Evening star., 1950-04-14
.UCS Unit Calls
For Merger Of
3AgencyBoards
FomiIy ond Child
Welfare Section in
Stormy Meeting


First steps toward forcine the
merger of three Washington fam
lily and child welfare agencies
were taken at a stormy meeting
of the Family and Child Welfare
Section of United Community
Services yesterday,
The meeting. attended by nearly
100 section members, approved a
recommendation of its executive
committee that would. in effect,
make Community Chest support
Of the three agencies depend upon
their joining under a single board
of directors.
The agencies affected are the
Children'S Protective Association,
the Family Service Association
and the Foster Day Care and
Counseling Association.
The sections approval was
given to a resolution recommend
ing admission to 1851 Chest sup
port "a combined agency for nom
sectarian family and child serv-
ice" including the three present
agencies under the administra-
tion Of combined board of di-
rectors."
The recommendations of the
section will be submitted TO the
executive committee of UCS and
then to the UCS board Of trustees
for final action.
ThOrOn Protests.
The move was protested by Ben
jamln w. Thoron. president of the
board Of the Family Service Asso-
citation. Mr. Thoron said his
agency sought some definite as
surance that. should the recon-
mended merger prove impossible.
the agency would not be excluded
from Chest support.
Approval followed an explana-
tion by Benjamin B. Kavanaugh.
section chairman. TO the
effect that the community could
expect more service for its money
if the organizations combined.
The three agencies now are per-
forming similar services. Mr..
said.
A second recommendation Of
the section executive committee
was turned down by the meeting.
1t concerned the admission OF the
Washington Home for Foundlings,
which received $3l 900 in Chest
support in l949.
According to Mr.. Kavanaugh,
an investigation by the executive
committee had shown the per
capita cost of caring for infants
awaiting adoption at the agency
came to $500 per month. He
asked that the question Of admis-
sion to Chest funds be postponed
until next November. In the in
term, a survey would have been
made to find out If foster home
care could be made available at
less cost than that provided by the
agency.
Unconditional Backing.
The recommendation was turn
ed down. and the agency was rec
commended for Chest support un-
conditionally, after a strong p.o-
test against the recommendation
was heard from Dean Hill STAN
ley, Washington lawyer and board
member of the founding home.
Mr.. Stanley said an investiga-
ton, completed last Tuesday by
the agency board. showed that
enough foster homes could not be
made available in the Washing
ton area to take over the work of
the agency. He said the per capita
cost of the care of infants could
be reduced substantially, II the
agency operated to it's capacity
Of about As infants. The present
average rate, because of limited
funds, he said. is only Is or 20.
He urged that "in fairness and
decency.' the home should not be
faced with the possibility of exclu-
sion from Chest funds.
The following agencies. to-
gether with the amount of their
Chest support for l949. also we're
recommended for support In 1851:
The American Legion Welfare
Department, $24,3o0: Catholic
$74.700; Episcopal
Home for Children, $31 900; He
brew Home for the Aged, $40 900:
the Ionia r. Whipper Home. a new
agency for colored unmarried
mothers. to be admitted in 1851.
subject to approval of its plan
Of operations: Jewish Social
$61 900: Legal Aid Bureau.
s11 400; st. Anna's Home for the
Aged, $4,000; st. AIMS Infant
Asylum. $4,000; st. Joseph's
Home and School, $2l. 800; st.
Home and School.
100000.
$66,600 for Travellers Aid.
Also. Salvation Army. $85. 900:
Stoddard Baptist Home. $4,000:
Shoe and Rubber Funds. $1,000:
Travellers Aid Society, S66.600:
Federation of
department OF social
$500, and Washington
Urban League, $4,000.
Mr.. Kavanaugh said the ex-
,cutive committee considered
of the UCS board of
rusteeS that the operations OF
he Episcopal Home for Children
,e combined with those Of st.
Tohn's Orphanage. a non-Chest
!gency. He said the study con-
'inced the executive committee
hat a merger appears now to
'e neither feasible nor desirable"
Elected at the meeting. in addi-
ion to Mr.. Kavanaugh, were Mrs.
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