Evening star., 1936-04-18

Chief OF the DtDtSi0n OF Child
Welfare Functions.
child when he resumes them again.
His loyalty and ties are sometimes very
strong, and he is emotionally torn
apart by being subjected to two sets
of parents unless the foster parents
minimize the conflict. Therefore, the
bureau asks the new set to speak only
of the creditable things about his par
ents and make the child understand
why it is best that he is not with one
or the other for time.
GAINTLY unselfshness is required to
direct love and affectional re-
sponses to others, according to Miss
Morss, but foster parents are found
who, when they understand the rea-
sons, make the attempt. The home
finding division has supervisor, Miss
Katherine Billopp. and two assistants,
Miss Helen Coon and Miss Helen
Jones The small communities around
Washington, where most of the foster
parents dwell, are educated to be
sympathetic to the child, through CO.
operation with the schools. He can
not live in a town where he despises
school because his playmates make
him feel inferior. In many cases the
status of the child is unmentioned
Foster mothers and fathers become
"aunts" and "uncles." And the waif.
with his new found relatives, is pre-
pared to make his own living when he
is 16.
New foster mothers are recruited
most often from the friends of foster
parents who have noted the sense of
inner satisfaction the work gives.
The division supplies free medical
service to the children in its care.
On the staff are three physicians. Dr.
Edward Brooks, Dr. John O'Brien. and
DR.. Elizabeth Kittredge; and three
full-time nurses, Marie Sebastian,
Purcell and Sybilla Westen-
berger Each child committed by the
court is examined at once, and given
any medical attention he needs. Fos-
ter mothers may bring their charges to
the clinic held three times weekly.
How does the division find out
about these children?" I asked Miss
Morss.
Sometimes the police bring in a
deserted child. or runaway adoles-
cent from other cities who appeals for
help. Women taken to hospitals
sometime report children alone at
home. Schools report to us that a
child seems to be suffering strain and
neglect at home. Or neighbors report
cruelty or neglect.
The bureau investigates. FIRE.
quently we decide not to interfere. We
study the family as unit to see what
can be done to keep the child in his
home, always our goal. If upon in
vestigation we find the situation hope
less, with lack of money, alcoholism
Or degraded moral habits bothering
the child, he is taken to court, the case
is presented and the court determines
whether or not he shall be committed
to our care, and for how long. Mean
while, the real parents are assisted to
prepare for his return. If his home
is not ready for him at the end of
that time he may be recommitted. If
the child is old enough to judge, his
wishes are considered.
"EvEN in the case of delinquent
young people, the family is still
the unit Of service. The identification
of self with a family is deep psyche
logical craving in all of us. Found
lings always ask, eventually, Who am
I?' or Where did come from?' 1t is
to his development that
he keeps his own family or finds a
The so-called marrying desk" is
Miss Dorothy WilliamSon'S, who has
arranged numerous belated weddings.
removing the offspring of irregular
unions from the jurisdiction of the
division. and giving them names.
Sometimes the child may be offered
for legal adoption, the ideal solution
Of both his and the divisions prob
lens. What children are good adop-
ton risks is determined by the agency,
the workers feeling a deep RESPONSE
bility toward couples willing to assume
such an obligation. A little child may
have an enormous appeal, according to
Miss Morss, but threats to proper de-
velopment should be explained to his
parents, however enthusi-
astic they may be. Detailed studies
Of family history are made, and when
here is a long record of general emo
sional instability the future parents
are informed.
"The psychiatric clinic assists with |
young children, making exhaustive
examinations of the rate of growth,
and when moderate degree of sta
oility is assured what we want most |
for the child is legal mother and |
says Miss Morss. Strangely
there are far more homes
for sound babies than there
ire homeless babies"
In speaking of the difficulties the
he bureau encounters, Miss Morss
old of one case in which the woman
married, had child, and discovered
ater her husband had never divorced
! previous wife. Eight years ago she
eft him and put the child In an In. y