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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
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