Evening star., 1937-04-22

N'AA"e "oAAA AoHf<CAA AAA VA4ooC PlSuA
cases If the Receiving Home for Chill
dren is abolished on July /, as ordered
by the House?
A 4-year-old, for example, is picked
up on the streets, lost and unable to
tell his name or address He is turned
over to policeman, who takes him to
a precinct.
There the policeman can find no
record that the child's parents have
reported his disappearance The child
is kept at the precinct for few hours
in hope that some one will make
inquiry. But suppose no such inquiry
Is received?
Under the present system the lost
youngster is then sent to the Receiv-
ing Home for Children, = remodeled
apartment house At 8l6 Potomac ave.
nue. southeast rented BY the District.
The child Is questioned for such tnfor-
nation as he may be able to furnish,
bathed, dressed in fresh clothing and
fed. II sleepy, he Is put to bed
between fresh sheets.
Value 1t Time q Inquiry.
II and when the parents do inquire,
the police can tell them where the
child is and assure them he is prop
erly cared for Should the parents not
turn up, the child is readily available
for further inquiry.
Under the new system provided in
the Districts 1888 appropriation bill,
which has passed the House and soon
will come up for hearings before =
Senate committee, the Receiving Home
would be abolished and = system of
foster homes substituted. But the bill
makes no provision for personnel TO
administer the system.
Thus the 4-year-old under the
new system would remain at the pro-
cinct until police could locate . suit
able foster home, without the aid OF
trained welfare workers, and ind the
time to take the child there Under
the present set-up the receiving home
sends for the child.
After parades or other large public
gatherings many lost children often
are brought to precincts at one time.
Under the proposed system the
police would be almost powerless to
cope with such situation.
Problem Of Juvenile Delinquent.
Another and more perplexing prob
lem would be a 16-year-old boy, say
a husky but feeble minded delinquent
with penchant for arson. The
Receiving Home has cared for several
such problem cases.
The boy Is turned over to police
after he has started . dangerous fire
The boy obviously should be kept
under restraint, yet the police are
prevented by law from locking him
up In the precinct. No juvenile under
II can be 50 detained. The only
alternative would be to turn him over
to foster parent.
The boy could not be sent to any
detention home until the Juvenile
Court passed on his case and COM
mitted him. Yet foster homes In the
District are difficult to obtain, even
for non-problem children.
What foster parent could be pre-
vailed upon to take in such a de-
linquent even with the financial re-
turn provided by the new system.
And If the foster parent did agree,
how could he put the boy under
restraint? Foster homes are not
equipped with bars and locks. Yet the
boy obviously would bolt at the first
opportunity or plan more mischief.
Th District now pays from $40 to
$2l . month board for children placed
In foster homes. and this figure would
have to be increased, social service
workers say, If delinquents are placed
In private homes. At least $25
monthly would be the cost Of boarding
problem children, 1t was said.
Ninety-one per cent Of the home's 4
intake is through the Police Depart
ment, and = large proportion Of the
children must be kept under restraint
pending action of the Juvenile Court
on their delinquencies.
Among cases taken temporarily into
the home are children referred to the
home by various family welfare
agencies, children deprived Of support
by some sudden emergency. lost chill
dren, and children committed by the
Board Of Public Welfare pending thei,
transfer to . foster home or some In
stitution.
Public welfare officials do not deny
the present home Is totally made.
quate, that overcrovding exists and
that innocent young unfortunates can.
not be segregated from dehnquenti
already versed In criminal nnethodS.