Evening star., 1949-05-10
by Miriom Ottenbers

institution in washington devoted
solely TO homeless boys and girls
under l3.
Who are the children crowd
ed into the annex and why
are they in need Of shelter Here
are the reasons given for ad-
hitting 14o Of them housed n
the annex last week:
Twenty-seven came from fam
lilies that had been evicted from
their homes. In the District, the
number of evictions for insanitary
homes has taken q sudden jump
and marshals are evicting more
families for non-payment Of rent
or because the owners want their
places for some other use. The
families literally have no pace
to go.
The mothers OF 10 Of the chill
dren have been arrested. The
mother Of one Of these youngsters
went to jail last December for
carrying a concealed weapon. The
child is still in the annex.
FL Called Destitute.
Twenty-one OF the children are
classed as destitute Of a suitable
home" Typical of these are TWO
children. aged and /. who
were left alone at home all day
because their grandparents work
and both parents have deserted
them. They have been in the an
mex since January.
Thirty-four have become wards
of the Board Of Public Welfare
and now are waiting at the an
mex to be placed in an institution
or a foster home. Some Of them
are having a long wait because
welfare officials can't find any
more foster homes and the in
stitutions are either filled now or
haven't the money to take any
more children.
The mother or father Of three
Of the children are alcoholics.
The parent or guardians caring
for Is Of the children now are
In hospitals. One child has been
In the annex since last December
because his mother is a tubercu-
losis patient at Glen Dale Sana-
torium.
Seven are In the annex because
of sheer neglect. One 7-year-
old boy was picked UP In the
movies one night at 10 pm. He
said his mother left him in the
movies at 10 an. and told him
to stay there.
Four Mental Cases.
-Four of the children were put in
the annex for psychological ex-
aminations. They have been ex-
amined. found to be of low-grade
but not quite low enough
for the District Training School.
There's no other place for them.
Two youngsters are rinaways
who refuse to live with their par
entS. ---- <. ,..,...-:Ss ..;.:Ss
Three are without adequate
ental.superyision". That means
neighbons8 complained Of small
children staying alone or running
the streets while their mothers are
elsewhere all day. Some Of these
mothers are working because they
are employable and can't get relief
grants.
Two were brought In from a fos-
ter home in Virginia to get treat
ment for ringworm. Gallinger
Hospital won't take them so they
have to stay in the annex for the
long treatment that goes with this
disease.
Father Deserted.
The father Of one Of the children
deserted. Police report desertions
are increasing all over the coun-
try.
The parents Of three others are
Ill but not In hospitals.
One child was picked up in the
bus terminal at 4 o'clock one Feb
ruary morning and has been
classed as "lost" ever since.
Five children are there for other
reasons.
When Welfare Director John w.
Taumburg shut the doors Of the
annex to more children last Tues
day, there were las youngsters
crowded into facilities for 80.
The departure Of the Receiving
Home children to their new
quarters last January 80 made
more space available. but 1t was
quickly filled up. Welfare officials
admit they took advantage Of this
space promptly. but they say the
new arrivals were children who
should have been taken out Of
their homes long before.
More Facilities Needed.
To make matters worse, vel
fare, court and police oficials esti-
mate $50 more children are In
such shaky homes that they
probably will wind up on the
doorstep Of the annex as emer-
gency cases In the not too distant
future.
And children have come into
the annex much faster than they
could be removed. It takes many
hours of detective work to find q
relative able to take O child and
many more hours Of caioling to
make the relative willing. Case
workers are responsible for too
many children to be able to de-
vote all that time to any one
child.
So the District Is left with an
other problem institution.
The number Of children In
Washington has doubled In the
last 20 years. tidal wave that
has overwhelmed the limited facil-
tiles.
Proposals Listed.
Granting the facilities are linn
ited, what can be done for these