Evening star., 1946-06-29
Welfare Unit Opposes
Senate Bill Imposing
|Day-Care Jurisdiction

UUy-NuIV SuISSu1euVn
The Board of Public Welfare was
unanimously on record today against
Senate-approved bill giving the
board Jurisdiction over the child
day care program.
The Senate passed the bill by
unanimous consent yesterday at
about the same time the Welfare
Board was giving serious considera-
ton to a proposal to limit the num-
ber of children already served by
the Welfare Board-even at the risk
that some of the unserved children
would wind up in prison.
Caught by surprise when the SEN
ate District Committee instigated
the transfer of the child day-care
program from the Board of Educa-
ton to the Welfare Board, the latter
lost no time at its monthly board
meeting yesterday in unanimously
opposing the bill.
Change Imposes Limit.
Transfer Of the program to the
Welfare Board was one of the two
major changes made by the Senate
in the ouse-approved bill. The
other change limits the program to
one year, beginning Monday. The
House bill placed no limit on the
duration Of the program, under
which up to 100000 a year could
be spent on nursery schools for the
day care of children.
These changes in the bill will be
submitted TO a joint House-Senate
Conference Committee, unless the
House accepts them.
The question of limiting the num-
Der of children served by the board,
which came up first in connection
with the Industrial Home School for
white children, was temporarily de-
ferred by the board when 1t voted
yesterday to ask the corporation
counsel whether 1t had the legal au-
thority to refuse admittance of chill
dren to overcrowded public insti-
tutions.
Huff Urges Restrictions.
Welfare Director Ray L. HUH, In
15-page report, proposed that the
board restrict populations Of welfare
institutions to the number per-
mitted by health regulations and di-
rect institution superintendent to
exclude uncomfortable" children
with IS days notice to the welfare
department.
Mr.. HUFF also proposed that the
board, within 80 days, set up regula-
tions on the number OF children
who can be cared for in welfare in
stitutions and record all children
In excess Of this number in a sepa-
rate category as 'unserved.'"
To balance these proposals, Mr..
Huff suggested meetings with pri-
vate agencies to seek help in making
room for some of the wards of the
Welfare Board in foster homes and
private institutions. He also pro-
posed that the board reinstate its
preventive service to children in
school to reduce delinquency, that
the case loads of staff workers be
reduced and that the board make
new efforts to get the money 1t
needs for construction.
Mr.. Huff conceded his immediate
recommendation that the board de.
eide how many children it could
serve and serve no more" might
result In more children winding up
In prison, before the courts or in
correctional institutions.
Huif's Aide Disagrees.
On the other hand, he argued that
once effective work is being done
without continuous harassment," the
children served will be improved.
personal efficiency will be increased
more personnel can be recruited and
probably appropriations to make
possible more services will be OBJ
tanned.
Raymond r. Clapp, principal as
sistant welfare director, differed
sharply with his chief on fixing the
number Of children in the Indus
trial Home School at 80 boys and sol
girls, as Board Member Fred S. Ko-
god and Mr.. Huff proposed. Mr..
Clapp said there was no way to
guarantee the school population
could be kept below those figures
unless the board is willing to in
struct the staff to refuse to give care
to children for whom the board can
find no other place.
Mr.. Huff contended 1t was "a
snare and a delusion to assume that!
a child is served merely by being
placed on our rolls" He said the
welfare staff had been trying to do
what it was not equipped to do, and
added that the situation is little bet
ter than 1t was years ago.