Evening star., 1945-05-01
Action by Congress Needed
To Avoid New Child Care Delay
Needed Projects Discussed Five Years
Ago but Little or Nothing Resulted
(Ldst OF a Series.)
BY SARAH FLINN.

last OF a Series.)
BY SARAH FLINN.
Five years from now, pro ling
Congress appropriates the necessary
money. and assuming that a return
to peace will bring adequate supplies
of building materials and manpower,
there should be no real problem in
the rehabilitation of the delinquent
children of Washington.
That same statement without the
qualifying clause might have been
made five years ago, however, with
perhaps as much confidence as it is
made today.
Plans for homes for wayward chill
dren-discussed in two previous ar
ticles in The Star-would provide
three centers for child welfare These
plans were brewing five years ago
Five years hence they still will be
only plans unless Congress at its
present session starts the wheels
rolling by definite appropriations.
Projects Listed.
These are the plans that depend
on congressional action:
The Receiving Home for Children
would be housed in new buildings or
the site where Gallaudet College
now is.
This center would be used not
only as a receiving home, but would
serve as classification center fol
all the children in the care of the
Public Welfare Board. 1t woulo
provide an extended program to in
clude services to the various public
welfare agencies, and to the courts
by a staff large enough and vel
enough trained to determine scien.
tifically what care each child needs
Money for the land for the home
is at hand and the purchase is ir
process. Eestimated cost for the
building and rehabilitation of the
land is 100000.
The second part of the plan is a
center. to be housed at Laurel. Md
Here would be housed the Industrial
Home School, the National Train
ing School for Girls and the Dis
trict Training School,
Would Be Economical.
BY centering these three institu-
tions together it would be possible
to save money in administration and
through the joint use of such serv-
ices as water, laundry, cooking and
cleaning. Because of the saving in
personnel and money. each institu-
ton would be able to invest more
in the rehabilitation of the children
through guidance and guided study
and work.
Each institution, although grouped
together, would remain individual
and segregated. Welfare officials
plan a self-sustaining community,
with community services shared, but
small-group life retained. The
children would live in small home
like groups, study, play and work in
groups banded together by age, in
telligence and problems. They would
be small enough to allow for coun-
selling and personal attention.
Land for the National Training
School already has been appropriated
and the final question of purchase
discussed in yesterdays article,
comes before Federal court in Balti-
more soon. Additional land is need
ed for proposed extension of the
District Training School and the In
dustrial Home School. An estimate
of 1000 acres is needed, at cost of
approximately 100000.
Over Period of Years.
Buildings for the enlarged and i'm
proved National Training School will
cost an estimated $3.50, ,000-to be
built over a period of several years
while buildings for the Industrial
Home School will cost an estimated
$500, 900.
The third center would be at Blue
Plains, at the present plant for the
Industrial Home School for Colored
Children. A new and extended in
stitution would provide for boys now
housed in the National Training
School for Boys, at an estimated cost
of $500, 900.
These then are the plans.
Before any of them can be car
ried through-or even before the
money for the buildings can be ap-
propriated - architects must make
detailed plans and cost estimates.
Present cost estimates may change.
The plans themselves may change.
Would Hire Architect.
; Welfare officials have asked re-
peatedly that they be allowed to hire
a private architect who will have
the time to devote to planning the
centers so carefully that the money
will be well spent. The requests have
been refused because such jobs
usually are done by the District
architects Office.
It would be fine to have the Dis
trict architects do the planning,
officials say-but the architects
have the same problem as the re-
pair shop. Work Is so piled up and
other jobs have higher priorities so
that 1t will be months before they
can get around to the welfare plans.
When they do, they still will be
rushed. Because the plans are not
a duplication of any building now
in the District there will be no gen.
eral plan to follow, and can hardly
be done hurriedly.
There seems to be no disagree
ment that new buildings are needed
As long as they are to be built,
money spent in repairing the old