Evening star., 1939-04-26
Address on Child Welfare
Fourth Conference Marks
New Era, President Asserts

1SSS1tS
capacities for living and assure
opportunities for the fulfillment
of those capacities. The success
of democratic institutions Is
measured, not by extent of ter
ritory, financial power, machines
or ornaments, but by the de-
sires, the hopes, and the deep
lying satisfactions of the indi-
vidual men, women and children
who make up its citizenship.
We shall be concerned with ways
in which the broad chasm be-
tween knowing and doing may
be bridged over. We shall be re-
minding ourselves that all the
lectures on nutrition will avail
nothing unless there is food for
a child to eat: that a law for
compulsory school attendance is
one thing and chance to go to
school is another. Prenatal in
struction cannot assure healthy
babies unless the mother has
access to good medical and nurs-
ing care when the time for the
baby's arrival is at hand. We
know how to budget familys
expenditures. We have under
taken to preserve home life for
fatherless or motherless children
through the joint effort of the
Federal Government and the
States. We have made great
progress in the application of
money and service to the promo
ton of maternal and child
health; the restoration of Grip
pied children to normal physical
condition: the protection of neg
lected children and children in
danger of becoming delinquent,
especially in rural areas: and the
elimination of child labor from
industries shipping goods in in
terState commerce.
Necessities of Childhood
Are Challenging Issues.
Yet. after all has been said.
only beginning has been made
In af1ording security to children.
In many parts of the country we
have not provided enough to
meet the minimum needs of de-
pendent children for food, shelter
and clothing, and the Federal
Governments contribution to-
ward their care is less generous
than It's contribution to the care
of the aged.
1t is not enough, however, to
consider what democratic So
ciety must provide. We must
look at our civilization through
the eyes of children. If we can
state in simple language some of
the basic necessities of childhood.
We shall see more clearly the
issues which challenge our intel
ligence.
We make the assumption that
a happy child should live in a
home where he will find warmth
and food and affection; that
his parents will take care of
him should he fall i'll; that at
school he will. find the teachers
and tools needed for an educa-
ton; that when he grows up
there will be a job for him and
that he will some day establish
his own home.
AS We consider these essentials
OF a happy childhood our hearts
are heavy with. the knowledge
that there are many children who
cannot make these assumptions.
We are concerned about the
children of the unemployed.
We are concerned about other
children who are without ade-
quate shelter or food or clothing
because of the poverty of their
parents.
We are concerned about the
children of migratory families
who have no settled place of
abode or normal community re-
lationships.
We are concerned about the
children of minority groups in
our population who, confronted
with discrimination and pref
udice, must find it difhcult to be-
lieve IN the just ordering of life
or the ability of the adults in
their world to deal with lifes
problems.
Medical Service
Is Of Great Concern.
We are concerned about the
children living beyond the reach
Of medical service or lacking
medical service because their par
ents cannot pay for it.
We are concerned about the