The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-06-28

commissioner until they are 21. The government, however, does not pro- vide financially for them after they are 18.
 By that time many of the foster parents have become so attached to their foster children that they make sacrifices to help send them through college. The boys and girls frequent ly make their own way through schools of higher learning, and the staff of the Division of Child Well fare has become adept at seeking out scholarships and other financial aid for the more deserving.
 Many of the girls graduate from nurses training schools, and the group of foster girls has provided the country with many excellent nurses, some of whom are now serv- ing with our armed forces. Accord ing to Child Welfare workers the girls invariably make excellent homemakers, probably because of the contract between their own broken family and the greatly su- perior conditions in their foster home.
 Many of the boys are in the army or the navy, with an apparent lean- ing toward the navy The social workers and others in the depart ment frequently receive letters from former lads who are in some dis tant country or on some ship of the fleet. The welfare people feel that their boys and girls have as deep a realization of what they are fighting for as do any other members of our armed services. At the same time the department hopes that many persons here in Connecticut will realize that they can do a patriotic thing by taking in foster children during the present emer- gency. Homes are increasingly hard to find and the State Welfare De- partment is constantly searching for new prospects who can be certi- fled as approved foster parents.
 Right now, Commissioner Smith, who is extremely anxious about the situation would like to hear from a large number of persons who would be willing to help bring up some of these boys and girls whose unfor- tunate predicament is no fault of theirs. His address, incidentally, is Room 249, State Office Building. Hartford, Conn.,, and the addresses of the supervisors of the four branch offices are as follows:
 Mrc yo iriA of Child Welfare, 1211 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, Conn.
 Miss Ruth c. Dana, Division of Child Welfare, State Office Building, Hartford, Conn.
 Miss Dorothy M. Badger, Division of Child Welfare, 26 Grove street, New Haven, Conn.
 Mrs. Margaret Carroll, Division of Child Welfare, 287 Main street, Norwich, Conn.
 To meet the increased cost of liv- ing, the state has increased to $6 a week the amount which it pays for the care of foster children. The state also pays for all clothing and medical care for the youngsters.
 The money received for being foster parents is far from being. the only incentive or compensation, &C., cording to foster fathers and mothers of many years experience. Case workers in the Child Welfare Division recall family after family who have said they took children partially because of the opportunity to help someone less fortunate; but that the children were soon doing more for them, with their com- panionship and affection than they had ever expected to be able to do for te children.
 Many a childless couple has taken one or more foster children with an eye to the additional income. espe- cially during the depression years only to discover greater return in the happiness which comes from the presence of children in the fam fly. from the enjovment-and re- sponsibilitv-which IS a part of as- sisting in the hanging of tiny stock ings at Christmas Time and of patching up bruised fingers and knees or the Fourth of July and through the year. from relieving their own youth by sharginin the pleasures and troubles of the youngsters.