"f-:''^' '^•..,. -* ..UjJ. „ -'w; "vie ' ~ :; * • ' *t'' ?'^''.v ^x A:-"-^5..,T^':-^ ^-J*::; *€:f' :^'^;r:; 9 71^A''- CHILD WELFARE WORK IN CALIFORNIA A STUDY OF AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS BY WILLIAM H. SLINGERLAND, PH.D. SPECIAL AGENT DEPARTMENT OF CHILD-HELPING RUSSELL SAGE FOUNDATION INTRODUCTION BY HASTINGS H. HART, LL.D. DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF CHILD-HELPING RUSSELL SAGE FOUNDATION MCMXV , 3 7^^ 1^4 17 Copyright, 1916, by The Russell Sage Foundation THE RUMFORD PRESS CONCORD, N. H. — PREFACE THIS volume is a contribution to the fund of facts now being gathered in regard to child-helping in the United States, it describes the agencies and institutions of the state of California devoted to the care of dependent, delinquent, and defec- tive children. The book is one of a series specially prepared to present and illustrate the types of institutions and methods of service used in behalf of such children in various commonwealths of the nation. Three volumes in this related group are by the same author the present volume. Child Welfare Work in California; one pre- viously published. Child Welfare Work in Pennsylvania, with its supplement, A Child Welfare Symposium; and one nearly ready for the press, Child Welfare Work in Washington. The fourth volume of the series, by Miss Florence Lattimore, will describe the child-caring agencies of Maryland. Child Welfare Work in California is both a descriptive survey and a manual of reference, adapted to the needs of social workers and all those who are interested in children's charities. It contains a very complete list of the child-caring agencies and institutions of the state, with brief textual narratives and extended statistical tables. To insure ready reference, a special register is provided following the table of contents, in which the institutions are listed alphabetically by location, with the page and table where the descriptive text or the statistics may be found, and the index at the close of the book includes direct reference to the institutions by their names. The writer gladly acknowledges his indebtedness to many social workers in California for assistance in gathering the materials for this book. The former secretary of the state board of charities and corrections, W. Almont Gates, and the present incumbent of that office, Stuart A. Queen, were especially helpful. Others, including various state oificials at Sacramento, rendered very valuable service both in general suggestions and in personal assist- iii PREFACE ance. All of these, and many more who can not be definitely named or even alluded to, are gratefully remembered. Three principal difficulties militated somewhat against exactness in details and accuracy in statistics: First, the lack of uniform records, indeed in some cases the absence of any records worthy of the name; second, the fact that many institutional officers failed to recognize the need of exact and accurate reports if their institutions were to be fairly and adequately represented; third, this research by exterior and unofficial parties, additional to numerous local and state efforts to obtain information, found some officials weary with much inquiry, and a few suspicious lest the reports in some way should be used to their disadvantage. Nevertheless, it is believed that in the main the descriptions, esti- mates, and statistics very closely approximate institutional con- ditions, property values, and the child welfare work actually done. The introductory chapter by Dr. Hastings H. Hart presents a comparative study of California and other states, and a terse resume of present conditions and tendencies. The summaries and special comparative tables reveal many facts heretofore unknown. The chapter on Child-placing in Families is a significant review of this important subject. That on California Foster Homes will convince any doubters as to the good quality of many families applying for children. The Symposium of Executive Opinion shows both the ideas and the spirit of many leading California social workers. The Suggestions and Recom- mendations of the final chapter outline many ways to improve present conditions. The illustrations visualize some of the prin- cipal institutions. The whole, we trust, will make clear to all readers the present excessive institutional provision for the welfare of dependent, delinquent, and defective children in the state of California. William H. Slingerland. New York City, October, 191 5. IV "79 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Preface .... iii List of Illustrations vii Index to Statistical Tables xi Glossary of Abbreviations xiii Alphabetical Register of Agencies and Institutions. xiv Part One PRELIMINARIES Introduction. By Hastings H. Hart, LL.D., Director Department of Child-Helping 3 I. An Explanatory Foreword 12 II. Definitions, Lists, and Statistical Tables i8 III. Outlining the Field 25 y IV. Development of Institutions and Child Welfare Work 30 Part Two ONE HUNDRED AND ONE INSTITUTIONS V. Sherman Institute 39 VI. Institutions for Defective and Delinquent Children 42 VII. Juvenile Detention Homes 50 ^VIII. Child-placing Agencies .... 60 »--tX. Nonsectarian Orphanages and Homes 74 '-- X. General Church Orphanages and Homes 94 XI. Catholic Orphanages and Homes . 106 XII. Institutions for Combined Care of Adults and Children Part Three SUMMARIES AND AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS XIII. Summary for Private Child-caring Institutions . 131 XIV. General Summary for All Agencies and Institutions . 137 XV. Combined County and State Aid for Dependent Children 144 V TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE XVI. Population, Expense, and Public Funds 152 XVI 1. Day Nurseries and Settlement Centers 160 XVill. Child Relief and Protection 169 Part Four ANALYSIS AND ELEMENTS OF PROGRESS *'XIX. Child-placing in Families . 179 XX. California Foster Homes . 186 XXI. Some Causes of Dependency 192 XXII. A Symposium of Executive Opinion 198 XXllI. Suggestions and Recommendations 213 Index 237 VI LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (Arranged alphabetically according to location of institution) Anaheim St. Catherine's Orphanage page Orphanage Building io6 Orphanage Family .106 Boys' Dormitory 107 Boys' Lavatory 107 Orphanage Vegetable Garden 107 Chino California George Junior Republic Group of Buildings 32 Farm Cottage 32 President and Cabinet 32 Building Erected by the Boys 33 Baseball Squad in 1914 33 Eighth Grade Pupils. November, 19 14 33 Eldridge Sonoma State Home Avenue at Entrance to Institution 42 Main Buildings 42 Oak Lodge—One of the Cottages 42 Lux Cottage 43 Institution Choir 43 A Class in Sloyd 43 lone (P. O. Waterman) Preston School of Industry Cadets Assembled before Main Building .... 6 Trades Building 6 West Cottage 7 Honor Cottage 7 Football Team 7 Los Angeles Children's Home Society of California Victoria Home—Society Headquarters, Los Angeles . 64 Foster Home, Los Angeles 64 Interior of Foster Home, Highland, California ... 64 Office and Residence of District Superintendent, Berkeley 65 vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Juvenile Hall page Front View Through Grove 52 Rear View, Showing Extent of Structure .... 53 Patio or Inner Court 53 Lark Ellen News and Working Boys' Home Home on Poinsettia Ranch 78 Ranch Playground 78 Los Angeles Orphan Asylum 154 Maud B. Booth Home Front of Main Building 102 Reception Hall, Library, and Stairway . .102 Dining Room 102 A Model Dormitory 103 Line-up of Lassies 103 Line-up of Laddies 103 Truelove Home (Salvation Army) Maternity and Children's Home 122 Convalescent Ward, Maternity Building . .122 A Truelove Baby . 123 Let Me Love You 123 Lytton Boys' and Girls' Industrial Home and Farm Home Village, from Hill on the North 148 Administration Building 148 Dining Room. Officers and Children Eat Together . 148 Sonoma Cottage. Built by the Boys 149 House Mother and Brood of Children 149 Supper Time 149 Oakland West Oakland Home Main Building 79 Cottage for Babies and Small Children .... 79 Children at Play 79 Sacramento Sacramento Orphanage and Children's Home Two Cottages and a Cottage Family 82 Typical Cottage Family 82 Gardening. Boys' Hall in Distance 82 The Stork's Nest—A New Cottage 83 Stork's Nest Dormitory 83 Stork's Nest Dining Room 83 viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS San Diego Children's Home Association page Main Building 138 Boys' Cottage. Hospital in Distance 138 Nellie-Inez Cottage for Infants and Small Children . .138 Babies at the Bar 139 Sandlotters of San Diego 139 Floating Away on Christmas Morning 139 San Francisco Boys' and Girls' Aid Society Main Building with Bishop Annex 198 Working Boys of the Bishop Annex 198 Busy Workers in the Sloyd Shop 198 Berry Picking at Sebastopol 199 Dining Tent at the Summer Camp 199 Sunday Service at the Summer Camp 199 Hospital for Children Main Building 174 Alexander Maternity Cottage 175 Separate Pavilion for Contagious Cases . -175 Nurses' Home, Orthopedic Building, Eye and Ear Build- ing 175 Infant Shelter Front View of Institution 162 Airing Infants in the Patio 162 Sheltered from Early Infancy 163 Head Nurse and Sample Baby 163 Sun Parlor, Old Sol Shines in on Three Sides . 163 Native Sons' and Native Daughters' Central Committee Symbolic Parade Float 65 Oriental Home Oriental Home and Chinese M. E. Church .... 97 Kindergarten Children 97 All Ages at the Home 97 Pacific Hebrew Orphanage Domestic Science Cottage 96 Main Building 96 Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum New Building. Capacity, 500 112 Orphan Asylum Dining Hall 112 One of the School Rooms 113 ix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Congregate Lavatory 113 Learning to Cook 155 On the Playground 155 San Francisco Babies' Aid Babies' Aid Cottage. Old Foundling Asylum to the Left 86 Cradle of Tragedy—Substitute for European Revolving Crib 86 San Francisco Protestant Orphan Asylum First Orphan Asylum on the Pacific Coast. Founded, 1851 Frontispiece Asylum Entrance. Mobilization of Forces . 132 Drill for Girls in Needlework 132 Developing Future Mechanics 132 Kindergarten Class 133 Girls' Physical Culture Class 133 Boys in the Gymnasium 133 San Gabriel Southern California Masonic Orphanage 87 San Jose Florence Crittenton Home 123 Watsonville St.