Table Of ContentCOMMUNITY QRGANIZATION FOR CHILD WELFARE
MONTGOMERY COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
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Bryn Mawr College
1943 J
Submitted In partial fulfilment of the requirements for
the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Ann V, Shyne
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The purpose of this dissertation is to analy?#i child welfare services
in one county in relation to the neede of the ohildren of the county and
accepted standards of child welfare service, and on the basis of this analy
sis to suggest ways in which child welfare services can be brought into elop
er alignment with children*s needs* Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, was
chosen as the area for study partly for reasons of accessibility and partly
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because the diversified character of this county makes it reflect problems
and.needs of widely varied communities. Though this survey was initiated
before the Khite House Conference or. Children in a Democracy was held, it is
an expression of the principles and spirit of that Conference and is in line
with the recommendation of local self-survoye as part of the ^Conference
____ follow-up program.
The Study would not have been possible without the advice, assistance
and cooperation of the many persons wh^ have participated in it. Dr. Hertha
Kraus, as supervisor of this dissertation, has contributed immeasurably to
the planning of the study and to the organisation and interpretation of the
material presented. Igr deepest gratitude is felt toward Dr. Kraus for her
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time, her help and her inspiration. To Dr. Mildred Fairchild I wish to ex
press my appreciation for her assistance and encouragement throughout the
study. Dr. Gustav Thgendreich, with his extensive experience in the field of
publio health, has greatly strengthened the presentation of,material relating
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to ohild health and has contributed several sections of this report.
m indebted to the graduate students in the Department of Sooial Eoon-
v ony. who assisted in the collection of the data, and to the hundreds of pub-
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| . , i He officials and agency executives who made the data of the study available.
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• TABLE OF CONTENTS
| ' Part I
INTRODUCTION
Chapter I "Purpose of the Study.*.......................*.....• 5
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Chapter II Basic Principles of Child-Welfare................. ...» 11
Chapter III The Setting - Montgomery County...... ..... ..........
Population. .... ...»..... 36
Vital Statistics (Dr. Gustav Tugendreich) ..........40
Economic Structure................ 45
Educational* Religious and Cultural Resources......... 47
_Montgomaiy County as a Community.. ......49
The Ten Natural Areas of Service................... 54
Part II
CRITICAL SURVEY OF SERVICES '
Chapter IV SocialJSsriic.es: Assistance.-*-................... 82
Chapter V Social Services: Social Case Work and Guidance............121
- 1) Family CaseWork ..... !£21
\ ■ 2) Child Placing and Protective Work.....,....,,......129
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Housekeeping Service and Day Care
,------ \ Housekeeping Service............................145
\ Day Nurseries and Foster’Day Care............. .149
Nursery Schools and Kindergartens. .....j.,152
4) Guidance Services............... ....156
School Counselling. ...........159
Vocational Guidance............ ..161
5) Case Work in Relation to Truancy and Delinquency..,165
6) The Juvenile Court and the Problem of Delinquency..169
7) Case Work Service for Special Groups...4...........180
Chapter VI ' Social Services: Vocational^ Recreational and Informal- .
- Educational Services...................... .....181
Vocational Services........ ....... ..181,
Facilities for Recreation and Informal Education......190
1) Playgrounds........... .192
2) School Centers.... ................196
3) Boys' and Girls' Work Organizations.........198
4) Community Centers and Other Group
Activities..............................200
5) Camps.......... ..........205
6) Libraries...... ........... ...........208
7) Education for Family L i f e . ........209
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Chapter VII Health S e r v i c e s . 214
■ Health Inspection ...... 220
1) Maternal Health Centers 220
2) Well Batry and Child Health Centers...... 221
3) School Medical Inspection............. .. 226
a) School Health Examinations (Dr.
Gustav Tugendreich)............ 230
b) SchooT Medical Service in Local
Areas 239 _
Treatment Facilities............... 248
1) Medical Relief.......................... 248
2) Clinics ................ 255
3) Hospitals ..... 262
4) Convalescent Homes ”264
Public Health Nursing Service.................. 267
Chapter VIII Services for Handicapped Children.....'...... 279
The Crippled Child. ...... 281
The Deaf Child............. 286
The Blind .Child............ 289
The Child with Defective Speech...........-;.... 292
The Tuberculous Child - (Dr; Gustav Tugendreich). 294
The Mentally Defective and Epileptic Child..... 303
The Problem of Illigitimacy...................• 309
Chapter IX Coordinating Agencies............. 514
Part III
CONCLUSION
Chapter X The Child Welfare Program of Montgomery County....« 322
Summary of Area Services 322
Critical Summary of County Program............. 345
Chapter XI Community Organization for Child Welfare.... 372
APPENDIX
Appendix A Methodology of Study.................................5?8
Appendix B List of Children's Homes Located Outside
Montgomery County but Usedt-by Children
from the County. . ^408
Appendix C Bibliography................ 411
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LIST OF MAPS • '
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania ...».... Frontispiece
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Montgomery' County, Pennsylvania, Showing Area Included-in
Philadelphia Metropolitan District. .... . . S?
Jenkintown Area......................A...........................» 53a
Ambler Area,. ............. 56
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Lansdale Area. ....... 59
Harleysville-Soucerton Area ..... 61
Pennsburg Area........ . «............................. 63.
Pottstown Area....... .. ......... 67
CoXlegeville—Rcyersford Area...................................... ' 70
Norristown Area.. ...... 72
Conshohocken Area. .................... 75
Ardmore Area ....... ...................... . . 78
Public Health Nursing: Montgomery County..,, ................. 270.
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LIST OF TABLES -
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Table I Composition of Population by Race and Nativity: Montgomery'
County, 19S0 and 1940.
II Composition of Population by Sex and Age: Montgomery County,
1930 and 1940........ ......... 38
III Allocation of Live Births and Deaths, Excluding Stillbirths,
bv Place of Residence: Montgomery County, 1939......... 40
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IV Percent of Births by Color.and Persons in Attendance:
Pennsylvania, 1938.. 41
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V Percentage of Hospital Births by Color 42
VI Death Rates by Color: Pennsylvania, 1938.................... 42
VII Deaths from Puerperal Causes in Montgomery' County and in
Pennsylvania. ......... * 43
VIII Stillbirths in Montgomery' County and in Pennsylvania, 44
IX Emplqyment Status of Persons 14 Years Old and Over by Sex:
Montgomery County, 1 9 4 0 . • 46
X ISnployed Workers by Major Occupation: Montgomery County, 1940 47
XI Area Population: 1940 by Sex.......... 52
XII Area Population: 1940 by Race and Nativity............ 53
XIII Area Population; 1940 by Age.................*.'.............. 53
XIV Average Number of Recipients of Categorical Assistance in
Pennsylvania and Montgomery' County: 1935-40................ 88
XV, Average Monthly Assistance Grant per Capita by Type of
. Assistance and by Year... ..... 91
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XVI Humber of Persons Receiving Public Assistance: Montgomery i"
Copnty,- March 1939, March 1940, June 1941 and
December 1941....... 93
XVII Number of Cases Receiving Public Assistance per 1000
Population in Montgomery County in March 1939 arad
December 1941. .......... 94
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XVIII Monthly Average Number of PersonE Dependent on WPA Wages,
General Assistance ana All Public Assistance;
Pennsylvania and Montgomery County, 1956-1940.......... 97
XIX CCC Enrollment from Montgomery County by Year and by
Color: 1935-1959................................ 99
XX Geographical Distribution of Montgomery County CCC
Enrollees.i... <.. . . . . . . . . t f . 99
XXI Red Cross Home Service Case Load by Branch ........ 103
XXII Main Line Federation of Churches: 1936-1936.......... 107
XXIII Children’s Aid Society oXJ^nrtgomery County and Catholic
Children’s Bureau of Philadelphia: Distribution of
Cag.es b y - S o u r c e . , . ' . .......... 13G
XXIV Children’s Aid Society: Distribution, of Children under
Supervision by Location of Placement, December 1, 1939 138
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XXV Children’s Aid Society: Children under Siperyi£io%_-.,iype
of Home by Source of Funds, December 1, 1939.......... 138
XXVI Children’s Aid Society: Children under'Supervision, Age ’■
Distribution, December 1, 1940...... 139
XXVII Distribution of Montgomery County Kindergartens In Relation
to-Population 5-6 Years of Age:'1935-56........^ ...... 154
XXVIII Montgomery'County Juvenile Court: Type of Case and Sex of .
Children before the Court in 1955, 1937, 1959 and 1940 170
XXIX Charge of Juvenile Court Cases: 1940........ 171
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XXX Location of Juvenile Court Cases: 1939-1940................ 172
XXXI Geographical Distribution of 54 Probation Cases (Age 16-20)
Active- June. 1, 1940. ................................... 175
XXXII Disposition of Juvenile Court Cases: 1940. ....*. 174
XXXIII Attendance at State Child Health Centers: 1939-40.......... £22
XXXIV Community Health and Civic Association: Child Health
Center Report,, 1939. ......... £23
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Ola York Road Public Health Center: Report of Child
/ Health-Centers, June 1, 1958 to June 1, 1939.............224
XXXVI ,Public School Districts: Pupils Enrolled and Pupils
Examined by School Physicians.......................... 234
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XXXVII Distribution of Defective Childrenvin Montgomery County
(4th Class School Districts) by-Age Groups in 1959-40.-,, 235
XXX^III Defective Pupil's ancf%ealth Expenses by Classes of School
Districts? Montgomery C o u n t y . * . 235
XXXIX Defective Pupils and Expenses for Health Services:-Lower
Merion Township and Norristown Borough, 1936-57......... 237
XL ' Defective Pupils and Expenses for School Health Services
by Classes of School Districts: Pennsylvania, 1956-37... 238
XLI School Medical Inspection; Fourth Class School Districts
Reporting Defects in Less than 605? or More than 90$
of Children Examined, 1959-40.......... 241
XLII Correction of Remediable Defects: Norristown School
District, 1958-39........... 243
XLIII Montgomery County Child Health Committee: Examinations ______
Made, Defects Found and Corrections-Made* 1934-40......, 253
XLIV North Penn Community Center: Yearly Tabulation of Public
Health Nursing Services, January 1, 1941 to December
31, 1941...... 275
XLV Incidence of.Speech Defects in Montgomery County School
Children: 1956-37, 1938-59, 1959-40..................... 292
XLVI Mortality from TuberculosisPennsylvania and Montgomery
County..............".'..... '.... 294
XLVII Deaths from Tuberculosis: Montgomery County.................. 294
XLVIIT- Deo.ths of Residents in Montgomery County due to Tuberculosis:
1933-1937............. 295
XLIX Tuberculosis Mortality by Age,' Sex and Color: Montgomery
County and Pennsylvania, 1938.... 295
L Information on Tuberculosis Tests in Schools of Montgomery
County from the Montgomery County Tuberculosis and Public
Health Society...... ?........ 297
LI Children Tested for Tuberculosis in Montgomery County by
Grade Groups ..... ........... 297
LII Norristown Public Schools, 1940: Ninth Grade Pupils Tested
and X-Rayed for Tuberculosis......... 298
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LIII Findings of X-Ray Survey of Students and Teachers Conducted
ty the Pennsylvania Health Department, 1938-39.'......... 299
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LIV Geographic Distribution of 500 Cases Registered with the
Social Service Exchange, .1921,to 1940.....**...... 318
LV Philadelphia Social Service Exchange: Service Report,
Montgomery -County, 1939 and March 1940................... 319
LVI Montgomery County: Total Population and School Population hy
Area, Borough and Township............................... 380
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