The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-06-28
ALSO Children Placed h Foster Homes By State
Welfare Department Eager to Meet Expenses of Providing Wholesome Home Environment for Boys Girls-Excellent Citizens
 in the Making.

The Old Woman who lived in a shoe and had so many children wasn't even a close second to State Welfare Commissioner Robert J Smith who, by virtue of his position is guardian or supervisor of several thousand boys and girls whom the courts have made wards of the state or counties because their parents were not giving them proper care At the present time about ALSO of these children are in 1850 foster homes, getting new opportunity tc become good citizens. The Welfare Department holds to the philosophy that a child's best home is his own be it ever so humble, but that his next best bet is a good home selected for him by the state.
 In the cold nomenclature of the Connecticut General Statutes, these boys and girls are Neglected and Uncared For Children" They arc not delinquent, although there is a considerable chance that they would become so if neglect of them were permitted to continue. Neither are they charity cases, although finan- cial difficulties may be a reason why their parents have not been able to give them normal home.
 Every effort is made first to cor rect the causes of neglect and lack of care. When such attempts have prevent fruitless, the children are removed from their own home by court action and the State Welfare Department takes over with its fos- ter home program. A new home for these children is necessary because society needs good, sturdy, rugged children.
 In seeking new environments for its wards, the state concerns itself principally with finding foster mothers and fathers who will pro- vide good homes and is less fussy about the physical aspects of the house in which its children are placed. At best, however, the task of finding sufficient good foster homes is difficult. While war time condi- tions have reduced other welfare problems they have added greatly to the difficulty of finding foster homes
 The children themselves are just everyday youngsters. In the words of a member of the staff of the Child Welfare Division, the thousands of children for whom it is responsible include some who are bright and some who are dull, some who are fat and some who are thin, some who are good and some who are not quite so good" In other words, most of the children are average boys and girls.
 Many of the foster parents, how ever, disagree with the opinion that the children are average boys and girls, and are thoroughly convinced that their own particular foster child is the best in the wolrd. Mrs. H., for example, writes I'll bet there isn't another like him in the whole State of Connecticut" Mrs. H. came to the Child Welfare people one day requesting a baby to board. Her little boy had died month earlier and she was lonely. She didn't want special child, just an ordinary baby" The division was unable to place a baby with her by Christmas as she requested, but did do so at it's first opportunity.
 Some of the state wards who have grown up in foster homes have made brilliant records in college and af- rewards. Although the state theo- retically sends the children out into the world when they become eigh- teen years old, some stay voluntarily l~ der the custody of the welfare