Evening star., 1939-04-04

This is the last of a series "
three stories dealing With the
child 1Deltare problem in the
District.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
When the District of Columbia
Department of Public Welfare set
up its child welfare demonstration
project in the Peabody School in
1886. it had two objects in view.
The first purpose was frankly
experimental. 1t wanted to learn
by its own mistakes-from a limited
group Of problem children. to build
up an experience to the child well
fare work of the whole city. The
second purpose was to coordinate
the agencies already at work in the
child welfare field and to stimulate
groups in the community to an
aWareness of the child problem.
Throughout, the demonstration
unit has been Laboratory" A good
many Of the situations, Miss
Donahue and her assistant find, fall
into types. Thorough and success
ful handling of one such case may
show the way to disposing easily
OF score of others. During the
last year much attention has been
paid to difficulties which are
primarily economic. Most of such
cases are referred from the schools,
where are first noticed the reflec-
tions In the children of the money
troubles at home
Some Problems Temporary.
I'm most of these cases" Miss
Donahue reports. the problem was
a temporary one of unemployment
OF the father or serious illness of
the chief wage Garner in the family
group. These cases did not fall
within the general classification of
problems being accepted by the
relief agencies
Hence. she points out, it became
a problem of marshaling the meth
ods of relief available in the neigh
borhood. of rearranging family bud
gets, and in many cases demonstrat-
ing the ability of families to get
along without public aid. Altogether
162 situations involving 419 children
were handled. They have been
divided into two main groups.
The first of these groups is made
up of problems anchored in the
home economic problems,
problems with children due to the
inadequacy of the parents to con-
troll them. And problems of health.
Forty-Seven cases were referred to
the demonstration unit because of
problems arising from inadequate
finances. In only 20 of these was
actual need for assistance found to
exist, once the home life had been
reordered.
Criminal Leanings Uncovered.
The second great group comprises
those problems arising from be-
havior difficulties in the children
themselves. These were found to
exist with rs children in that one
neighborhood. Many of these were
criminal personalities in the max
ing. The problem was to get at
the causes of their enmity to society
and correct them before the be-
havior itself was hardened into un-
breakable habit.
Every community. the Department
of Public Welfare believes, has un-
utilized and sometimes unsuspected
resources for taking care of its own,
once the social consciousness is
aroused. Few of the economically
harassed families living within the
Peabody School area actually want
to go on relief, the welfare workers
have found. They are willing to
accept almost any other way out,
and often a temporary helping hand
from church or neighborhood group
is all that is necessary to keep such
a family afoat. Without help of
any kind during a period of jobless-
ness the family would lose heart and
go on relief" from very hopeless
ness.
Must Meet Gang" Problems.
In this neighborhood, as elsewhere
through the city, the problem of
gangs" is serious. While these are
a normal association of boys every
where, a good deal depends on how
they are handled whether they be-
come an influence for good or bad.
Studies have been made Of three
local gang situations. Following
each of these the unit has par
ticipated with the Fairgrounds,
schools and police in the correction
of conditions, providing case work
service for the boys themselves, and
taking a hand in the family situa-
ton when this was seen to be neces-
sary. There has been the closest CO.
operation with the Juvenile Rela-
tions Division Of the Police Depart
ment.
The Peabody School project is Or
ganized along lines laid down by
the United States Children's Bu-
reau and follows closely similar
projects in Other, large cities. AL
have q common objective-to DEM
oustrats Q parental interest In the