Evening star., 1939-10-26
Washington Children
In Institutions
Twice Cities AVERAGE
Lack of Truined
Case Workers Blamed
For Conditions Here

Twice as many children are being
cared for by Washington public and
private agencies away from their
families as is the average in other
cities of comparable size, Miss Mil
dred Terrett, executive secretary of
the Children's Protective Association,
declared at the groups annual busi-
ness meeting yesterday.
In her annual report, presented to
members of the Community Chest
agency at its headquarters, 1907 S
street NV. Miss Terrett said the
ratio is about A children in 10000
in the District as compared with %
per 10000 in other cities of similar
size.
I'VE are now giving service to be-
tween 600 and 700 children a year."
she continued. I'VE are now re-
ceiving more than twice as many re-
quests for Service than we can give"
Trained Workers Lacking.
Lack OF sufficient numbers of
trained caseworkers to make adjust
ments in the family in order to pre-
vent the children from being put
away" in some institution is one of
the chief problems of Washington
child welfare work, Miss Terrett con-
tinued.
I'VE have no social workers in
our public school system" Miss
Terrett said, although this is the
most highly effective position for
workers doing protective case work
with children of school age. They
are in on the earliest appearance
OF misbehavior or of unhappiness
and are provided with a good ap-
proach to the parents
In another address Mrs. Lili Pei
Ter, child guidance expert, warned
association members that child well
fare work cannot be placed on a
mass production basis as an eco
nomical expedient and still retain
its human aspect.
Mrs. Peller, former education direc-
tor OF the Psychoanalytical Society
OF Austria, told the group that
wherever possible the child should
remain with its family rather than
be sent to an institution as the most
immediate solution of the problem.
Mrs. Peller stressed the necessity
OF case work in the family in order
to preserve the family's integrity,
The child should live with small
number of people in order to under
stand human relationships" she de-
clared, adding that the family pro-
vldes the most natural environment
for such a purpose.
On the other hand, she continued,
II 1t is necessary to place the child
IN an institution. care must be taken
to preserve family ties. She pointed
out that when q child is taken
from its home it still clings to
family threads" and that it is
dlfncult for an institution to keep
these threads" together.
Members Of the associations board
OF directors, who were reelected
at yesterdays meeting, include Mrs.
David S. Barry, Mrs. Frederick M.
Bradley. Fernando Cuniberti, Mrs.
Peyton Hawes Dunn, Mrs. Walter S.
Ufford, Mrs. R. Thomas West and
Herbert S. Wood. Reporting for
the nominating committee of which
ne is chairman. Leonard Lyons pre-
sented the group for reelection.
Mrs. Jesse c. Adkins, secretary of
the association, presented the fln-
ancial report.
Following the business meeting
and Mrs. Peller's address, the as
sociation held "open house" as part
OF the Community Chest "Go-and-
See" tours. Photographic Exhibits
OF the associations work with chill
dren in foster homes and other in
stitutions were displayed at its head
quarters at 1907 S street NV.