Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1957-05-02

There is a great need for fost
said. This is largely because of
the notoriety recently given to
hayward teen-agers. A Welfare
ward in his or her teens may be
the best-behaved youngster for
miles around, and desperately in
need of home, but thousands
of married couples are reluctant
to offer the shelter of their
homes.
mot all teen-agers drive motor
cycles and carry brass knuckles,"
the Welfare Board said. "They
are all somewhat torn between
being half child and half adult.
They are challenging, fun,lov-
ing group of youngsters with
whom to work"
Welfare wards are products of
broken homes. They are guilt
less. Nor is their homelessness
an indication that their parents
are buns. There are many cases
where the mother is hospitalized
and the father, forced to work
to maintain the family, cannot
stay home to supervise the small
err members. The little kids have
to be farmed out until the parents
get back on their feet and reas-
semble their brood.
The Welfare Board gave The
Sentinel the following breakdown
on the age and racial character
istics of the children it had in
foster homes in the most recent
for which records were
available:
Up to 3 years of age - 10
colored, 20 white children.
3 to 6 years = 20 colored,
80 white.
6 to 9 years - 10 colored,
40 white.
9 to IL years 20 colored,
40 white.
IL to IS years - 25 colored,
40 white.
IS and older - 20 colored,
80 white.
In one week recently, the board
placed 20 children in foster
homes. That is more than in a
normal week, when it would
more likely than homes were
found for approximately 10. Fig
ures vary. To-day we might have
TO-" a Welfare official said, land
tomorrow it would be Is or even
20 again"
At the end Of March, the board
had 351 children in 81 foster hon.
eS.
The boards infants in foster
homes spend an average of from
three months to a year in foster
homes before being moved into
permanent adoptions.
The board said "these babies
need foster parents who will love
them and tend to their needs"
AT the time of parting, the par
ents' tears are sweetened by the
knowledge the baby is entering
a permanent home and a more
normal childhood.
The uprooting of any child
from its home is a terrible strain
on the youngster. 1t is a ham,
at his sense of security.
Thus foster parents. must be I'M
derstanding people, able and will
ing to help their guest over a
time of life.
Each foster home must be IL
CENSED by social worker" the
board explained. Before this
can be done, you and the social
worker go through process call
ed the home study
Iho 10 pIOCeuuIG lllIOuSIl
which the agency and the appli.
cant get together for a series of
talks so that you can get to know
each other, perhaps you may dis
cover this is not a job to your
liking, perhaps the agency may
discover it is not able to use your
home. You don't know and the
agency doesn't know until the ap-
plication is made"
When foster homes cannot be
found, the children may be as
signed by a court to one of sew
eral institutions. A child might
be sent temporarily to one of
the courts homes. This stay
would probably be a short one,
lasting only until a foster home
could be provided. Such treat.
ment involves one more move by
the child and aggravates the emo
tional strain on him.
Foster children quite often re.
turn to their own parents, when