1940: Child Welfare

White House Conference on Children in a Democracy.

Outstanding among the achievements in the field of child welfare in the United States in 1940 was the work of the White House Conference on Children in a Democracy, the fourth in a decennial series held in the interest of the Nation's children. The conference called by the Secretary of Labor at the direction of the President in January 1940 adopted a general report designed to stimulate effort in behalf of children during the coming decade. Its recommendations related to such subjects as the child in the family, housing, economic aid, religion in the lives of children, education in schools, libraries, and during leisure time, protection against child labor, youth and their needs, child health, social services for children, children under special disadvantages including those in minority groups and in migrant families.

Leadership for follow-up activities was provided by the appointment of two committees. The National Citizens Committee is giving assistance in organizing State and local follow-up programs. The Federal Interagency Committee is providing interchange of information and coordinated planning among Federal agencies and cooperating with the National Citizens Committee. By November 1940 follow-up programs were definitely under way in 14 states and other states were considering such organization.

The conference publications are being distributed by the Children's Bureau, United States Department of Labor, Washington, D. C.

Progress under the Social Security Act.

Maternal and Child-Health Services.

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1940, the 52 states and territories cooperating in this program spent $7,370,685 from Federal, state, and local funds under plans approved by the Children's Bureau, United States Department of Labor. The Federal appropriation for grants to the states for this purpose for the fiscal year 1941 is $5,820,000.

In February 1940 Puerto Rico received its first Federal grants for a maternal and child-health program.

State progress reports for the year ended June 30, 1940, show increasing numbers of prenatal centers and child-health conference centers administered or supervised by state health departments. Increasing medical supervision of the health of mothers and children at such centers and increasing public-health-nursing service at prenatal and child-health conferences and in-home visits were reported. About twenty-five states are providing medical or hospital care at the time of delivery in a few areas, and home-nursing delivery care is being provided in more than 100 local areas. Because the death rate of premature infants is unduly high, 25 states reported during the year a special emphasis on programs for their care.

Effort to provide qualified personnel for these expanding services was made in 1940 by extension of postgraduate courses for practicing physicians, nurses, and dentists, by granting funds to staff personnel for educational leave, and by in-service training courses.

The 1939 maternal mortality rate, 40 deaths from puerperal causes per 10,000 live births, was 9 per cent lower than the 1938 rate (44); and the 1939 infant mortality rate, 48 deaths of infants under one year per 1,000 live births, was 6 per cent lower than the 1938 rate (51).

Services for Crippled Children.

All the states and territories of the United States are now receiving funds for services to crippled children under the Social Security Act. Significant progress has been made since the program was initiated in location and registration of crippled children. State registers listed 266,000 crippled children on June 30, 1940. State programs for the year ended June 30, 1940, showed a notable expansion of clinic and hospital services. Programs for care of children with crippling heart conditions were initiated in 10 states during the year. Special help was given in states which experienced severe epidemics of poliomyelitis. The number of crippled children admitted to diagnostic or treatment clinics for the calendar year 1939 was 88,581; the number admitted to hospitals (including readmissions) was 41,692. Payments to states for services to crippled children under the Social Security Act, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1940, totaled $3,378,086; funds contributed by state and local agencies, $2,888,986. The Federal appropriation for grants to the states for the fiscal year 1941 is $3,870,000.

Child-Welfare Services.

The main objective for which Federal funds are made available to states is the preservation of homes by means of preventive case work. Local child-welfare services are developed chiefly on a demonstration basis under the supervision of state welfare agencies to stimulate community interest and support, and provide a basis of experience for extension of the services. As of June 30, 1940, Federal funds provided part of the cost of child-welfare services in 512 of the 3,072 counties in the United States, and in 10 additional local areas. In August 1940 approximately 45,000 children were receiving services from workers financed in whole or in part from Federal funds. In the fiscal year ended June 30, 1940, $1,407,074 of Federal funds for aid to the states were expended for child-welfare services. The Federal appropriation for the year ending June 30, 1941, is $1,510,000.

Aid to Dependent Children.

By September 1940, 40 states, the District of Columbia, and Hawaii were receiving Federal grants for aid to dependent children administered by the Social Security Board, Federal Security Agency. In that month, the average payment per family in 42 states was $32.11. For the year ended June 30, 1940, Federal funds totaling $46,113,458 were paid to the states for aid to dependent children. Since January 1, 1940, the Federal payments have been made in the ratio of one-half the total cost, instead of one-third as formerly. There are still many children, dependent according to the Federal definition, who are not receiving the benefits of Federal aid either because of inadequate state appropriations or because provision has not yet been made in 7 states and Alaska for cooperation with the Federal Government under the program for aid to dependent children. (See also SOCIAL SERVICE, PUBLIC.)

The Merit System.

Affecting all children's programs under the Social Security Act was the stipulation that after January 1, 1940, state plans must provide for the establishment and maintenance of personnel standards on a merit basis.

State Child-Welfare Legislation and Research.

New measures or amendments bringing laws for aid to dependent children into conformity with the Social Security Act amendments of 1939 were enacted in Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Rhode Island, and Virginia. Tests for syphilis were made compulsory for pregnant women in Kentucky and Louisiana, and prerequisite to the issuance of a marriage license in Virginia, and the Kentucky law for such premarital tests was amended. In New York a commission for the deaf and a commission to study health problems were continued, and the Virginia Advisory Legislative Council was directed to study child-welfare problems. Study commissions on juvenile delinquency were continued in New Jersey and New York and a new juvenile-court commission was created in Louisiana. Mississippi passed a State-wide juvenile-court act and established a State training school for delinquent colored youths 7 to 18 years of age. Kentucky revised its adoption law; Louisiana provided that illegitimate children may be surrendered by their mothers and established procedure if the mother is under 21 years of age; Virginia regulated adoption by stepparents. (See also CHILD LABOR; JUVENILE DELINQUENCY; SOCIAL SERVICE, PRIVATE.)

Research.

The Children's Bureau, Department of Labor, carries on a continuous program of research in the field of child welfare. In the United States the volume of research by private organizations and agencies has remained practically constant for several years. The year 1940 shows a significant decrease in research as reported from foreign countries.

Children in Other Countries.

The situation of children in many foreign countries was gravely affected by the war. In Europe large numbers were compelled to leave their homes either as refugees fleeing with their families or, as in England and Germany, under an organized plan for the voluntary evacuation of children from localities exposed to air raids. From London alone 563,000 children had been moved by the end of October 1940 to other parts of Great Britain and to the United States and the Dominions. The Children's Bureau cooperated with the Department of Justice and the United States Committee for the Care of European Children in developing and carrying out plans for the care of children coming to the United States for safety from the dangers of war. The sending of children overseas was almost entirely discontinued beginning with the month of October because of the hazards of transportation. (See also SOCIAL SERVICE, PUBLIC)

Many schools closed because of air raids, shortage of teachers, or use of school buildings for other purposes. According to official reports three-fourths of the 92,000 school children in London in December 1940 were not attending school.

In Japan the Government ordered the payment of family allowances to low-paid workers with one or more dependent children under 14. In The Netherlands a law on allowances for each child under 15 beginning with the third was to become effective in 1940.

In Spain several thousands of orphans of the civil war of 1936-38 were made 'wards of the State,' and an improved system of care was reported.

In Latin America services for children continued in 1940 to make substantial progress. Coordination of all services under one national agency took place in Brazil with the establishment of the National Children's Bureau. This Bureau will coordinate and supervise all work for mothers and children and administer Federal aid to the states and municipalities. In Chile a Central Bureau for the Medical-Social Protection of the Mother and Child was organized; and a bill for the establishment of a Supreme Council of Maternal and Child Welfare is pending.

The problem of improving the food habits of the people has been receiving much attention. In Colombia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala national committees were appointed to study the food habits of the people and to devise means for improving the supply of food at reasonable prices. From Brazil and Peru plans for similar agencies were reported.

Social insurance continued to develop in Latin America. In Venezuela insurance against the risks of illness, maternity, and industrial accidents and diseases was made compulsory for employed persons with earnings below a specified amount. In Cuba a bill amending the law for compulsory maternity insurance existing in that country since 1937 and a bill for compulsory insurance against sickness are pending in Congress.

Provisions for health services, day nurseries, kindergartens and vocational schools is included in a Federal law in Mexico which unifies the educational system on a national basis. (See also CHILD LABOR.)

New constitutions placing on the State the duty of instituting various forms of social aid were enacted in Cuba and Paraguay.