There are in several different institutions men and women seriously engaged in the attempt to demonstrate that these evils are not inherent, and that they may be conquered by the breaking up of large aggregates into small groups, formed as nearly as possible on a family basis ; by the employment of skilled teachers and matrons, and a reduction of the number of children assigned to each ; by removal from the city, where land is too valu able to permit room for out-of-door recreation, to country sites, where children may be brought into contact with woods and fields and rivers ; and by the introduction of features directly calculated to supply those experiences and opportunities which fall as a matter of course to the lot of the ordinary child. Such institutions are ridding themselves of institutionalism, of that mechanicalization which is an ever present danger. In one or two notable instances the revolt against institutionalism has gone so far as to lead to the introduction of a plan of more or less complete self-government, and all who are interested in the development of a rational system of care for children are watching with interest the results of this extreme policy. In other instances a degree of freedom has been introduced which approaches or fully equals that of the average family, although government remains entirely in the hands of the superintendent and officers. By avoid ing uniformity of dress, by throwing together children of different ages, and above all by a flexible curriculum administered by instructors who are seeking constantly to adapt their teaching to the needs and capacities of individual children, progress is being made toward the development of institutions which will be free from criticism.
Contemporaneously with this improvement, however, there has been developed in a few places a high standard of placing-out work to which it is appropriate to recur after what has been said about institutions, since a large proportion of the children who are temporarily cared for in institutions are eventually placed in foster-homes. The principles upon which homes should be selected have now been carefully worked out and formulated. One of the best statements of these principles is contained in a paper presented by Homer Folks to the International Confer ence of Charities at Chicago in 1893, entitled " Family Life for Dependent and Wayward Children." It is first of all necessary that there shall be obtained from the applicant for the child a full statement concerning the constitution of his own family, and of employees or other persons residing in the family ; concerning the occupation of the head of the family and his circumstances of life, if a farmer, for example, whether he is owner or tenant, size of his farm, kind and amount of live stock,— if in clerical or professional life, particulars concerning sum mer and winter residence ; number of rooms occupied by family, and intention of applicant concerning future career of the adopted child; religious affiliations ; distance from nearest church ; distance from school, whether public, pa rochial, or private ; length of school year ; agreement as to period during which child should be sent ; whether the family has ever received children from other charitable or ganizations ; and description of child desired. Mr. Folks
adds the following searching questions : Would the child eat with the family ; with whom would it sleep ; would it attend social gatherings with the family, and be treated in all respects as one of their number? What is the princi pal motive in desiring to receive the child in the home? This statement is but the beginning of the essential inquiry concerning the applicant, although the answers to these questions, rightly interpreted, will often be sufficient to lead to the immediate rejection of the application. Refer ences will naturally be given by those who desire to adopt children, and it will do no harm to address inquiries to those who are mentioned by the applicants as in a position to give information. Independent inquiries, however, ad dressed to clergymen, teachers, and to neighbors who are found to be in a position to express an independent judg ment, are far more valuable, and there will be no diffi culty, if a little trouble is taken, to secure the names of such persons. Besides the statement from the applicant, however, and letters from those suggested by himself and from others whose names are secured independently, a per sonal visit to the home in which it is proposed to place the child is found in experience to be absolutely essential.
The sad tragedies resulting from the omission of these safeguards are a warning that, however troublesome and expensive such inquiries prove to be, they cannot wisely be omitted. The practice of taking a group of children into a new community, and giving them out to persons who have assembled in response to a glowing appeal, with no assurance except a perfunctory public indorsement from a local committee, is scarcely less reprehensible than the habitual daily exercise of personal discretion on the part of the superintendent or public official based solely on the appearance of the applicant, and the assumed capacity of the interviewer to judge human nature sufficiently to make an offhand decision on such meagre data. Rigid investi gation of those who desire to adopt children is again, however, only the initial step in a judicious system of placing out children. Subsequent supervision based upon correspondence and frequent visits, and the exercise of trained intelligence in detecting evidences of ill treat ment or maladjustment between child and home, are equally indispensable.' Occasionally a second or third home must be tried before a satisfactory permanent ad justment is made. Responsibility for health, education, and moral development are assumed by the individual or society that places the child in a foster-home and thus determine the environment in which he shall live. This Mr. Folks, from whom I have already quoted in regard to the selection of homes, says that the principal feature of subsequent supervision should be unannounced personal visits by an expert agent.