Evening star., 1947-01-08

Control Funds
Withdrawal of Chest
Aid to Some Agencies
Also Seen Necessary ,
Transfer of control of the Airing
ton Welfare Department from the
State to the county and a gradual
withdrawal of Community Chest
funds now being spent by the We'll
fare Department are the outStand-
ing recommendations contained in
a social survey report for Arlington,
Clarence M. Pierce, who directed
the study, announced today.
The report, covering the fields of
family and child welfare, correc-
tions, adult education, recreation,
and organization and structure of
social work, was made under
auspices of the Arlington Commu-
nifty Council, a Community Chest
agency. 1t is part of a major social
survey being conducted in the Dis
trict, Montgomery, Prince Georges,
Fairfax and Arlington Counties and
the City of Alexandria. The Arling-
ton report is the first outside the
District to be completed.
"One of the most important needs
is for Arlington to get control of
the Public Welfare Department" "
Mr.. Pierce said. Estate control is
not providing the quality of service
the community wants and can pay
for:
Use of Chest Funds.
1.-The second most important rec
ommendation, in my opinion" he
continued, sis the one with respect
to the gradual withdrawal of Com
munity Chest funds now being spent
by the Welfare Department for sew
eral types of public assistance for
which public funds are not avail
able"
THE survey staff felt that Com
munity Chest funds should be used
for development of a mental hygiene
clinic and a family marriage coun-
selling service, either local or in CO.
operation with Fairfax and Alexan-
dria." Federal, State and county
funds would be increased to pay for
projects now supported by the Chest.
Mr.. Pierce pointed out that an at
tempt was made in the survey report
ITO provide Arlington with some
guideposts for the development of its
social welfare program in the future"
rather than material for immediate
reorganization of the program.
"Arlington's needs for the next
decade are what the studies attempt
to indicate in this summary" he
declared.
"Relations" Study Omitted.
The subjects of race relations, re-
ligious relations and abor-manage-
ment relations, covered in the Dis
trict survey, were not considered in
the Arlington study because the
Community Council did not feel
those subjects to be critical" &C
cording to B. H. Jarman, president
of the council and chairman OF the
Survey Committee.
Financed by a Community Chest
grant of $3,45O, the survey was con-
Quoted by the same organization
that made similar studies in other
parts of the Metropolitan Area. The
study would have cost Arlington
$4,000 or $4,000, MIR. Jarman said,
If it had been made for that county
alone.
The public welfare portion of the
survey was divided into three sec
tions: Families and adults, chill
dren's services and private welfare
services for families and adults.
Recommendations concerning the
families and adults work included
elimination of all residence require
ments for applicants for assistance;
placing greater responsibility in the
hands of the local welfare executive
and making public, not private, as
sistance available to persons having
emergency, temporary or incidental
need, pending determination of elig-
ibility for public assistance. Also
extension of the public hospitaliza-
ton and medical-care program to
all persons in the community for
whom need is established, including
those able partially to pay for the
service, and the discontinuance of
two types of food allowances, one
for individuals receiving public as
sistance and the other for those re-
ceiving Community Chest funds.
ChiIdren's Service.
Regarding children's services, the
report recommended transfer of en-
forcement of the licensing ordnance
for child-care agencies from the
county manager to the Department
of Welfare and development Of men
tai hygiene services.
For private welfare services for
families and adults, establishment
of a mental hygiene clinic and a
family welfare agency is recon-
mended; the latter after consulta-
ton with the Family Welfare ASSoci-
alton.
OllUtI COl CIOlOllo ollC lCPOle ACS
commended organization of a joint
committee on parent education un-
der the Community Council The
committee would include representa-
tives from the Juvenile and Do
mestic Relations Court, the Depart
ment of Public Welfare, the public
schools, the Council of Parent
Teacher Associations, the churches
and the youth agencies.
Also recommended was study of
the possibility of developing a
marital counseling service agency
and a plan whereby Arlington,
Fairfax and Alexandria would par
,ticipate in the Fairfax County Child
Consultation Service.
1 Correctional Agencies.
j AS to adult correction agencies
the survey recommended that con-
sideration be given to the sugges-
tion of the County Court judge that
the Police Court be separated from
the Juvenile and Domestic Rela-