Evening star., 1948-09-12
Increase Of $40
In Foster Home
Rates Asked
Welfare Directors
Report Stresses Need
For Case Workers
By Jerry O'LeorY. Jr.

workers and a higher reimburse
ment rate for foster homes If 1t i!
to meet even minimum Nationa
Welfare Service standards within
the next year.
This was revealed yesterday IL
the annual report of the welfare
department to the Commissioners
Welfare Director John w. Tram.
burg said the $35 month paid tt
foster homes by the department
should be increased $40. Some fos-
ter home operators now are operat-
ing rooming houses because of the
present low rate, he said. He has
not. however, sought an increased
appropriation for foster home pay
ments from the Commissioners be-
cause of the city heads strict eco
nony order.
At present. foster homes boarding
infants. problem children and
handicapped children are receiving
s45 a month This rate should be
paid to all foster homes to keep
pace with high prices, Mr.. Tram
burg declared
Increased Demand Seen.
He predicted that the next few
years will see an increased demand
for services for the Child Welfare
Division, where case workers are
badly needed to catch up with the
mounting cases on hand.
An extremely serious situation also
faces the department at the Home
for the Aged and Infirm at Blue
Plains. Mr.. Tramburg said top
priority has been given to the in
firmary there, which he said is in
damn bad shape"
IF we get any money for capital
outlay at all in the next appropria-
ton" the welfare director said, 1T
will be applied to complete renova-
ton of the kitchen and inflrmary
at the home
The report said restricted num-
Der of alcoholics are tolerated at
the Home for the Aged because the
community is without other facill-
ties for them.
Alcoholics Are Problem.
This helpless group should not OF
course be admitted to the home,
the report states. Rehabilitation
Is the first consideration but the re-
suits have been zero. Obviously
since there is no alternative but to
accept the responsibilities and bur-
dens placed upon the institution by
admitting alcoholics the real atmos-
phere of home life for the remain
ing guests is totally destroyed no
less than once week
Citizens of the community sur
rounding the Blue Plains home.
the report declared, have exhausted
their tolerance" of the situation
Bad situations also exist at every
institution for children except the
National Training School for Girls
Most of the institutions are over
crowded, and the Industrial Home
School for colored boys has urgent
need for a new dormitory. ,
The report also revealed that
about half of the departments SILL
100000 appropriation last year was
applied to support of insane per-
sons Public assistance was cut to
a case load of 5000 because Con-
press sliced relief funds from S3.Ol7,-
12O to $1,93447
The welfare department had to
reduce the number OF chlld-care
centers from II to during fiscal
1e48. the report disclosed, because
the appropriation was cut by SlOo'-
600 from the previous year to $l5O'-
600.
The law, excluding day-care serV-
ice to parents whose gross income
exceeds $4,000 year, caused hard-
ship and damage to many indivldual
families. 1t excluded practically all
double Income families regardless ol
the number Of dependents or the
reason for the second parent work
ing. The result has been that most
children still eligible to attend the
centers came from broken homes
the report said.
In the Public Assistance DlVl-
sion. the report continued, the de-
mand for help was greater than the
agency could meet promptly. A
waiting period of two weeks has
existed between the time an appn-
cant requests help and the time
he sees a social worker.
That is because there are not
enough positions allowed i'll the
budget to permit the agency to give
ADEQUATE service despite continued
efforts to Streamline procedures.
Eleven Positions Vacant.
Tn addition, the report said 1t has
been difficult to obtain workers fol
public assistance because of posi-
tions frozen to keep them within
appropriations. At the end OF the
fiscal year there were II vacant
d positions.
The report said 2,2S7 days of care
were afforded unwed mothers al
the Districts three maternity homes
the Florence Crittenton Home
the House of Mercy and st. Ann!
Infant Asylum and Maternity Home
The report points out that there
is no comparable facility for Negro
girls in Washington.
Low salaries. lack of employe houS'
Ing and Its remote location imposed
difficulties on adequate stating O
the District Training School a
Laurel, Nd, the report disclosed
Hope of improvement there is noted
however, because of anticipated re
classification of the majority OF th'
Jobs to higher grades and becaus'
the appropriation act for the mex
fiscal year carries S1S5 900 for con
st~uction Of additional employe hous
Ing.
Policy Change Sought.
The report said it is hoped Con
eress will open the resources OF tn
National Training School for Girl
to any girls the welfare department
may wish to place there instead c
only girls committed directly b
Juvenile Court. The school for girl
where the population has decrease
recently, is the only child institutio
not overcrowded.
At no point during the last !
years, Mr.. Tramburg's report de
clared, except at the National Train
ing School at Laurel. has any con
1n