Evening star., 1954-05-02
Welfare Staff
Needs 90 More,
.Cana|ier Says
Will Seek Increase
As q Preventive of
Rising Relief Costs

A move to attack the Dis
trict'S growing welfare costs
from the preventive standpoint
by adding 80 or more workers
to the public welfare staff was
promised last night by Commits
sioner Ranah F. Camalier.
The expenditure of about
100000 for this purpose in the
1856 District budget, he said in
a report over Radio Station
WWDC, will be proposed to his
fellow Commissioners.
Mr.. Camalier said he would
do this rather than ask for
a million and a half or two
million dollars more to bring
public assistance grants up to
100 per cent of current costs"
Grants now are on the basis Of
78 per cent of living costs.
Sees Big Savings.
Savings would be tremen-
dous," he said. IF there were
sufficiently more personnel so
that the whole purpose of the
department can be aggressively
preventive"
Mr.. Camalier said that pre-
VentiOn is practical neceS-
sity." Aside from the human ap-
proach, it means saving money
because it is less expensive than
meeting the problem after the
fact. he added.
"A case worker is paid about
$2.50 an hour" he said. IF 20
workers can keep 46 children out
Of an institution for one year
they have more than earned
their salaries for that year."
He said he would ask the per-
sonnel increase ION the advice
of the people who are dealing
with this problem, in the belief
that we can give more econom-
ical service now and for the fu-
ture if we have a chance to
spend our money WELL"
Costs Are Heavy.
Financial assistance involves
expenditure of more than half a
million dollars a month, Mr..
Camalier pointed out, even at rs
per cent of living costs. If the
city heads raised the grant to
100 per cent, it would cost nearly
81 million more than was spent
in 1853.
considerable" expense also is
involved in the Child Welfare
Division, now caring for 1880
children, he went on. Institu-
tions are overcrowded. foster
homes are needed and "our effec-
tiveness in doing preventive work
is totally inadequate" he said.
The children's institution be-
ing built will have capacity Of
700 children, he said. 1t will not
be completed until July. 1853,
but Mr.. Camalier said he UNDER
stood that if all children w..o
should be in institutions we
placed in it today, it could Ue
filled Immediately.
Case Load Rises.
Welfare Director Gerard M.
Shea has reported that the case
load in public assistance is up
to 144. as against an Ideal" of
SIS and a workable" size of from
rs to IS.
! Rather than just giving money
and seeing that it gets out on the
first of the month. Mr.. Shea
explained. the department feels
! it should give service in trying
to keep people from being on
relief for long periods.
About all the workers can do.
he said, is to determine that the
recipients are in need and that
their eligibility for relief re-
mains.
There are 66 caSeworkers in
public assistance. The budget
for fiscal 1855 carries only one
additional supervisor. The de-
partment had asked for IL more
professional workers, but the rest
were trimmed from the budget.
At its last two meetings. the
Public Welfare Advisory Coun-
Gil has heard reports from senior
supervisors of the public assist
ance districts. They are Mrs.
Viola j. Lee. whose unit includes
all the Northwest area of the
city, and Mrs. Goldie M. Meenes,
in charge of the district cover
ing most of the rest of the city.
"One of our greatest concerns
has been the size staff we have
to do the job" Mrs. Lees report
said, too few people to carry
the increasing load"
Children Major Concern.
Mrs. Meenes said the category
of greatest concern to the social
workers is the aid to dependent
children, the largest single cate
CORY in her district.
The purpose of this type of
assistance is to provide financial
help for dependent children so
that they may receive care in
their own homes. A 1852 study
revealed that about IS per cent
of the families were receiving
help because of the absence of
the father from the home.
THE task of locating absent
fathers takes up much OF the
social workers time" she said.
The social worker. busy with
new applicants, with reviewing
for continued eligibility, with
locating absent fathers. has too
little time to give toward help
inc the family with it's prob