children engaged in farm
work in IA States. It was found that
farm work seriously interfered with
schooling, especially in the case Of boys
OF IL years or older.
Some Farm Boys Hampered.
"Boys whose farm work cuts short
their school days are not being given
a fair chance in life" the Investigators
X,
other industry and business, education
pays. The successful farmer of today
needs at least high school education:
ne must be prepared to understand and
adopt improved business marketing
methods and have an understanding Of
the economic and social questions in
volved in agriculture. His ranks must
furnish the leaders to further his in
terests. Agriculture offers large oppor-
ftTnitiAe ~ ftAAeA IA
proper qualifications and training.
Staying away from school to work
on the farm is sometimes defended
on the ground that farm work provides
valuable training. The social and moral
value for growing boys, and girls Of al
most any work, providing 1t is not too
hard or otherwise injurious, especially
work that is done to assist parents,
cannot be gainsaid.
Much Of the farm work that chill
dren do Is not educative in any sense.
The kind that thousands do, especially
in the one-crop sections, is not Of a
kind to train them to be better farmers
than their parents"
The lengthening Of the school term
was suggested as one of the best and
most effective ways of reducing excess
sive child labor.
Workers on City Streets.
Special studies also have been made
of child workers on city streets. Six
cities were taken-Atlanta, Columbus,
Omaha, Wilkes-Barre, Newark and
| Paterson.
Next years conference will be made
| up of representatives of the voluntary
association, with Federal, State and
municipal authorities interested in ques-
lions Of child welfare.
Its purpose will be to determine the
| facts as to our present progress and our
| future needs in this great field and to
make recommendations for such meas
ures for more effective official and vol
| iir1tarv action Hnd their coordination