View original document

The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.

U N IT E D STATES D E P A R T M E N T OF LABOR
Frances Perkins, Secretary
CHILDREN’S BUREAU . . . .

Katharine F. Lenroot, Chief

The Meaning of State Supervision in the
Social Protection of Children

By
K A T H R Y N H . W ELCH

Bureau Publication No. 252

library
Agricultural & Mechanical College o f Texas
College Station, Texas.
UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 1940

5

sa*e b y th e S u p erin ten d en t o f D ocu m en ts, W a s h in g to n , D. C.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

P r ic e 5 c e n ts

CONTENTS
P a ge

Foreword_______________________________________________________________
Organization of supervisory services_____________________________________
Plan of organization________________________________________________
Qualifications of personnel_______________
Cooperative relationships___________________________________________
Supervision of child-welfare agencies____________________________________
Starting a new program____________________________________________
Services to agencies________________________________________________
Frequency and character of visits______________________________
Services to the governing boards_______________________________
Services to the staff____________________________________________
Special services___________________________________________
Group meetings_______________________________________________
Standards of care and service_______________________________________
The use of a license________________________________________________
Supervision of care given in foster homes________________________________
Licensing of family homes__________________________________________
Problems of independent placements________________________________
ii


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1
3
3
4
5
7
7
8
8
11
12
13
14
15
17
19
19
21

The Meaning o f State Supervision in the Social
Protection o f Children
FOREW ORD
There is wide variation in different States in the scope o f State
supervisory service fo r the social protection o f children. In various
combinations such service may include supervision or advisory service
to State institutions caring fo r children; supervision and licensing o f
private child-welfare agencies, supervision or supervision and licens­
ing o f local public child-welfare agencies, supervision o f social
practices in maternity hospitals, licensing o f foster homes, social in­
vestigation o f adoption cases, supervision o f interstate placement, and
supervision o f juvenile probation. A ll these forms o f agency service
fo r children, public or private, are closely interrelated, and only
through a coordinated plan o f supervisory service is it possible to
achieve development in standards o f child care.
Although in a number o f States some o f these types o f supervisory
service have been placed in other State agencies, there is evidence o f
a trend in administrative practice and legislation toward concentra­
tion o f supervision o f the social aspects o f child care in the welfare
department. The development o f cooperative relationships through
which advisory services are given by the child-welfare division o f the
State welfare department to State institutions caring fo r dependent
and delinquent children is one illustration o f this trend. The need
fo r safeguarding the child bom out o f wedlock was the basis o f early
legislation placing the licensing o f maternity hospitals in the State
welfare department. W ith the growth o f understanding o f the need
fo r assuring adequate medical and nursing care fo r all maternity
patients, the newer legislation on this subject provides fo r licensing by
the State health department in cooperation with the State welfare
department, which is responsible fo r supervision o f the social prac­
tices o f the hospitals. The steadily increasing participation o f State
welfare departments in safeguarding adoption through arranging fo r
social investigations is also significant. A t present more than a third
o f the States have enacted legislation to this effect. In many rural
areas throughout the country the child-welfare workers o f the local
public-welfare departments are assisting the juvenile court in its
probation service and have demonstrated the close relationship that
should exist between a welfare department and the juvenile court.
The follow ing presentation o f principles and procedures o f State
supervision is limited to the two forms o f supervision that almost,
universally have been made the responsibility o f State welfare de­
partments—supervision o f child-welfare agencies and o f foster homes
caring fo r children. The term child-welfare agency is used as a
1

https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

2

TH E M EANING OF STATE SUPERVISION

generic term, including all types o f private and local public agencies
caring for children who for any reason need special services or care
in institutions, foster homes, day nurseries, or their own homes.
This brief pamphlet on State supervision does not attempt to
present a comprehensive discussion o f the problem s involved in a
supervisory program but rather calls attention to some o f the basic
principles involved in the supervisory process. It was written in
response to numerous requests for material on State supervision which
the Children’s Bureau has received during the last few years, when
supervisory services in the various States have been in the process
o f development and expansion. It is based on visits made to 10
States—Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland,
Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. These
States were selected because they represented a wide geographical
area, different types o f legislative authority, and difference m the
extent o f time during which the program had been in operation. N o
effort has been made to describe the program in any one o f these
States, but the experience o f all has been used.
From the outset it is recognized that it is not possible to suggest
any one way in which to develop a supervisory program that w ill be
applicable and useful to all the States. It is clear, however, that
there are philosophies, policies, and general procedures which are
basic to an effective program o f supervision in any State.
The primary objective o f State supervision is to furnish helpful
services to agencies by making available inform ation on progressive
methods o f child care and by offering consultation on various aspects
o f agency programs. Not only should the State welfare department
be helpful in matters pertaining to the operation o f an agency but
it should also further constructive programs on such problems as
adoption, the unmarried mother and her child, the physically or
mentally handicapped child, and the child with serious behavior
problems. The State department should likewise be in a position to
give advisory services on community planning by assisting in devel­
oping new services or m odifying old programs to meet changing
needs.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

O RG AN IZATIO N OF SU PE R V ISO R Y SERVICES
PLAN OF ORGANIZATION

It is generally agreed that the supervision o f private and local
public child-welfare agencies and o f fam ily homes caring fo r chil­
dren should be the responsibility o f the division o f the State welfare
department concerned with the welfare o f children. This makes pos­
sible a close coordination o f local public and private services for
children, more complete information on the available resources fo r
their care and those that are lacking, and a unified approach toward
the development o f new services. Furthermore, since the children’s
division is concerned with the problems o f children, there is assur­
ance that the special skills acquired by training and experience in
the child-welfare field w ill be considered essential in the appointment
o f personnel fo r supervisory services.
The plan o f organization within a division o f child welfare w ill
depend upon the scope o f supervisory services fo r which the division
has responsibility. Another factor influencing the plan is the type
o f child-welfare agencies in the State and the number and distribu­
tion o f these agencies. A State in which the child-welfare agencies
consist o f a few private agencies and many county departments
providing child-welfare services presents quite a different problem
from a State with more than 100 private agencies largely concen­
trated in urban areas, a number o f local public institutions, and
county departments undertaking foster-fam ily care.
The essential features o f any plan o f organization o f supervisory
services are that expert services should be available fo r all types o f
agencies and that provision be made fo r a unified approach to the
problem o f supervision so that there is a conscious and progressive
development in the program which cannot be achieved when staff
members with varied activities must undertake the guidance o f
agencies as a side issue. An essential factor in a constructive ap­
proach to the problem, where there are many and varied types o f
child-welfare agencies needing services, is the appointment o f a
specialist in supervision or the establishment o f a supervisory unit.
B y centering final responsibility fo r the development o f the super­
visory program in such a specialist or supervisory unit, the uninter­
rupted and continuous attention to the needs o f child-welfare agencies
necessary to an effective program o f supervision is made available.
Leadership in initiating and developing general educational services
fo r the agencies is also an important responsibility o f the specialist
in supervision or the supervisory unit.
The number o f persons needed in such a supervisory unit w ill
naturally depend upon the size and character o f the supervision
problem in the State. In States which have relatively few childwelfare agencies, one person may be expected to carry the full respon3

https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

4

TH E M E AN IN G OF STATE SUPERVISION

sibility. States with a large number o f agencies employ several persons
who may have responsibility for all agencies and fam ily homes in a
geographical area or for a particular type o f work, such as supervision
o f day nurseries, institutions, or child-placing agencies, social pro­
cedures in maternity hospitals, arrangements for investigations in
adoption cases, or approval o f foster homes for licensing.
It is essential that there be close cooperation between the super­
visory unit and the field staff o f the department responsible for the
development o f local public child-welfare services. Increasingly,
local public departments are being given responsibility through legis­
lation fo r providing services and care fo r children, and in some
States local public institutions and departments having an organized
service fo r children, as well as private organizations, must be licensed
as child-welfare agencies. U niform improvement o f standard o f
services o f all agencies in the State providing care for children is a
joint responsibility o f the field staff engaged in establishing, strength­
ening, and developing local public child-welfare services and o f the
supervisory staff working with private agencies. The plan used in
most States o f placing these two services in a children’s division fu r­
thers close cooperation between the two units.
The field staff responsible fo r the development o f local public childwelfare services can make a significant contribution in promoting
community planning in the areas that they are serving and in coordi­
nating the services o f the established private agencies and the newer
public agencies serving children. Such service is particularly needed
in States in which there has existed fo r many years a program o f
care for children at public expense by private institutions and agen­
cies. Unless an adequate staff is provided in the supervisory unit, it
may be necessary to enlist the assistance o f the field staff in making
special studies o f agencies or in providing, in cooperation with local
child-welfare workers, services fo r certain agencies, such as investi­
gations for admission or discharge o f children from an institution,
or providing case-work service fo r a short period as a demonstration.
The State supervisory unit also needs assistance in such supervisory
services as making investigations in adoption cases or investigating,
recommending for licensing, and supervising foster homes in which
children are placed without the assistance o f an agency. Because o f
the nature o f these services and, in the case o f adoption investigations,
the need for cooperation with the local court, it is desirable to have
these activities undertaken by local public or private child-welfare
workers. The function o f the State in these services is to issue the
licenses for foster homes and to review and approve reports to the
courts on adoption investigations.
QUALIFICATIONS OF PERSONNEL

Since the success o f State supervision as a helpful service to agen­
cies depends upon the quality o f personnel selected to develop the
program, the State department should carefully consider the quali­
fications o f persons chosen to be responsible for this important State
service to children. The salaries available for personnel supervising
child-welfare agencies should be sufficient to interest well-equipped
persons and should be comparable to salaries paid for other important
positions in the department.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

IN TH E SOCIAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

5

Basic knowledge o f social work gained through professional, educa­
tion and broad experience is an essential qualification fo r persons
engaged in a supervisory program. It is desirable that the ex­
perience o f such persons include work with public and private
agencies rendering different types o f services fo r children. They
should be acquainted with general principles o f child placing and
institutional care and should be able to furnish leadership in the
development o f services to children. Although knowledge o f par­
ticular problems, such as institutional management, nutrition, and
public health, may be useful, it is obviously impossible to find per­
sons who have the social-work experience and who also are proficient
in all the problems with which child-welfare agencies are concerned.
A n important qualification to offset such deficiency o f knowledge is
the ability to utilize available resources and the skills o f others in
regard to special problems.
Equally important are personal qualifications. Persons super­
vising child-welfare agencies should have good educational and cul­
tural backgrounds and the broad individual interests which make for
good adjustment. Maturity characterized by sound judgment is a
desirable qualification. I f satisfactory relationships between the State
welfare department and the agencies are to be developed, a funda­
mental liking fo r people and an ability to develop good working
relationships are essential. Other qualities necessary to insure the
development o f full potentialities in the supervisory program are
executive ability and initiative. Imagination, perspective, and vision
are also highly desirable.
COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIPS

The State welfare department should develop cooperative relation­
ships with other public departments and organizations whose services
may be useful in prom oting better standards o f work in child-welfare
agencies. The cooperation o f the State health department may be
especially helpful in form ulating health standards for children’s
agencies and fam ily homes and in giving advice in regard to health
and medical services needed fo r children. Obtaining the cooperation
o f the local health authorities in inspecting the sanitation and hous­
ing o f institutions is also an important means o f insuring adequate
health protection.
Another public department with which cooperation should be de­
veloped is the office o f the fire marshal. Maintenance o f fire pro­
tection in children’s institutions should be o f concern to State welfare
departments, many o f which have found it helpful to have on file a
copy o f the report o f regular inspections o f all children’s institutions
made by the fire marshal. Although follow -up on recommendations
is the responsibility o f the fire marshal, cooperative action may
sometimes achieve results more quickly.
Since councils o f social agencies organized in most urban com­
munities maintain an active interest in the work o f children’s agencies
in the community, the State welfare department should seek to coop­
erate with all such organizations in the State. In a few large cities
the interest o f the councils o f social agencies in children’s agencies
has been directed through a special child-welfare division, which in


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

6

TH E M EANING OF STATE SUPERVISION

some instances has undertaken special services to individual agencies.
In a few councils desirable standards o f care and service fo r children’s
agencies have been formulated, and often community studies o f re­
sources fo r children are sponsored. B y coordinating its work with
that o f the councils, the State welfare department w ill increase the
effectiveness o f its own services.
The need fo r expert advice and service on nutrition, recreation,
vocational guidance, and other similar problems with which children’s
agencies are concerned makes advantageous the development o f coop­
erative relationships with organizations in the State or local com­
munities competent to give such advice. These organizations may
be used in an advisory capacity to the State welfare department, which
can in turn advise the agencies on desirable procedures in certain
aspects o f their program ; or the department may be able to develop
a plan with certain organizations to give advisory services directly
to the child-welfare agencies. Agencies may also be encouraged to
develop their own relationships with any local organizations that can
be o f assistance in regard to particular features o f their program.
The need fo r the services o f a psychologist, psychiatrist, or other
specialist in an agency may be met through cooperative arrangements
developed by the State welfare department with organizations or
groups having the services o f such specialists. W ith increasing de­
velopment o f public services in mental hygiene, especially on a State
level, there is increased opportunity fo r making such arrangements.
The State welfare department should be alert to possibilities o f pro­
viding such special services through cooperative arrangements and
should likewise encourage the agencies to develop their own relation­
ships with possible services in their community.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

A

At

SU PER VISIO N OF CH ILD -W ELFARE AG EN CIES
STARTING A N E W PROGRAM

There is no one procedure or combination o f procedures fo r start­
ing a new program, as procedures effectively used in one State may
be totally unsuitable in another where conditions are different.
There are, however, some general features which should character­
ize the procedures o f the State department in beginning a super­
visory program, as well as some specific methods to which con­
sideration may be given.
Since the supervisory program should be regarded as a coopera­
tive project between the department and the agencies^ the founda­
tion for the successful development o f State supervision is an un­
derstanding relationship between the State welfare department and
the child-welfare agencies. The chief objective fo r the first year or
two should be development o f such mutual understanding. A t the
very start o f the program the department should undertake to allay
any apprehension o f agencies that their activities are to be con­
trolled through the program. The agencies should be given an op­
portunity to oecome acquainted with the personnel responsible for
supervision and should be given an interpretation o f the meaning
o f supervision. Likewise, it is important to study and analyze the
problems o f each agency and to develop a suitable educational pro­
gram throughout the State.
The difficulty o f breaking down barriers built up through mis­
understanding or unpleasant experiences makes it important fo r
the early associations with the agencies to be pleasant and at the
same time profitable. The concept o f State supervision which many
o f the agencies have is determined by the attitude o f the State
worker with whom they are first associated. I f the approach o f
this worker is dominant, superior, and critical, the idea o f the
supervisory program w ill be colored by such characteristics and any
apprehension which they may have had in regard to the program w ill
be increased. On the other hand, i f the attitude o f the worker
shows she has an understanding o f the problems o f the agency and
can be helpful, the concept o f supervision as a cooperative program
w ill be promoted. The acceptance by the agencies o f this concept
o f supervision in the beginning o f the program w ill be a great
asset in developing an effective service.
A n understanding o f the differences in the background, develop­
ment, and resources o f the agencies should be the basis upon which
service to each agency is developed.
A s a means o f getting to know the agencies, the first visits may be
made to learn about the organization and to become acquainted with
the executive and other staff members. Facts to be obtained during
these early visits may be limited to pertinent data which give a gen­
eral picture o f an agency program and which may serve as a basis
1 8 8 1 3 1 °— 40-------^

\

l I
i


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

'

7

8

T H E M E AN IN G OF STATE SUPERVISION

fo r working with the individual agency. A n outline may be useful
as a guide in gathering such basic information but should not be so
strictly adhered to that the freedom o f the worker using it w ill be
hampered. Instead o f obtaining only general facts as a first pro­
cedure in working with individual agencies, a form al study may
be made. However, i f complete studies, which require consider­
able time, are made o f each agency in the beginning o f a program,
association with many agencies w ill be delayed. Further delay would
result from giving follow -up services, which should be immediately
available i f the maximum usefulness is to be realized from such
comprehensive studies. Therefore it may be desirable to get ac­
quainted to some extent with the work o f all the agencies and to
undertake comprehensive studies o f only a selected few.
Another device fo r assembling information on agency programs is
a self-study by the agencies. An outline should be available to serve
as a guide for preparing information which w ill be useful to the
department and also valuable to the agencies. Visits to the agencies
fo r interpretation o f such a plan and also written explanation w ill
be necessary. Assistance in preparing the data should also be avail­
able i f needed.
Although the process o f getting to know the agencies should be
emphasized during the early development o f the program, consulta­
tion and advisory services may also be an important part o f the
first work with agencies. As the program develops there w ill be less
need to concentrate upon getting acquainted, and more time may be
available fo r services to the agencies.
SERVICES TO AGENCIES
Frequency and character of visits.

No rule can be made regarding the number o f visits that should be
made to an agency during a year. A n annual visit is the minimum
generally accepted, but many more visits may be necessary i f the
agency needs assistance. Since there is a practical limitation o f
the extent o f service which a small State staff can give to a large
number o f agencies, the department should carefully plan its services
to the individual agencies. I f the department attempts to spread
its services equally to all the agencies, the results may be ineffectual.
Continued and follow -up services, until gains and improvements
have become stabilized, are highly important, and the absence o f
such follow -up services may vitiate any gains resulting from pre­
vious services. It therefore seems desirable fo r the State welfare
department to formulate a policy concerning the extent o f services to
be undertaken with individual agencies. A principle which may be
helpful is that a minimum amount o f service to all agencies is
desirable, with concentration o f services upon a selected group.
The selection o f agencies to which the State department w ill give
more intensive services should be determined partly by the need
fo r such services but should also be influenced by other factors.
Since services are more effective i f given at a time when especially
needed, the department should attempt to fulfill any requests fo r
special aid. Frequently, anSemergency in an. agency furnishes an
excellent opportunity for presiding services fo^ which at that parl

https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

IN TH E SOCIAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

9

ticular time an executive or a governing board may feel real need.
The development o f a public child-placing program in a community
in which only institutional resources have been available may make
it desirable to give special services to the institutions in that par­
ticular community. Services given to all child-welfare agencies
located in one vicinity may also be advisable, since a community
approach to agency problems is desirable. Another advantage in
the selection o f a group o f agencies in a community for special
services is the saving o f time and expense involved in transportation.
In order to conserve time and increase the effectiveness o f services
to individual agencies, it is desirable that each visit be made for a
definite purpose related to the whole plan o f work with the particular
agency. In preparation fo r a visit to an agency it is important to
review the record o f previous visits and any data or records that w ill
bring to light any problems needing consideration,, such as interstate
placement, frequent replacement o f children, or similar situations.
When inspection o f the physical plant o f an institution is an im­
portant procedure o f a particular visit, an effort should be made to
make the process a constructive one. A n unhurried interview with
the executive or staff members before and after the tour o f buildings
and grounds may aid in making such a visit useful to the institution,
The reading o f social case records o f institutions, and especially o f
child-placing agencies, is a means o f obtaining first-hand information
on the practices follow ed in regard to intake, supervision, and dis­
charge o f children which is necessary for intelligent consultation and
advice. It may be helpful for the State worker to leave comments on
certain records read, giving commiendation or pointing out weaknesses
in procedures follow ed, or making suggestions as to future procedures.
A general summary evaluating the case-work practices o f the agency
as a whole or, perhaps, o f certain workers may be helpful. A confer­
ence with the staff o f social case workers in an agency may be o f special
value after records have been read. Occasional visits to selected
fam ily homes used by agencies may place the State worker in a better
position to be helpful about the problems o f an agency.
Since the executive and staff usually have full schedules o f work, the
department should arrange a time convenient to an agency fo r making
a visit. I f the State worker expects to be given opportunity fo r dis­
cussion o f problems confronting an agency, it is distinctly advantage­
ous that visits be made by appointment. Otherwise the visit may dis­
rupt the program o f a busy day and the result w ill be an unprofit­
able time for the agency and the department. The probable lack o f
preparation o f the executive and staff for discussion o f problems on
which they may seek advice is an added disadvantage in visiting with­
out appointment. It is interesting to note that one State, where ap­
pointments fo r visits are now being made, reported a marked change
in the attitude o f the agencies toward visits by the department after
this plan was put into operation.
The length o f visits to agencies may be an hour or two, a half day,
a whole day, or perhaps several days, depending upon the total plan
o f work with a particular agency and the immediate purpose o f a
single visit. B rief friendly calls, without appointment, may promote
better understanding, but it should be recognized that while frequent
visits o f short duration may be useful in some instances, visits provid
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

10

TH E M E AN IN G OF STATE SUPERVISION

ing sufficient time to create a feeling o f ease and opportunity fo r dis­
cussion are necessary. I f the State worker constantly appears hur­
ried and eager to terminate a visit at the earliest possible moment, the
workers o f an agency w ill be deterred from seeking advice and sug­
gestions, and there w ill be little opportunity for obtaining a real un­
derstanding o f the problems o f an agency and fo r making suggestions
about them. Arranging a visit at a time when the executive, staff, and
children are relaxed and at ease is often helpful in furnishing a better
picture o f an agency program and also in stimulating mutual under­
standing between an agency and the department. Eating a meal,
spending an eveningj staying overnight, or living several days in an
institution, i f convenient, is often desirable.
A n interesting illustration o f the importance o f human relation­
ship in the supervisory process was given by one State worker who
accepted an invitation to lunch after a somewhat discouraging and
unproductive morning spent with the executive o f an institution
which she was visiting fo r the first time. A t the close o f the lunch
the executive asked her to speak to the children and introduced her
as a State inspector who had come to check up on them. Under the
handicap o f this introduction, she told an amusing story which drew
a laugh, not only from the children but from the staff as well. This
small incident seemed to break the barrier erected by apprehen­
sion and lack o f understanding o f the supervisory program. As the
State worker said, she was regarded for the first time by the execu­
tive and staff not as a State inspector but as a human being with an
interest in children identical with their own. As a result, a profit­
able afternoon was spent in conference with the executive and some
o f the staff discussing problems on which they sought advice.
A ll visits should terminate on a pleasant note and the way should
be left open fo r returning. Although the State worker may have
discussed the strengths and weaknesses o f an agency program and
given suggestions for improvements during a visit, it is often help­
fu l to put in writing general comments on the adequacies and weak­
nesses o f the agency program. W ritten comments are often useful
to the executive and board members in their efforts to gain a perspec­
tive o f their own work and in planning its future development.
Substitution o f small group conferences o f agency representatives
fo r visits has some interesting possibilities. When the department
has become acquainted with the agencies and knows that they are
giving care in accordance with reasonable standards o f work, group
conferences o f representatives o f agencies in an urban community
may be sponsored. The time which the department would spend
working with one agency may be used to advantage by this plan,
which would reach a number o f agencies at one time. There is the
added advantage o f the stimulation which comes from a group dis­
cussion in which there is an exchange o f ideas between persons en­
gaged in the same type o f work. Opportunity fo r keeping in touch
with progress in the agencies is given to some extent, since the dis­
cussions may be based on practical problems dealt with in the agen­
cies. The group meetings may be supplemented by visits when need
for visiting is indicated.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

IN T H E SOCIAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

11

Services to the governing boards.

Since the governing board as the administrative authority should
be acquainted with any program which affects an agency, the State
welfare department should interpret to the board the significance o f
State supervision and should explain the nature o f services to be
offered the particular agency. W ithout an understanding o f the
objectives o f State supervision, the board members may resent
any efforts o f the State department to work with the agency. B y
consultation with individual board members, as well as inform al
discussions with the board as a group? the State department w ill
stimulate the cooperation o f the agency in the State program.
In view o f the general interest o f board members in child-welfare
problems, a discussion o f trends in the development o f programs for
children throughout the country may be helpful. Knowledge o f
the increased provisions fo r public services to children which have
been made in recent years may be o f particular interest to the board
and w ill be useful in giving them a perspective o f the agency pro­
gram. Members o f a board would also want to know about the
adequacy o f resources fo r children in the particular locality. A dis­
cussion o f the methods and accomplishments o f other agencies en­
gaged in similar work may suggest to board members possibilities
fo r improvement in their own agency.
The contribution which the boards o f different agencies can make
to each other was demonstrated in a State recently visited. A s a
result o f a plan stimulated by the State welfare department, the
board o f an institution which had modernized its program invited
the board o f a nearby institution contemplating a change in its pro­
gram to come to tea at the institution. Opportunity was afforded
the visiting board to observe the improved program in operation
and to discuss the methods follow ed m making changes. The en­
couragement o f seeing results in a similar institution contributed
to a renewed interest and determination o f the visiting board to
m odify its program.
When requested, the State department may be helpful to the board
in locating properly qualified persons fo r such positions as executive,
supervisor, case worker, or matron when such positions are vacant.
Often the department has associations with groups and organizations
through which suggestions may come and be passed on to the board
o f an agency.
Although improvement in services may be expected from the
efforts o f a qualified executive and staff the authority to make
changes in an agency rests ultimately with the board. It is, there­
fore, desirable fo r the representative o f the State department to
interview the president or chairman o f the board as often as neces­
sary. Occasionally a meeting with the board to discuss needed
changes and to suggest improvements should be held. B y attend­
ing a board meeting it is possible to interpret the suggested
changes and to gain some idea o f whether the changes can be made.
A fter a meeting with the board in which the needs o f an agency have
been discussed it is wise to submit a written report o f the recom­
mendations made.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

12

TH E M E AN IN G OF STATE SUPERVISION

A n obvious feature o f the work o f the State department with
the board is constant cooperation with the executive through whom
work with the board should be undertaken. Any official reports to
the agency should be sent to the executive and a copy to the chair­
man o f the board. In some instances the procedure may be reversed,
the State department addressing the chairman directly and sending
a copy to the executive.
Services to the staff.

The nature o f services which the State welfare department should
undertake with the staffs o f agencies is prim arily educational. The
need for such services is illustrated by the improved quality o f care
to children that results when a staff are informed on modern methods
o f handling problems with which they are concerned. The services
to the staff may include advice in regard to problems o f immediate
concern or may include consultation on programs o f staff education.
Discussion with matrons, case workers, and other staff members o f
the problems o f particular children may be helpful. This may be
done in individual interviews or staff meetings, which may be held
occasionally at the time o f visits to the agencies. Opportunity is
given in such situations to present new ideas o f child care and to
suggest material fo r reading and study. Provision may sometimes
be made fo r discussion o f general child-welfare problems which may
be valuable in prom oting fetter understanding o f children.
In view o f the need fo r well-qualified staff in the agencies, the
State welfare department should stimulate the development o f inservice training programs as a means o f im proving the performance
o f personnel. Assistance may be given in arranging a series o f staff
meetings in which an organized course o f study is given. As a
training process, planned meetings held at regular intervals with
continuity in discussions offer distinct advantages. Although it may
not be possible fo r a State worker to participate in the in-service
training projects, attendance at an occasional meeting may be stimu­
lating and encouraging.
The competence o f personnel may be promoted i f data on childwelfare problems are made available for the staff to read and study
individually or as a group. The State department may assist by
making published material available and by referring agency workers
to resources through which they may have access to books on chil­
dren’s problems or may purchase them at a nominal cost. In some
States the State department has a social-work library which may
be used by personnel o f agencies with which the department is work­
ing in its supervisory program. In a State where there are few
resources, the department may encourage the organization o f a
small library which may travel from agency to agency. Monthly
bulletins published by the department may be utilized fo r short
articles on problems o f children.
The department should assist in efforts to broaden the understand­
ing o f foster parents who, because o f their responsibility in caring
fo r children in foster homes, are in reality members o f the staff.
Foster-parent education may be promoted through meetings held
occasionally or at regular intervals. Service in planning meetings


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

IN TH E SOCIAL PROTECTION OE CHILDREN

13

for the foster parents o f a single agency or o f a number o f cooperat­
ing agencies in the same community may be given by the State
welfare department.
Special services.

In order to provide adequate care for children, it is essential that
child-welfare agencies have expert advice on such problems as nutri­
tion, recreation, and mental hygiene. One o f the significant contribu­
tions that can be made by the State department to agencies unable
to obtain these essential services is to make consultation service
available through other State agencies providing consultation or
services in these fields or through its own staff or personnel lent by
other public or private agencies.
The services o f a nutritionist working directly with the person
in charge o f planning meals fo r an institution may result in marked
improvement in the quality o f the food and the health o f the chil­
dren. In one State visited recently a Negro home economist o f the
United States Extension Service spent a week in an institution fo r
Negro children, assisting in planning meals and advising on house­
hold management. Material on diets and menus may be assembled
by the State welfare department in consultation with specialists in
the field and made available to institutions.
The value o f a constructive recreation program in an institution
cannot be overemphasized. The State department can do much to
stimulate the use o f local recreation leaders, who often w ill give
voluntary service, to develop a sound recreation program in an
institution or to give suggestions as to the best use o f the existing
resources fo r play or other form s o f recreation. When such services
are not available, arrangements may often be made fo r temporary
loan to the department o f a recreation specialist to assist a number
o f institutions and to advise child-placing agencies as to recreational
needs o f children in foster homes.
Lack o f resources fo r the psychological and psychiatric study o f
children under the care o f agencies is a serious problem in many
States. The State department can be helpful in furthering under­
standing o f the need fo r these services and in encouraging the
use o f local and State mental-hygiene resources. In some States serv­
ice has been given to a few agencies by the psychologist or psychia­
trist employed for child-welfare services under the Federal-State
plans authorized by the Social Security Act.
In order to develop case-work procedures o f agencies, the State
department may need to provide special services in this field. A
study o f children under the care o f an agency or a demonstration o f
intake services or home finding may sometimes be made by the State
department, through its own staff or with the assistance o f a county
child-welfare worker, as a means o f prom oting an understanding o f
social case work and o f revealing to an agency its needs fo r social
service. Although social services are desirable in all institutions, it
is recognized that it is not possible to provide fo r a social worker in
every institution. Cooperation between local social-service agencies,
public and private, and institutions having no case worker should be
encouraged by the State department.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

14

TH E M EANING OF STATE SUPEEYISION

Group meetings.

The advantages o f group meetings as a means o f prom oting bet­
ter standards o f care make it desirable to utilize a group approach
in addition to the individual approach to the agencies. The con­
tribution o f meetings in giving an impetus to improved standards
and in stimulating better care cannot be duplicated by the State
welfare department’s services to individual agencies.
Conferring and sharing o f experiences by agencies may be con­
ducive to growth and breadth in understanding, which w ill eventually
be reflected in the services to children. Meetings o f staff and board
members o f different agencies give opportunity fo r capitalizing upon
the knowledge and experience o f the individual agencies and make it
possible for the stronger agencies to be o f assistance to the weaker
ones. H olding such meetings, when convenient, at an institution or
in the office o f a child-placing agency makes it possible to observe
personally the facilities and methods in operation. A n additional
advantage is found in the stimulation o f pride and interest on the
part o f the staff and board members o f the agency acting as host.
Meetings may be an instrument through which the State depart­
ment can obtain concerted action o f all the agencies fo r improvement
in standards o f work. Discussion o f licensing procedures, standards
o f service, the value o f visits to individual agencies, and other im­
portant aspects o f the supervisory program may be a feature o f
meetings with representatives o f the agencies. A n organized course
o f study in the form o f an institute may be given to the agencies
meeting as a group. Another advantage o f meetings is the oppor­
tunity for the agencies as a group to near outstanding persons in
the child-welfare field, a privilege that individual agencies can rarely
have.
Group meetings may be held under different auspices. The State
department may cooperate with existing organizations which offer a
forum fo r discussion o f problems with which child-welfare agencies
are concerned. The State conference o f social work is an organiza­
tion through which special meetings on child-welfare problems may
be arranged for the workers in children’s agencies. Committees
planning the program fo r the annual meeting o f the conference
may welcome suggestions fo r meetings from the agencies or the
State department. Often it is possible to arrange a series o f meet­
ings fo r a particular group o f workers, such as house mothers or
case workers, preceding the meeting o f the State conference o f social
work. The council o f social agencies in the larger cities is another
medium through which agencies may meet fo r joint consideration o f
mutual problems. Since the agencies participating in meetings held
under the auspices o f a council o f social agencies are located near
one another, opportunity is available fo r meeting at frequent inter­
vals, which has distinct advantages.
A second method by which agencies may be brought together is
the arrangement o f special meetings by the State department. A
day’s meeting to which agencies are invited may be held at intervals,
either in a central place in the State or in several centers. Meetings
may extend several days and may take the form o f an institute for
which trained leadership is provided by the State welfare depart­
ment. The State department w ill find it beneficial to seek assistance


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

IN TH E SOCIAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

15

from the agencies in planning the program for these meetings. In
order to maintain the spirit o f helpfulness in the meetings arranged
by the State department, it is preferable that there be no compulsion
about attending. However, it is desirable that the agencies under­
stand that distinct benefits are to be derived from the meetings and
also that they w ill be welcomed.
A third process by which agencies may jointly participate in a pro­
gram contributing to improved services to children throughout the
State is a permanent organization o f the agencies themselves. In
some States the agency group has been form ally organized with a
constitution and bylaws, which provide fo r membership on an agency
or individual basis. The organization may include only staff mem­
bers or both staff and board members o f child-welfare agencies.
Since there are problems peculiar to institutional care, there may be
a separate section fo r representatives o f institutions. Officers selected
by an approved procedure assume responsibility fo r directing the
activities o f the organization, which may hold quarterly or semi­
annual meetings, one o f which may be held at the time o f the State
conference o f social work. A membership or registration fee is a
means o f obtaining a small sum for the operation o f the organization.
The role o f the department in an organization o f the agencies is
interesting and important. Often the department, realizing that
progress in obtaining better standards must come through the efforts
o f the agencies themselves, has promoted and encouraged a formal
organization o f agencies. The organized group offers a means by
which the State department can truly make State supervision a co­
operative program with the agencies. In some States a State worker
serves on the executive committee o f the organization and offers what­
ever assistance may be needed. Often the State department may
provide clerical service needed in carrying on the work o f the organ­
ization. In some instances the State department has been able to
pay fo r special speakers fo r the meetings o f the organization.
Although the importance o f the State welfare department as a part
o f the organization o f agencies cannot be minimized, its role should be
only advisory.
A conference, the purpose o f which is to formulate general prin­
ciples o f child care or to plan for a survey o f needs in the children’s
field, is also a means o f prom oting interagency thinking and action
in the interest o f better services. A conference organized fo r the
time required to accomplish a particular project, such as the form u­
lation o f standards o f care for children, offers excellent opportunities
fo r the stimulation o f thought and fo r education as to needs and
desirable goals. Special committees formed as a part o f the organ­
ization to work on various aspects o f a problem temporarily bring
together small groups o f persons through which understanding may
be broadened. An additional advantage o f a temporary conference
is found in the written reports o f the work o f the group, which may
be useful in extending knowledge throughout the State and in focus­
ing attention upon outstanding needs.
STANDARDS OF CARE AN D SERVICE

An important aspect o f State services to agencies is to make avail­
able to them in printed or mimeographed form the best information


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

16

T H E M E AN IN G OF STATE SUPERVISION

on the essentials o f child care, the services that should be available fo r
children, and the procedures and programs that w ill make the best
contribution to sound development o f children needing care in foster
homes or institutions. Standards o f child care published by national
organizations or by local or State groups in other States are valuable
as a means through which agencies may become acquainted with the
standards considered essential by recognized authorities in the field o f
child care or by agencies in other places. Such material can serve as
the basis fo r discussion o f attainable as well as desirable standards
o f care and may lead to the formulation o f standards representing the
best thinking in the State and the objectives toward which the agen­
cies should be working.
Recognized standards o f equipment, services, and procedures are o f
great value to individual agencies. W ith such standards at hand, an
agency is able to evaluate its own work and to set goals toward which
improvements may be directed. Another advantage is their use as
a guide in form ulating policies and in making changes in the type o f
service given.
In many States legislation relating to the supervision o f childwelfare agencies specifies that the State agency must prescribe rules
and regulations or establish standards o f care and services to which
agencies must conform . The procedure used in the formulation o f
such requirements and their content are o f vital concern to both the
State department and the agencies. Although the phrase “ prescribed
rules and regulations” has a more authoritative connotation than the
phrase “ established standards o f care,” this should not affect the use
o f sound procedure in the formulation o f standards essential to ade­
quate care o f children. The formulation o f standards should be a
project participated in by both the agencies and the State depart­
ment, since standards imposed by a State agency are never so effective
as those that the agencies subscribe to and impose upon themselves.
There are many aspects o f child care and services that must be con­
sidered in formulating standards. Some o f these may be applicable
only to institutional care and others only to foster-home care, but
there are other general standards, such as conditions affecting thei
health o f children and health services, that are common to both form s
o f care. The participation o f the State health department in estab­
lishing standards o f this aspect o f care is o f the greatest value in
increasing knowledge o f health resources and health problems that
need consideration.
Proposed standards fo r consideration by the agencies and the State
department may be formulated by committees o f agency representa­
tives appointed at agency meetings or by the State department after
consultation with groups o f agencies. Study o f such proposed stand­
ards by each agency and in group meetings w ill insure understanding
o f their meaning and may also lead to a more comprehensive or more
detailed form ulation o f the standards agreed upon in a final con­
ference. It is evident that the establishment o f standards o f child
care and service is not a first step in a supervisory program but
rather the culmination o f an educational program to strengthen the
work o f the agencies and to enlist their interest in safeguarding the
care o f children throughout the State. I f the procedure o f form u­
lating standards is unhurried and extends over a period o f a year or


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

IN TH E SOCIAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

17

more, there may be additional benefits to be realized by the longer
time available fo r assimilation o f the discussion.
There may be great variation in the financial resources, quality o f
personnel, and standards o f care o f the agencies within a State. It is,
therefore, the responsibility o f the State department to use every
possible constructive measure and procedure to narrow the gap that
exists between the standards o f the best-qualified agencies and those
that represent the maximum attainment o f the weakest agencies.
During the time when standards o f care are being developed, situa­
tions may arise which make it necessary fo r the State department to
require certain procedures that are essential fo r the health and social
welfare o f children. When this is necessary, the department should
make available any special services needed to make the changes
possible.
THE USE OF A LICENSE

The number o f States in which every agency must receive a license
from the State welfare department is steadily increasing. There
are some variations in these States, however, in the significance given
to the licensing process and in the methods o f using a license. When
every agency must be licensed, a license represents approval o f the
contmued operation o f an agency but may not always represent
approval o f all the features o f its program. Acceptance o f this gen­
eral principle meets the objection that a license automatically repre­
sents approval o f the work o f an agency. The experience o f several
States seems to indicate, however, that there are definite advantages
in some o f the methods used fo r differentiation in licenses.
F or those child-welfare agencies whose standards o f care and serv­
ice are questionable, the use o f a tentative or provisional license may
be desirable. Although such a license may not be authorized by
legislation, the State department may inaugurate its use as an admin­
istrative measure. The issuance o f provisional licenses to agencies
whose continued operation cannot be fully approved prevents the
existence o f unlicensed agencies or their immediate closing without
opportunity to improve their work. A provisional license may be a
stimulus to agencies to qualify fo r a fu ll license. To make the use o f
a provisional license effective, a time lim it o f a year or more should
be set during which an agency may operate under such a license.
The use o f licenses that designate the types o f work the agencies
are equipped to undertake and the number o f children that they
can care fo r adequately is steadily increasing. Such licenses indi­
cate whether an agency is to operate an institution, to place children
in fam ily homes, or to engage in both types o f service. Placement
o f children in fam ily homes is a highly specialized service, requiring
quite different techniques and procedures from those used in insti­
tutional care; and lack o f qualified personnel in institutions to under­
take this service has constituted a serious problem in the past. Fur­
ther differentiation is made in some States in the license issued to
child-placing agencies. In order to protect children permanently
separated from their families, only agencies having a satisfactory
program and a well-equipped staff are authorized to accept per­
manent guardianship o f children or to place children in homes for


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

18

TH E M EANING OF STATE SUPERVISION

adoption. A s a means o f reaching a thorough understanding with
an agency as to the type o f work to be undertaken and indicated in
the license, the State department should discuss the matter and reach
an agreement with the agency before issuing the license.
The licenses in many States also specify the number o f children
o f different ages and sex agreed upon by the agency and the depart­
ment as the maximum fo r whom care should be undertaken. In de­
termining the number o f children who can be cared fo r adequately
by an agency, consideration should be given to such factors as the
capacity o f the agency, the size and quality o f the staff, the budget,
and the availability o f special services such as medical and dental
care, recreational resources, and facilities fo r meeting particular needs
o f children. Better standards o f care w ill be promoted by lim iting
an agency’s service to the number o f children whom it can serve
well, thus emphasizing quality rather than quantity o f service.
Overcrowding in institutions w ill be eliminated and general im prove­
ment in the care o f children w ill be made. W hile it should be recog­
nized that the immediate reduction o f the population o f an agency
may not be possible or practicable, the department from year to year,
in conference with the executives and board members o f an agency,
may encourage reduction in the number o f children accepted, with
consequent improvement in the care given.
Annual licenses may be issued to all the agencies on a particular
date or they may be issued at different times throughout the year.
When licenses fo r all the agencies fa ll due on a certain date, it is
likely that less time w ill be available for the careful consideration
o f each agency that is desirable. B y licensing a few agencies each
month it may be possible to give more detailed consideration to the
individual agencies. However, either plan may be used satisfactorily.
Placing upon the agencies responsibility for initiative in obtaining
a license by making form al application is a sound practice. In sub­
m itting an application for a license, the board o f an agency must
review various aspects o f its services in order to determine fo r what
type o f work a license is desired. Making application fo r a license
affords opportunity to the board for consideration o f the supervision
program and its significance to the agencies.
Refusal o f a license to an agency should never be characterized
by procedures o f a punitive nature. It is preferable always to notify
an agency o f its failure to qualify fo r a license well in advance o f
the time when a license is due. I f this is done it may be possible
to make changes which w ill qualify the agency fo r a license. Special
assistance may be given in order to improve the work o f an agency
before the time o f licensing. Since there are no positive gains to be
realized when a license is withheld and the agency continues to
operate, a definite understanding should be reached with the govern­
ing board several months before a license is due to the effect that
improvements are to be made or the agency w ill be closed.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

SU PER VISIO N OF CARE G IVEN IN FO STER HOMES
There is great variation in statutory provisions o f the States re­
garding the extent o f responsibility given to State welfare depart­
ments fo r the supervision o f care given to children in foster homes.
Since the method o f caring fo r children used by child-placing agen­
cies is placement in foster homes, the supervision o f such agencies
by the State department indirectly involves supervision o f care given
in the homes used by the agency, regardless o f whether these are
adoptive homes or other free homes, boarding homes, or wage homes.
Some o f the measures o f the quality o f the work o f a child-placing
agency are the quality o f the homes selected, the extent and quality
or the service given in supervisory visits, and the character o f the
educational activities conducted to develop the potentialities o f the
foster home. Through placing emphasis on the policies, standards,
and procedures o f the agencies, the State department can do much
to improve the care given in foster homes.
It may be assumed that every State having legislation that author­
izes the supervision o f child-placing agencies has thereby made pro­
vision for safeguarding the children receiving care in foster homes
used by agencies.
LICENSING OF FAMILY HOMES

Legislation authorizing licensing, certification of, or granting per­
mits to foster homes has been enacted in about two-thirds o f the
States. Such legislation is infinitely varied as it may apply to all
types o f fam ily homes, to boarding homes only, or only to homes
caring fo r infants. Furthermore, in some States a license may not
be necessary for a home caring fo r one child and in others it is not
required for homes caring for a child older than a specified age.
The m ajor requirement o f all o f this legislation is that the home
must be investigated and a license or some other form o f permit
must be issued.
The basis o f the enactment o f many o f these laws was concern for
the welfare o f children casually placed fo r board in undesirable,
unsupervised homes, and at present most o f the legislation applies
only to boarding homes. W ith the use o f boarding homes by child­
placing agencies, the licensing o f such homes cuts across the super­
visory program fo r child-placing agencies, with the result that,
although the State department is concerned with im proving all
agency foster-home placements, it has special responsibility fo r re­
viewing in detail and approving only one type or home. In order
to sim plify this procedure, various plans have been developed in
different States, including authorizing the agencies to issue their
own licenses or permits, issuing the licenses on recommendation o f
the agencies, and exempting the homes o f approved agencies from
the law.
19

https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

20

TH E M EANING OF STATE SUPERVISION

When all types o f agency foster homes must receive a license or
permit, the licensing procedure is more consistent, but unless some
plan is made fo r delegating some responsibility to the agencies, the
State department is faced with the large administrative responsi­
bility o f reviewing the qualifications o f every foster home used in
the State. It is interesting to note that several States that have been
given this broad responsibility have limited licensing to boarding
homes.
The value or necessity o f licensing foster homes used by agencies
is a question which needs careful consideration. Many problems
must be taken into consideration, and foremost among these is the
relationship o f the State department to the agencies. Detailed con­
sideration o f each placement made by an agency at a long distance
may lead to misunderstanding and friction, because the report o f
the home submitted by the agency may not indicate some o f the
most significant reasons for its selection. The time given to straight­
ening out minor difficulties may be far more profitably spent in a
careful review o f a few placements, including a visit to some homes
follow ed by a case conference with the staff o f the agency.
Consideration should also be given to the value ana significance
o f a license to the foster parents. Some foster parents working
with agencies may take pride in receiving an official approval o f
their home, whereas others may feel their prestige increased by not
being required to have a license which other homes not receiving
children from an authorized agency must have.
When the placement program o f an agency is obviously inadequate,
licensing o f the homes in which children are placed is a limited form
o f protection. Assistance given in finding more adequate personnel,
a short-time demonstration in home finding or other types o f edu­
cational service are far more effective. D.uring the last few years
there has been a marked increase in the number o f local welfare
departments that are placing children in foster homes as part o f
their services. Because o f the lack o f qualified child-welfare work­
ers in many o f these departments, a number o f States have made the
requirement that all the foster homes used must be approved or
licensed. This is a desirable procedure in the early development
o f local public departments, but as the quality o f the service given
improves there is no reason why the placements o f local public childwelfare agencies should not be dealt with as those o f private agencies
are.
The m ajor purpose o f licensing foster homes is to provide a
means o f protection for children living in foster homes that are not
under the supervision o f an agency. Although the earliest attempt
to meet this need was directed toward the protection o f children
placed in so-called baby farms or commercial boarding homes, there
is growing realization that children casually placed in adoptive homes
or other free homes are especially in need o f protection. A child
so placed does not have the continuing interest o f parents or rela­
tives, whereas a child receiving care on a boarding basis has the
one who is responsible for paying the board to maintain an interest
in his well-being.
There are limitations to the usefulness o f a licensing requirement
in these free-home placements. Such placements often do not come

https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

IN TH E SOCIAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

21

to light or become known only after the child has been in the home
over a period o f time that limits the action which might be made in
the interest o f the child. But when such placements are known the
authority given by the law to make an investigation and to visit
the home when this seems desirable offers an opportunity to further
the welfare o f the child.
PROBLEMS OF INDEPENDENT PLACEMENTS

Protection for children received into homes independently o f a
social agency is especially needed because o f conditions inherent in
such placements. In the first place, the independent home is selected,
not by a professionally qualified person with knowledge o f the
qualities which should characterize a desirable foster home but by a
parent, relative, or other person, who may have been under great
pressure to find a home fo r a child within a short time. A home
selected in such a way may have little to contribute to the social
and emotional development o f children and may be wholly unsuitable
fo r meeting the needs o f a particular child. A s a result, serious
problems affecting the social and physical well-being o f children
result. Some o f those problems are unsatisfactory foster-parent
relationships, exploitation o f children, and inadequate physical care,
including improper food, insufficient clothing, and poor health care.
A lso, when there is no supervision o f a child’s own fam ily situation
many problems pertaining to relationship with his own fam ily may
arise. The parents may fa il to pay board or may even abandon the
child. Strong emotional attachments between a child and foster
parents may be developed, resulting in disturbing experiences for
the child when he returns to his own fam ily.
Many unsatisfactory situations in independent fam ily homes may
be corrected and better standards promoted by services given through,
the process o f licensing. Valuable as this may be, it does not make
possible the correction o f many o f the undesirable situations which
develop before the placement becomes known. Licensing o f an un­
satisfactory home may often be considered preferable to uprooting a
child from an environment in which he has lived for several years
and which has come to have some positive values fo r him.
*ince this type o f situation frequently exists, it is apparent that
efforts should be made to prevent as many independent placements
as possible by making agency services available fo r children who
otherwise would be placed independently. The development o f ade­
quate community services for unmarried mothers may be a means o f
reducing the number o f independent placements. When the services
o f an agency are available to an unmarried mother, assistance w ill be
given in placing her child in a wisely selected foster home i f place­
ment is desirable, or plans other than placement may be worked out.
Services fo r parents financially able to pay for their children’s care
in a fam ily home are also important. Prom oting the extension o f
agency services in a community to all who need them w ill keep at a
minimum the number o f independent placements.
A s a preventive measure, also, it is important to work out a coop­
erative relationship with the newspapers, which may publish adver­
tisements o f parents desiring to place their children or o f persons

https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

22

TH E M EANING OF STATE SUPERVISION

desiring to locate children fo r whom to care. I f the significance o f
the problem is known, the newspapers are usually w illing to coop­
erate by referring persons who wish to advertise to a public or pri­
vate child-welfare agency.
.
.
The county welfare departments responsible fo r services in local
communities should have definite responsibility fo r the independent
homes. The nearness o f the county departments to the homes places
them in a position to give more effective service than would be pos­
sible from the State welfare department. Although the State de­
partment should retain the right to issue a license, the assistance o f
the county welfare department should be given in making investiga­
tions, recommending the issuance or refusal o f a license, and super­
vising the home after a license has been issued. Case-work services
to promote a more satisfactory adjustment o f children or to return
them to their own families can be given by the county welfare depart­
ment to children in independent homes. When it is necessary to
undertake the removal o f a child from an undesirable home by court
action, the county welfare department is in a position to initiate
such action. Consultation service from the State department in
handling problems pertaining to the independent home should be
available to the county welfare departments at all times.

o

?


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis