Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-20
Welfare Group
.DefendsActions
On Three Cases
Report Explains
Release of Youth
Who Killed Girl

The District Department Of
Public Welfare has denied some
Of the charges made last month
against its handling Of Juvenile
and public assistance cases. It
declared 1t had no choice but
to act as it did.
The charges were brought up
|by George Fleming, q member
|of the Public Welfare Advisory
Council.
Three specific cases were
mentioned. A report issued by
the department defends its ac-
ton in each case.
One criticism related to the
release Of Russell Carter from
the Receiving Home for Chill
dren after his 18th birthday.
Carter later killed q 15-year-old
girl in her home.
Carter Case Discussed
The department report said
Carter had been in its care
since he was 8 years old and
had been placed in a succession
|of foster homes. He was accused
as a "peeping Tom" and was
also charged with assaulting
another boy in the Receiving
Home and dislocating his shoul-
der, but Juvenile Court found
there was not enough evidence
to support the charges.
The department, believing that
Carter was still in need of super
vision, filed a petition to ac-
|complish this, but the corpora
ton counsel ruled there was
insufficient evidence to suhstan-
tate it, the report said.
An attempt to interest a rela-
tive in the boy failed. After he
reached his 18th birthday there
was no legal way for the depart
ment to hold him, and he was
released.
Another case involved a
mother whose two children were
burned to death IN fire in her
home, while she was at work.
It was implied that the depart
ment had forced her to go to
work against doctors orders.
The department reported that
the woman was not forced to go
to work, she was working when
she applied for assistance. and
continued by her own decision.
There was no evidence that
sickness was a factor in her
need for assistance.
The woman's mother had Of
fered the woman and her chill
dren a home and supervision.
The husband, who was separated
from the family. was able to
work and was under q court
order to provide $50 q month
toward the support Of the
family.
Followed the Law
In denying public assistance,
the department said, 1t followed
the law and regulations under
which it operates.
Third case cited was that Of
a 22-year-old woman with four
children who. it was charged.
had been denied public help
because a social worker saw a
gift television set in her home.
that four f1fths Of assistance APP
plications are denied; and that
social workers are leaving the
department because not enough
help is being given.
The departments investiga-
ton disclosed that the set had
been given by her boy friend,
with whom she is now living;
that her mother-in-law had Of
fered a home to her and her
children while her husband was
in Jail, and that after his re-
lease assistance was granted
until he could find a job. The
woman has now left her hus-
band, is living with her boy
friend, and the children are in
the care Of her mother-in-law,
it was reported.
The report denied other
charges that public assistance
grants fall 20 per cent short
of the 1850 standard Of living;
that four-fifths Of assistance APP
plications are denied: and that
social workers are leaving the
because not enough
help is being given.