The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-02-08

SOCIAL adJugtment, and only aft0r
 the expenditure of much time and
 patient effort can be solved.
 Waterbury last year had IS chill
 dren at the center, 1t was brought
 out by Mir Hacker, and they re.
 ceived a total of 2,6S4 days care.
 This year Waterbury has 13 chill
 dren there.
 Extracts from Mir Hackers ad- dress follows:
 The problems which face the Children's Center today do not diff fer greatly in kind from those bee fore 1t in past years. Death, dis ease, vice, mental efficiency, still exist and in times like the years just past, are accentuated.
 During the year 1898, there were 364 new applications for care, Cat about the rate of one per day), 614 different children were cared for during 1888 which represents 1sO,0S7 days care, a consid derabie increase over 1882. Tn october. 1888. there were 376 children un- der the care of the Children's Community Center and rapid rise fom that date brings the number to 422, which represents the largest number of children ever cared for by the organization at one time. The needs of these 422 children are various and differ to enormity In the first place, all of them need the interest, sympathy and atten- ton of competent adult. Many of them have physical defects which need correction at the hands of a specialist. Mental difficulties are also presented and need the at. tention of the psychiatrist or psych. ologist Social adjustments are most essential and require ample time an dskill to make. Individual behavior problem also call for pa tience and Knowledge of child Economic and other so- cial problems within the child's own family are another respon. sibility of the worker in the child welfare field.
 During the year 1888, Is chill dren from Waterbury were given 2,684 days care. Today we have 13 children from Waterbury alone, Our present day facilities for the solution of the aforementinoed dlO dSAG0 UT grounds, hilly, wooded and well planned, nine substantial buildings and plenty of trees, grass and sum- shine. The buildings were fully paid for at the time of erection and of course are tax free. The attra ctiveness of the site sometimes leads the uninitiated to believe that 1t Is an extravagant institution. An analysis of the facts indicates that the most worthwhile things are God-given and free as the air It. self.
 The Children's Center has also about 175 supervised private homes in which the greater proportion of It's children are placed with a view to receiving necessary sympathetic and intelligent care in a normal home environment. These homes are selected with the utmost care by persons who have had years of in doing just this kind of work and after the ohild's placement, the homes are super- vised with frequency and regular ity. Any indication that children are asked for becausesof the finan- cial advantages results in a closing of the home. The staff of social service workers especially trained to make investigation and private of the children in fos- ter homes is maintained and under- goes continuous training and care- full supervision itself. Our cottage parents are selected with utmost care and on the basis of their train- ing and genuine interest in chill dren. Since most children who come to us are either under or suffering from some minor or major defect, resident assisted by an interne from the New Haven hospital is and is responsible for the health of the children both on and off the grounds. Semi-annual physical examinations are given to all children over six years of age quarterly examination to children between the ages of four and six and a monthly examination to al children under four years of ast A group of about 60 praeticinp dentists in New Haven, afford den tai care by appointment in their own offices as the children's needs arise. The amount of care neces' sary is determined by a dentai hygienist who visits at regular in tervals Through 8 close, coopera tive arrangement with the Institute of Human Relations all of thu psychiatric and psychological care felt necessary is afforded the chtl- dren. Children are received as young as few days old up to the age of 16 years and if necessary. treatment under the care of the or- ganization until they are 21.
 At the time the depression set in. the annual budget for the organ. ization was about $215.000. This was reduced to $1S5,000 by 1888. 25 per cent of this amount comes from the New Haven Community Chest, 25 per cent from the En- dowment Fund, 35 per cent from parents. l<felatives, selectmen, orr ganizations and others who arc legally responsible for children's care and 15 per cent from volun- tary contributions throughout the country outside of the New Haven Community Chest area. The indi- cations for 1894 are decided in- crease in the number of children to be cared for. particularly if the efforts of providing unemployment