Evening star., 1953-11-26
Foster Care Gives
Homes 10 Children.
Children 10 Homes
By james B. Rowland

The little girls dress was tat
tered but whole enough to hide
most of the weltS on her back.
Beneath her blond curly hair
was a wild-eyed face marked
with fear and insecurity.
Unknown to her were simple
eating manners and personal
hygeine habits that are common
knowledge to most 4-year-olds.
The plight of the youngsters
was reported by neighbors to the
Prince Georges County Juvenile
Court through its probation Of
fee. The blue-eyed child, aban-
doned by her parents as a baby,
had been kept by a series of ir-
responsible persons.
Within a day after the court
had committed her to the county
welfare board she was placed in
a foster home and started on a
new and brighter life.
The conversion has been slow
and painStaking since its begin
ming last summer.
Had Suffered Polio.
Medical examinations showed
the girl needed glasses, and a
slight limp in one leg was traced
to an attack of polio she had
suffered. Nourishing foods and
vitamins had to be given slowly
at first to gradually accustom
the frail body to a regular diet.
But the love, attention and
training bestowed by the foster
parents on the girl gradually
have erased the fear and antag-
onism that previously were
warping her life.'
Her new parents are childless
but had cared for many chill
dren independently. The young
couple, in fact, already were
rearing an older child COM
mitted to the welfare board.
Their success and satisfaction
with the venture had prompted
them to request the second
child.
Foster care is one of the most
noble, satisfying and beneficial
responsibilities an adult couple
can assume, for without these
people many children would
have no opportunity to enjoy
normal childhood" exclaimed
Miss Virginia Rowland, one of
six social workers who carry out
the foster home program for the
welfare board.
Always Need More.
Without foster parents-and
we always need more-neglected
and maltreated children would
be placed in homes or State in
stitutions, often with delinquent
or mentally defective children"
she added.
Directing the 14-year-old pro-
gram is Miss Virginia Fontaine,
who has an office with her staff
in the County Service Building,
Hyattsville, Md.
Most of the 159 children in
foster care belong to parents who
refuse or are unable to look after
them due to economic or physi-
cal reasons" she said.
Children committed to the
board range in age from. 3 days
through their 10th year.
"The agency doesn't try to
keep children up to their 18th
birthday" she emphasized. "We
encourage parents and relatives
to take them back as soon as
the adults are able to meet GER
tain standards"
THE board never seems to
have enough foster homes and
our cases are increasing" de-
clared Mrs. Ora West, who has
been working with foster chill
dren for 10 years.
Il receive only one or two ap-
pltcations a month. I suppose
some Of the bad publicity re-
celved by nursery homes recently
has frightened away some would
be foster parents"
In its initial operation the fos-
ter home program was allowed
$12.50 a month to spend on each
OF Is children that came to the
welfare board during the year.
The boards last fiscal budget
was $61,499.65.
Last September $5,197.62 was
spent on foster care. We started
the program with "a homes but
presently have 81 and could use
many more" Miss Fontaine said.
Foster parents are given $35
monthly for each child in their
home.