The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1945-02-27
WELFARE Unit
HOLDS MEETING.
SEVERAL FROM KEY WEST
ATTEND SESSION IN
w. PALM BEACH

At the monthly meeting of Dis
trict No. 10 Welfare Board held
at West Palm Beach on February
%, Maxine Valdez, chairman Of
the Monroe County Commission,
was a guest. Also present from
Key West were Gerald Saunders,
board member, Mrs. Martha Fort,
local supervisor, and Miss Flea
nor Hursh, senior child welfare
worker.
Miss Hursh gave an account OF
her three months activity in
Monroe County; her work with
existing agencies such as the
schools, Red Cross, juvenile court;
her efforts toward creating new
community resources, such as fos-
ter homes; the direct services
which she has been giving to
children.
AS an illustration of one of the
most serious lacks that she has
observed in Key West, she told
of an aid to dependent children
family in which she secured spe-
cial medical attention for the
mother, special school services
for the child, and the family will
now be able, to live a normal life
If the monthly check from the
State Welfare Board were large
enough to cover their basic ex-
,penses of $50 per month. Unfor-
tunately the most that can be
given is $18; hence the family
cannot even buy necessary food.
Attending this regular monthly
board meeting by invitation were
county commissioners and state
legislators from this area to whom
the State Welfare Board wished
to present its legislative program.
Leland w. Hiatt, State Welfare
commissioner, addressed tn e
group, explaining the three bills
which will be sponsored by the
State Welfare Board at the COM
ing session of the Legislature.
One would provide for reappro-
priating unexpended balances at
the end of the fiscal year. This
is now done routinely by special
act at each session. A second
would eliminate the $3.50 limit
on salaries 'of staff members or
increase the ceiling so that key
positions would not be vacant for
long periods as in the past. A
third proposal would enable the
board to make changes in any of
its policies so that they would
comply with new social security
legislation to be enacted by con-
gress, and Florida would thus be
able to receive additional federal
funds for public assistanie.
Mr.. Hiatt spoke of the adoption
law and the welfare boards work
In making adoption studies fol-
the Circuit Courts. He consider
ed the law basically sound but in
need of certain revisions.
ron behalf of the State Welfare
Board Mr. Hiatt expressed appre-
citation for the letters received
from a majority of Legislators
promising to make an appropria-
ton at the coming session so that
old age assistance grants could
be continued on the present basis
despite the loss of race track rev.
enue.
Administrative costs of the
State Welfare Board have drop
ped. While the staff is smaller
standards have continued to rise
Numbers of recipients have de-
creased with more than 5000 per-
sons removed from Old Age AS
sistance rolls during the, past tWc
years due mainly to increased
income, some of which is derived
from. wartime, employment. .uyn
Mr., Hiatt revealed that the
weakest part Of the whole State
Welfare Board program, is Aid tc
Dependant Children, Funds now
available for dependent children
are so limited that it is impossi'
BILE for State Welfare Board to
meet more than Is per cent OF
the need. Every dollar required
by a family of dependent chill
dren for basic maintenance such
as food, shelter, utilities, and
clothing, the State Welfare Board
can give the family only q
quarter.
This means that our Aid to De-
pendent Children homes are faI
below the minimum standard OF
health. Families do net have
enough food. Houses are sub
standard. Children go to school
partly clothed, and there is nc
money for bus fares, medicines
special diets, To adequately fl
nance Aid to Dependent Children
$2,662,000 annually would be
needed. To provide sources Of
revenue for an adequate Aid to
Dependent Children program is
the challenge that the states de-
pendent children give to our leg
islature.