Evening star., 1946-11-15
Private Child
Care Agencies
Held Essential
WeIfure Units
Report Stresses
Preventive Services

aSsv ssH hfASSS
The Family and Child welfare
Committee Of the Council Of Social
Agencies believes that private agen-
cies and institutions, however spon-
sored or financed, usually ofyer q
quality Of service and individual
care Of children which. In most
instances. cannot be duplicated by
. public agency"
Private services, therefore, are an
essential and continuing part Of any
program for children's services" the
report said.
This was one of the recommenda-
tions made BY the Social Survey
sponsored by the Council Of Social
Agencies and financed by an ap-
preparation from the Community
War Fund. The surveys report re-
leased today Is one of the series
which have been made public by
the counsel.
Preventive Services. Referred.
One Of the points brought out In
the report Is that preventive services
TO the child are more to be desired
than remedial, and that home care
Is the preferred method Of child
care rather than institutional care.
Another recommendation was that
services to children and unmarried
mothers should be given without
regard TO residence In the District
for any specified length Of time.
Heading the general srecommeda-
tions. the survey advocated:
]. In community planning, empha-
sis Is needed not only on the main
tena1ce Of protective and preventive
services by the child earring agencies
for help In individual maladjust-
ments, but In the correction Of con-
ditions In the home, neighborhood
and community which contribute
t. the dependency, neglect and de-
Of children.
Would Preserve Family Unit.
2. Use Of all possible resources
should be made to help the children
remain with their families when
ever possible and to avoid linneces-
sary removal from their homes.
8. Close collaboration Is required
between the schools and community
groups and the social agencies pre-
pared to offer protective service If
effective work u to be done with
the facilities available.
Change In existing legislation Is
needed. the survey said, to provide
governmental and supervisory re-
sponsibility for all agencies Of a
charitable or correctional nature
caring for children.
The survey also recommended q
day-carc program adequate to meet
the need Of children of various age
groups requiring such service.
The responsibility Of administra-
tion Of q day care program should
vary with the purpose for which 1t
Is established, the report said.
Nursery schools providing pro-
gram for normal children should
b operated By the Board OF Educa-
tion and the service provided with
out fee. 1t was urged. Other day
care progrst1s designed TO meet
individual chiidren's problems or to
provide service to children OF work
ing mothers should be the RESPONSE
bility Of social welfare agencies, for
which fees should be charged In
accordance With the ability to pay,
the report added.
The Council Of Social Agencies
should be Responsible for co-ordi-
mating the total day-care program
50 that 1t may adjust quickly TO
changing conditions and needs, the
survey said.
Extends Care for Negroes.
The report points out that In
adequate facilities both public and
private. exist here for Negro chill
dren. To remedy this, the survey
recommends that Negro children
be given care In institutions caring
for white children, II there are
available vacancies. Members Of
the Family and Child welfare Com
mittee. in explaining this departure
from custom, said racial attitudes
are not firmly fixed In children and
that the entrance Of Negro children
would not be resented.
In another section, the survey re-
port recommended that the institu-
ticn contemplated by st. AIMS In
FAINT Asylum and Maternity Hospital
should consider making its facil-
tiles available to unmarried Negro
mothers. The institution now takes
care Of white mothers and their
children only.
The survey says that further de-
velopment and Improvement Of the
existing facilities for the care and
training Of Negro children are
greatly needed. The use Of insti-
tutions that have poor programs
and lack adequate qualified staffs
should be discontinued, It says.
The dearth Of foster homes In
washington was stressed in the re-
port. Continuous publicity IS needed,
II was said, to obtain sufiicient fos-
ter homes for use of all the child
placing agencies.
Homes for Infants Lacking.
The lack Of suitable homes for in-
fants Is particularly great, since
very young children do not thrive
in group care as q rule, and family
units for them should be provided
as soon as possible. the report says.
Additional funds should be made
available to public and private
agencies, the report recommends, SO
that payments for board can be adj
justed to the present high cost OF
living.
The lack OF professional training
and broad experience among vel
fare workers was noted In the re-
port and q recommendation made
thGt al future additions to the staff
be In accordance with established
criterion.
The Family and Child welfare
Committee was headed by the Right
Rev. Angus DUN. Bishop Of WASH
ingt0n. with Mrs. Henry Gichner
- vice chairman. The technician
assigned to make the investigation
was Mrs. Ruth McCann, formerly
adviser Of Catholic charities Of the
Of New York on stand-