Evening star., 1938-05-01


States to turn their attention to the
subject Of child hygiene
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt will be
the principal speaker at the luncheon
and when she speaks from 2:45 to 8
pm. she will not only tell the people
in the ballroom about the importance
of child welfare, but by means of a
radio broadcast she will open the
national observance of the month of
May as Child Health Month.
Miss Lenroot to Speak.
Miss Katherine Lenroot, chief Of the
United States Children's Bureau, will
discuss the national child health pro-
gram and present facts about condi-
tions in the District as shown by a
recent survey. Representative Ross
Collins and DR.. George v. Rutland
will speak on the implications of
Child Health Month for the District
and Mrs. R. Gordon Wagenet of the
League Of Women Voters will also
speak
DR.. Ella Oppenheimer Of the Dis
trict of Columbia Bureau of Maternal
and Child Welfare, who is in general
charge of the local May health OBJ
servance, will preside. Mrs. Wagenet
is in charge Of all arrangements for
the luncheon.
There Is probably no other single
interst upon which women are so
willing to agree as that of child well
fare. Though they may differ as to
methods and procedure, they all recog-
nize the Importance of the general
objective and are willing to do their
utmost to improve conditions affecting
children.
The major part of the program for
Child Health Month is under the gen.
eral direction of the Bureau of Ma
ternal and Child Welfare of the Dis
trict of Columbia Health Department.
Much of the work now being done by
this office had its beginnings in the
work of a group of Washington
women.
Move Dates to 1896.
It dates back to about 1896, when
some of the charitably- minded wom-
en- of the city felt that something
should be done for the sick poor"
1t began when these women started
to take soup and other essentials to
the homes of the INDECENT. In 1901
they organized what was known as
the Washington Diet Kitchen Associa-
ton. AS the ladies visited the homes
of the poor, they saw that, not only
did the adults of the family need
help, but that the children were I'M
dernourished. What the children
needed most was milk, they decided.
Acting on this belief, the group es-
tablished q milk center for children
at Neighborhood House in 1903. A
second such center was established
year later in the northeast section,
followed shortly by third in the
northwest part Of the city.
Gradually it became apparent that
something more than free milk was
needed. Mothers needed instruction
in the modification Of milk, in home
hygiene and in the care of babies Tho
program was broadened and in 1913
station for infant welfare was opened
in Georgetown under the sponsorship
of the association. Soon afterwards
another station was opened in Chill
dren's Hospital. Eventually the as
sociation set up eight such stations in
various parts of the city.
This change in the policy was re-
flected in change of name. The Diet
Kitchen Association became The Child
Welfare Society in 1919.
Appropriation Obtained.
Miss Mary Gwynn. who was for
many years the president, did much
to promote the establishment of the
milk stations and the welfare centers
In turn the work became too un-
wieldy for q private organization to
handle and Miss Gwynn decided that
as it was really public health project
1t should be supported by public funds.
A small appropriation was secured
and five of the centers were taken
over by the District of Columbia
Health Department Gradually more
of them came under the supervision Of
the Health Department until now only
one is under private supervision.
This is in Children's Hospital, now
supervised by Mrs Anson Phelps
Stokes, but, as DR.. Oppenheimer
says, ut co-operates just as effec-
lively as the Others"
On Miss Gwynn's death, in 1923,
Mrs. Frank B. Noyes became president
OF the Child Welfare Society and
continued in that capacity for some
time"
Mrs. Noyes made a valuable con-
trtbution to child welfare work - Il,.