Evening star., 1940-11-10

Modern social peltare work
goes Jar beyond provision OF the
bare necesSitieS-tood, clothing,
Shelter-becduse it recognizes the
importance OF reaDakening hope,
OF making continued eriStence
not only possible, but, in some
measure, desirable. GlimpSes OF
the Community Chests lOork in
individual approach to the prob
lens and uieDpOintS OF the
people it serpeS are presented in
series OF articles OF 10hich the fol-
lolOing is the first
BY c. A. MATHISEN.
Joey has problem. It's his shoes.
He has trouble putting them on. A
task disposed of by the average
adult without deliberation for Joey
is an apparently insurmountable
obstacle, for he is going on g."
Here, Joey, up on the chair"
When the sturdy little fellow
hears that suggestion as he wrestles
with the pesky shoes, he is quick to
respond, for it comes from smiling,
energetic woman of middle age he
has come TO trust. She is not his
mother. Conditions are such that
the youngster is not blessed with a
home life and the care and guidance
of two parents.
Joey lives in a foster home, but
almost all the elements of normal
existence for a boy. 5, save the
ties of blood, are there to guard
against an aberrated development.
Perhaps his mother will be able to
take him back in year or two,
perhaps not. In either case, how
ever, Joey's needs-not Lne needs
of the average child'-are being
given proper attention.
Joey Only One of $50.
Planning for Joey's welfare took
time and understanding. Com
munity Chest dollars made possible
the arrangements for his rearing in
an environment assuring his orderly
development, and Community Chest
dollars are necessary to continue
them.
Joey was one of the $50 children
given case-work service during. the
past year by the Children's Pro-
tective Association, a Chest member
dedicated to the individual ap-
proach. The youngster, now living
in a large suburban house under
care of an understanding woman
who brought up two children of her
own, would not be able to explain
the precise reason for the failure"
in his home, but the trained field
worker assigned to his case found 1t,
decided foster home would be the
best solution, conferred with the
associations staff ''foster-home
finder" and placed joey in the
recommended surroundings.
Children are brought to the
agency by their parents or other
relatives, or their situations are
referred by other social work or
ganizations, the public schools or
Juvenile Court. Each youngster Is
regarded as a person-an insecure,
disturbed little person who may
need reorientation in his own home,
placement with foster parents away
from an undesirable or actually
untenable environment or institu-
tional care.
Here's Typical Case.
When one parent dies or deserts
or becomes hospitalized, case for
the Children's Protective Associa-
ton may begin to develop. The
remaining parent, obliged to work
throughout the day, may be unable
to provide proper supervision for
the boy or girl now bereft of al
most all his deserved share Of
parental affection and help.
Here is a part of one of the filed
reports-all are different because
no two clients" are exactly alike
and no two have precisely the
same problems:
A woman noticed that 10-year-
old boy living near her was locked
out of the house in which he lived
from the time his mother went to
work in the morning until she re-
turned at night. The father had
deserted years before and the
mother, earning only 81 per week
and her meals, was forced to live
with the boy in one room, fixing
his breakfast before she left and
leaving something for his lunch.
The landlady said she would keep
an eve on him" when he returned
from school, but the plan did not
work. Herbert was not bad boy"
at heart. The needed supervision
was lacking, however, and Herbert
often did not come home after
school.
ScOlding Ineffective.
There was nothing in the little
room to attract him, so he wandered
about the streets. Sidewalk asso-
Citations were not tempered with
the influences of true home. Her
bert's infrequent early returns to
the house were featured by petty
thievery in the quarters OF other
dodgers and the landlady. Herbert
was locked out when scolding proved
ineffective.