Evening star., 1950-10-01
Welfare Board
Cites Increase in
Child Neglect
Alcoholic Purents
Are More Numerous,
Report Declares

Physical neglect of children is
increasing here Ito a dangerous
degree the Board of Public We'll
fare has reported to the Commis-
sionerS
In it's report for the fiscal year
1850, the board said that children
are coming to. the agency not fed
and not clothed, with parents who
seem unable to feel concerned
about it.
Alcoholic and otherwise made
quate" parents are increasing in
numbers, the city heads were told.
The board added:
"An alarming number of par
ents, especially mothers, are de-.
serting and there are a large num-
ber of periodic desertions of bick-
ering parents.
There is undoubtedly a close
connection between discouraged
parents who either perform their
parental duty very badly, or push
it aside altogether by deserting.
and lack of income sufficient to
assure a roof over their heads and
enough food to eat"
2,788 Get Aid.
The number of dependent, neg
lected, delinquent or otherwise
needy children receiving service
from the Child Welfare Division
at the close of the year was 2.788.
or II fewer than at the beginning
of the year.
The board said the number Of
children with serious mental
disturbances has increased. Psy-
chiatrists ordinarily recommend
that such children be placed in
institutions having psychiatric
facilities, which the board said
are lacking here. A particular
need for this type of care for de-
linquent and emotionally dis
turbed teen-age white girls was
cited.
The need for Negro foster
homes is acute, the board noted.
Lack of Resources Cited.
The board cited lack of GER
tain community resources for the
protection of children. Included
among the shortages were foster
homes, institutional facilities for
certain types of children, psy-
chiatric services, housing for low
income families and facilities for
care of the feeble minded. A "re-
strictive" public assistance pro-
gram also was cited.
The public school system needs
a more adequate educational pro-
gram for the dull child, the report
added, and there is no special
provision in the community for
the care of the mentally-normal
epileptic child. who is excluded
from the public schools.
The Public Assistance Division
reported that caseloads were
higher during the fiscal year 1850
than in any of four preceding
years. The number of cases re-
ceiving assistance increased from
an average of 5,598 in 1949 to an
average of 6,485 in 1850.
Several Factors Mentioned.
The increase was attributed to
several things. including a de-
crease in employment opportuni-
ties and serious financial difficult
ties experienced by private
agencies and institutions.
There was no corresponding in
crease in the number of social
worker and supervisory positions
to handle the increased volume Of
work, the board noted.
Applications for old-age as
sistance totaling 1894 represented
an increase of 7 per cent over
those of 1949. Average monthly
number of cases receiving such
assistance rose from 2,524 in fiscal
1949 to 2,755 in 1850.
Some 2,114 applications for aid
to dependent children were re-
ceived during the year. The av-
erage monthly number of cases
receiving aid was 1,946, as COM
pared with 1893 for fiscal 1949.
Blind Aid Increases.
There were 96 applications for
aid to the blind, a decrease of 13
received in 1949. The average
number per month receiving aid
rose from 22O in fiscal 1949 to 260
in 1850.
Applications for general public
assistance totaled 1.577, as COM
pared with 1,494 in fiscal 1949.
The average number of cases re-
ceiyiI1g aid has risen each fiscal
year since 1916. An average Of
1,411 one-person cases and 113
family cases received assistance
during fiscal 1850.
Discussing the Home for the
Aged and Infirm, the report noted
that the problem of providing
adequate care for chronic alco-
holics is rapidly becoming a major
one.
Despite efforts to curb the use
of alcoholic beverages in and
about the institution; it said, lack
OF sufficient custodial help makes
this impossible. since patients are
free to leave the grounds and
return at will.
Erection of fence around the
property or an increase in the
custodial force were recommended
to cope with the situation.
D. n f..l.lll.