Evening star., 1940-02-01

of the present Receiving Home
quarters for those months necessary
to construct, equip and occupy a
new Receiving Home.
2. That a new Receiving Home be
built for about 60 children in as
convenient location as possible.
3. That dependent and other
children presenting minor behavior
problems for whom such a plan is
believed advisable be placed in suit
able temporary boarding homes.
4. That the present six subsidized
temporary boarding homes be devel-
oped to care for dependent children
with further development of others
If the situation requires.
5. That careful intake service be
set up in the Receiving Home under
the general superintendent Of chill
dren's service, to obtain facts.
6. That expansion of Fairgrounds
and gymnasium activities be consid-
erably increased by adequate pro-
vision in new buildings.
Inadequacy Held Generally Known.
The Kepecs report said that con-
ferences and interviews had made
clear that practically everybody in
Washington who is interested in and
familiar with the situation, includ-
ing social workers and interested
citizens, is fully aware Of the made
quancies of the child care program
of the District"
The group found that the child
care program "llas been treated
with indifference by authorities of
the District-it has failed to keep
pace with changes and develop
ments, and is now considerably be-
hind most other communities of
equal size or larger"
To this the group added:
There is general agreement that
juvenile and adult delinquency, So
cial and emotional maladjustment,
tuberculosis and certain other physi-
cal illnesses have their origin in
child neglect and can be prevented
to large extent by an intelligent
program dealing with child de-
linquency and dependency.
"Strikes Back Later"
"Acute illness and crime which
threaten the well-being and security
of the whole community are suffi-
ciently dramatic to attract atten-
ton. The neglected child is in
articuiate and seems harmless, he
attracts little notice and is, there
fore, treated indifferently. But the
child is inarticulate and helpless
only for the time being; he strikes
back later"
The group agreed that the then
existing protective" services were
only a fraction" of the total serv-
ices required and that this situa-
ton results in child neglect and
juvenile delinquency.
In its final discussion of the Re-
ceiving Home. the welfare group
said:
THE Receiving Home had been
studied previously and has received
attention during the present study
1t is obviously inadequate, from the
point. Of view of physical facilities
as well as from the point of view of
program. 1t is crowded for living
space, recreation and any other
activities. It is inconveniently 10
Gated to the Juvenile Court.
"As a matter of social policy it
Is desirable to restrict the use of
the Receiving Home to children in
need of detention pending Juvenile
Court disposition, and other facilities
should be developed for the emer-
gency care of dependent and neg
lected children; the police should be
discouraged from sending children
to the Receiving Home who can be
returned to their own families with
safety to themselves and to the
community; the Juvenile Court, in
accordance with the authority vested
in it, should control the intake of
the Receiving Home as far as its de-
tenticn function Is concerned, but
the administration of the Receiving
Home should remain under the
jurisdiction of the Board of Public
Welfare.
There Is no question about the
imperative need for a new Receiving
Home which should be located in
close proximity to the Juvenile
Court, since it is to serve that court
primarily.
"On the basis of all information
available, it is indicated that the
maximum capacity Of the new Re-
ceiving Home should not be over
40, provided that the related services
are improved It is both unwise
and unnecessary to anticipate an
increase in the number of children
requiring Receiving Home care, or,
for that matter, any form of foster
care in the predictable future. The
trend everywhere has been the
other way and there is every reason
to believe that the same trend will
continue. With good protective serv-
ices, more adequate home assistance,
housekeeper service and a more
efficient home finding service, it is
not likely that the need for Re-