li. r U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR JAMES J. DAVIS, SecretarY CHILDREN'SBUREAU GRACE ABBOTT, Chief PUBLICAID TO MOTHERS WITH DEPENDENT CHILDREN PRINCIPLES EXTENTAND FUNDAMENTAL By EMMA O. LUNDBERG I No. 162 BureauPublication ( Revised ) UNITED STATLS GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON t92E Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University IINCLE COPIES OF TEIS OBTAINED TNEE UPON PUBLICATION IfAY APPIICATION TO B' IEE CEII,DEEN,S BUREAU. ADDIUONAL COPIES I(AY Btr PBOCDRED FR,OI( TEE SUPERINITNDENI OT DOCUTf,ENTS, U. s.GOVEBNI{ENT PBINIINO OFrICE, WASEINGTON, D, C IT 5 CENTS PDR COPY -:=-'-'--- provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown Universitv CONTENTS MAPS The adoption of an idea--- - -: - - - --- Beginnings of the mothers-'-;id ;;;;;;;Status of legislation on January 1, 1928-----Standards for mothers' aid legislation Provisions of mothers' aid laws---Amount of aid as related to standards of living----Extent to rvhieh mothers' aid laws are applied-Public aid to children in their orvn homes.-persons to lt'hom aid may be given (Map 1)----Public aid to children in their orvn homes-ages under which aid may be given (Map 2) ----------Publie aid to children in their own homes-local administrative agencies aeting alone or in coop€ration rvith a State agency (Map 3)---------Public aid to children in their own homes-State administration and supervision (Map 4)---- 1 o 4 o 6 18 20 7 I 11 a4 provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University CHILDREN WITH DEPENDENT PUBTICAID TO MOTHERS THE ADOPTION OF AN IDEA The Conferenceon the Care of Dependent Children-commonly referued to as the White House conference-called by President Roosevelt in 1909, was responsiblein large measure for focusilg attention on the desilabilitv of conselvingthe child's own home. In the words of the conclusiorisof this confe-rence: \ Home life is the highest and flnest prodtlct of civilization. It is the great mokling force of mind and of character. Children should not be depriYed of it except for urgent and compellirig reasons. Chilclrett of parents of worthy character, suft'ering frorr terxporary misfortune, and chilclren of reasonably eflicient and deserving mothers 'who are rvithout the support of the tlormal trreadwinner, should, as a lule, be kept with their parents, sueh aid being given as may be neces-saryto maiutain suitable homes for the rearittg of the children.l The first legislative provisions for public aid in their own homes to children deprived of the support of the natllral breadwinner were made almost simultaneouslvbv Missouri and Illinois. The Missouri law was promoted by a fri.ter:nal organization, and the Illinois law x'as proposetlbv Jutlge llerritt \Y. Pinckney as a result of his expeliencdin the'Chicalo jnvenile court. Aftbr thesebeginningsthe idea spread rapidlv, fostered by the Mothers' Congress_andother organi^zatiottrof *:o-en. bv juvenile courts, ancl b"y child-welfare agEncies. So far as legislation i. cott"".ned, the plinciple of '6home care of dependentchildren t' has met 'with more ready responsethan any other-chilcl-welfaremeasurethat has ever been plgpgse4. The recognition of public responsibility and the ideal that has dominatedthe morrenrentfor prollidinq public aid of a character better fitted to make home life possible for children than the poor relief commonlv administered are shown in the following excerpts, the first from ihe leport of the New York State Commission on Relief for Widowed Mothers, and the secondflom a circular issued bv the Pennsvlvania State Board of Education when this board was tl"resupervisoiy agencyfor motherstaid: The normal development of childhood is one of the main functions of govet'nment. The best education requires a proper home training, and it thereby becomesthe duty of the State to conserve the home as its most valuable asset whenever factors other than the il[proper guardianship of the parel)ts threaten its destruction. The lmothers' assistancel law has two reasons for its existence-a humanitarian and an economic ole. There are iu our communities a large number 1 proceetlinss of the Conference on the Carc of Depentlent Children, held at Washington, o. C., ,tanuar-i 25*26, 1t)0r,. Sixtieth Corlgress, second session, -Senate .Document No: 7-2-11 n.'9. fVasninglon. 1909. See also Foster llome Care for Dependent Clrildren, pp. 207-212 ?u. S. fnitoren's Bureau Publicatlon No. 136, Washington, 1926)' 1 - Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University 2 PUBI,IC AID TO MOTEERS WITE DEPENDNNT CEILDR,EN of women with dependent children who ean not maintain their homes wlthout assistance. We have eome to believe that as a principle of justice no hone should be broken up for poverty alone. * * * Experience has shown that priyate resources are not adequate, especially iu cases of long-continued dependency, The State therefore eame to feel responsible for the support of this group. * * * It is actually cheaper in dollars and cents to maintain children in their own hones than to support them in institutions, and " home. made " children, cared for by their own mothers, have the best chance of becoming health;-, norrnal citizens.' 'zReport of the Nerv York State Commisslon on Relief for Widoryetl Mothers,-p. 1 (Albany, 1914) ; circular on Mothers' Assistance n'und is,sued by PeDnsylYania Stete Board of Educa.tion, p. 3 (Flarrisburg, 1918). ---provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown Universify - a':: il BEGINNINGS OF THE MOTHERS' AID MOVEMENT - Before mothers' aid laws were enactecla number of states and localities,hadrecognizedthe wisdom of the p"l".ipr" oi u"a had app-hedit in a limited way. As eaily as^1906"u"i,*aia the iuvenile courts of somecountiesof-califoinia granted county aict io ilrildr.r, in their own homes; in 191r the stat"e began to re"imbursecounties aid givento half grph.ans.. An O-kiah;-;il;;Tio;os p"o_ +."h Ill vrded for " schoolscholalships_" to be paid by countiesupon recommendation of the school a-uthoritiesio ctrildren *toiJ-widowed mothersneededtheir earnin_gs. A Michigan lu* oi rsii also'author-i"aid"t ized payment f-ron1 school" funds to eiable ct iia.en p?lelts to attend school. Through a resolution bv the countv "t b8ard o{ Milwaukee county, rvis., in 1"912.aid to -ott".,".-t"-iii.".u"" ot children in their hoirieswas glven through it" rn .;"".rli.""orit. New Jers3J someaid to depentent childrJn ir tt di. rro-*r rrla n""" granted rrom countv funds prior to the enactmentof a speciallaw in 1913. The first definite legal provision of aid to mothers of denendent children was passedU;' t[e Missoupi f,ug1.i"t;re ili911.-"Lt first rnls provrsron-apprredonry to Jackson county (in which Kansas V]ty T located), brll!.Ialerin the sameyear it-was extended1o the grrx-g.rsr..Lours. 'r'he tirst state-widemothers,aid law was enacted in rilinois in 1911. colorado_adoptedb/ poputu" *i" it-Duri"g ?,"rrioth.".' submitted " at the eldctioi of Le7Z. rors f3rtg::r:"tl:l_1"f," lE States enacted mothers, aid larvs. rlrqracterof muchof this early legislation,due ,"311_."p:I,^1:llp] rargety to the hastewith which the idea was adopt"ed. i" ..u., in the revlslons and numerousamendmentsfound necassaryas the laws rele^p1lt into operation.- The first r[nois act was co-"rrletervrevised the,laws passedin 1918 w*"e io-piutety re::^]3lr.^;,r1_fi_t,u,9hls. vrseoand m erght others.the laws passedat this time were u*uhd"d in 1915.otheichanger+ th& L';" huu"u"." *ua" i" ,"l*q"."t legislation.but the m"ajorityor ttre rater'amendmeni, rruou-r.." to" T:,-ll:'ry::,_ot uryplfcation lTp"oling the administrationof existing laws, of 1y:.iifl of :lull grant or ofmore inclusive,and of incre"asing'rhe the total apfropriation availabft for ia9_llt carrylngout,the thelr provisions. -'--. provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University STATUS OF LEGISLATION ON JANUARY 1, 1928 Laws authorizing assistaneefrom public funds for dependent children in their ohn homes had been adopted by 42 States, the 'The District of Columbia, Alaska, and Halvaii by January 1, 1928. following States have such laws. variously-termed i'mothers' pensions." tt mothers' allowances,t'tt motherst aisistancefund," tt widbws' 'caid to mothers of c-ompensation." "aid for dependentchildren," de^pendent children," qld (in New Jersey) " un act to promotehome life for dependentchildren": Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Conneeticut Delaware X'lorida fdaho Illinois Indiana Iorva Kansas Louisiana Maine Mar}.land Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire NewJersey New York North Carolina North Dakota Obio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhodelsland South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Yermont Virginia Washington West Virginia TVisconsin Wyomlng Not all theseStates,however,have czrried into actual practice the theory of their mothers' aid laws. The principle of home care for dependentchildren is generally acceptedln thii country! but the 1? yeirs' experimentin p*rovidin! such care has by no -u'uns demonstrated that the need has been met. In Marylahd (except for two counties) the mothers' aid legislation has becohe inoperative because of a defect in the tax cllusg and in several other States practically no use has beenmade of the'legal provision. In many Stites exceilent work has beendone in certain localities,whereasin other localities of the same State the provision has been ignored or made inoperative through Iack of adequateappropriatiois. 4 t=------:::- provided by the Maternal and Chitd Health Library, Georgetown University STANDARDS FOR MOTIIERS' AID LEGISLATIONs Althoush mothers' aid lesislation must be drawn with due consideratioriof the conditions"existingin each State or other division of government,and especiallywith iegard to larvson relatedsubjects, certain fundamental standards must be observedif such larvs are to be efrective child-rvelfare measures. These standards may be summarizedas follows: 1. Application broad enoughto permit aid rvhenever suchmeansa suitablehomemav be maintained. bv "2. Ase limitation to conform t6 educationand chiltllabor lan's. 3. Amount of aid to be baseclon the needs of each individual family, with due regard to other available Iesources. 4. Inquiry in each caseto determine the home conditions and the assistanceneededfor the proper care of the children. 5. Continued oversight in order that the welfare of the cliildren may be.protected and the aid adjusteclto meet chanEinEconditions. 6. Proviiioi of safeguard.snecessaryto protect the public treasury against fraudulent br unwarlanted claimsand againstburdensthat should be borne bv other communities-or by individuals legaliy responsibieand able to furnish support. 7. Administration lodsed in the public acencv best fitted to carry out the fiovisions of the law"as ir, constructive child-rvelfare measure. 8. Appropriation adequateto earrv out the purposeof the larv-,-wifhrespeetbofh to funds iequired fbr aid and to expensesof administration. 9. Some form of general oversight by tlie State combined rvith educationalactivitiest-odev"elop hieh standards in the n'ork of the local administrative ag'encies. The following section shows to n'hat extent these standardshave beencarried out' in the provisions of existing mothers' aid laws. I See A Tabular Summary of State Laws Relatlng to Public Aid to Cbtlclren in Their Own Homes (U. S. Children's Bureau Chart No. 3, Washington, 1925). 78229._28_2 o ------ provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University PROVISIONS OF MOTIIERS' AID LAWS CONDITIONS UNDER WHICE AID MAY BE GIVEN PERSONS TO WIIOM AID MAY BE GIYEN The central idea in the theorv and earlv discussionof aid to deDendentchildren in their own homesand the most eommoninclusion in the earlier larvs was aid to widows.a Gradually the conccption has widened. and the trend of legislation in the various States has beentoward'increasingthe application of the law, giving the benefit of the aid to dependent children wherever the circumstancesare such that the home should be maintained. By January 1, 1928,only 5 (Connecticut,Marvland, New Jelsev, Texas,and Utah) of tlre 42 Stites having mothers' aid laws limiied the grant to ehildren of widows, though all 42 included widows, directly or by implication. The prevailing method is either to permit aid to be granted to any motlier with ilependentchildren or to limit aid to certain types o,f cases.including-thosewhere the father is dead, deserting,divorced, physicallvor irentally incapacitated,or imprisoned,with necessary resirictiohs pertainin"g to cases of' desertion and divorce. (Se"e map 1.) nkht Statesand the District of Columbia permit aid to be granted to ariy mother with dependent children_. IrrWashinglo-n the- larv is applii'ableto all mothers who are needyl in Maine,-Massachttsetts, and Rhode Island to motherswith dependentchildren I in Nevada and New Hampshire to mothers dependenton their own efiorts to support their ihild"etr; in Colorado-toany parent or otlter persondesig'nated bv the court. The Indiana liw p-ermitsaid for any cLil-d found bv the court to be dependentor nellected and committed to a countv 6oard of children'siuardians. whin it appearsto be for the best ihterests of the child tb remain with the rnother. The larv for the District of Columbia permits aid to be granted to the mother or suardian wheneverthe trarent or parents of a child are unable to -prdvide proper earein hisbwn homel In the-otlier Stateswith mothers'aid laws aid is limited to mothers in certain tvpes of cases. In 21 States children of desertedmothers and in 9 S'tdteschildren of divorced mothers may be granted aid. tr'amiliesin which the father is totallv incapacitatedmay be helped in 25 States;16 Stateshavespecificpiovisio-nsauthorizingaid if the father is in'an institution for the insane or is feeble-m1nded,and 22 Statesif the father is in a penal institution. Michigan' Nebraska, and Tennesseespecifieallvauthorize aid to unmarried-mothers, and in someother Sti,testhe l"awmay be so applied. aThe Illinols act of 1911 wss entitled "Ilunds to parents act," and the Colorado act of lCl2 included a Darent, or parenls, who because of poverly were unitble ro provide nionerlv for a denerrdent child, ln llllnois. however, rerision has limitcd thc application of ine-taw to dependent chlldreu whose fathers are dead, deserting, or totally incapacitrtetl. 6 -a=a-,=- provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University pRovrsroNsoF MorHEEst ,q.tnLaws z lo rr'latiresor guardianshaving eus. 4 f."* Statesgive assislance tody of a,dependent ehild, as follo$s: Any n.omanstandingin loco parentisto a dependentchild or children,in Delawareand Rhode f s l a n d l a g u a r d i a ni,n t h e D i s t r i c to f C o l r r m b i a ; ag u a r d i a n f. e m a l e reJative,or custodian up_9n'whom a child is dependent,in X'lorida, Idaho. Virginia. anrl Wiseonsinl a \rolnan n'ho has assumedthe responsibilities of mother rvhen' both parents are dead. in New JerseyI a relative n'ithin the seconddegreeof either parent if the mother is_dead.in Nerv York: a stepmoiher,in Minnefuta and Virginia; and a grandmotlrer,in l\Iinnesotaand Wisconsin. In Colorado, fdaho, Nebraska.North Dakota, and Oregorrprrymentmay be M A P 1 . _ P U B L I CA I D T O C H I L D R E N I N T H E I R O W N H O M E S P E R S O N ST O W H O M A I D M A Y B E G I V E N (Includes l€g:i$lation in etrect Jan. 1, 1928) I Tn$t$,:*e$'53!*co^t child orchildEi . T-h"9m'@th.r:;n$m@Stat6irctudG@lativgq€uerdiaup4wlmchitdi6dag€hd€rqsanyw&tid" Ind in lo@ mr"ntis. entig.d to bcn fite ol law in colorado, Fenn6yvania, Frpcpund mqthere-nay be aided if dhe.wi.e Vhdinia.and Wio@rein.mothers orcgprcifially lrclud€d in law ol Mohidan, Neb@ka, and. Tcnno@. Uimairi.d 6drur Olllot6 made to the mother or other person designatedbv the administering agencyl and in Arizona and California aid may be granted foi' full orphans as well as for half orphans .who are livin! in private homes. _ Aid may.be sranted to expectantmothers in Colorado,Missouri, Pennsylvania,South Dakotai Virginia. and Wisconsin. RESIDENCE AND CITIZENSIIIP in - Eligibility requirementsas to residenceand citizenshipvary the di=frereni States. Most Statesdo not require citizensh'ipor "du.laration of intention to becomea citizen of the United States.but 10 States and the District of Columbia have this requirement. Thirtynine require a period of residencein the State;'? of these contain provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University 8 puBr,rc ArD To MornrtRs wrrrt DUPENDENT oHTLDREN no further nrovision. 16 specifv resicleneeboth in the State and in only (or the loeal p,ilitical rrnit. an,l t6 rrrentionroun(y residence spe-cify the Twenty-three unit). political local in other residence 1 or 2 yeals.6 -reqttire in the State; 14 require lenqth of residence -Thirty-tt'o require f-r'om6 3 rTears.and J reqrtire 4 or i yetlrs. mdnths" to 5 years' residenceiri the specifi-edlotal political unit. Five of the 39 States require the fathei to haYebeen-a resirlent of the state at the time of his cleath or disability. The District of columbia requiresone year,sresidencepreceding'applicationfor aid. OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY f n t l r e m a i o r i t v o f t h e S t a t e sn o s p e c i f i cm e n t i o n i s m a d e o f o w n e r s h i p o f p r o t i c r t r ' 1b r r t i n s e v e i ' a l a n l s t h e r e i s e i t h e r a p r o h i b i t i o n o f amorlnt .uch olr.^ne.iliip"or a nlore reasonable provision limiting..the (( of sut'h p.opei'ty. For example, in tlie Wisconsin larv the olvners l i i n b v ' a r r i o r h 6 ro { a h o m e s i e r r ds h a l l n o t p r c v e n t t l r e g r a n i i n g o f aid' *" * * if the t'entll tlrereof rrorrld-not exceed tlle rental rvhich a family of the -samesize as the fanrily of sueh palent, rer:eivjn thc ing aid. ttoukl be obliced to pav fol living qttartcis," or Ni'Lraska larv. "a motlier shatf nbt t'eceile such rclie{ n-ho is the orrner of real'propelty or personal property other than the ho'useholtl goods of more tltan $2,000." FURTIIEP" CONDITIONS , Conditions determining to rvhotn aid should be granted are cons hility^to sive the clrild propel'care c e r i l e dm a i n l y n ' i t h t l r e r n o t l r c r . ' a l x u m p l e s b f g i , o t l p r . o v i s i o n su l e f o r r n d n e e r l . and rvith ecdnomic a r n o n s t h e t ' e q u i r e m e n t si r r t h e l h r v s o f A r k a n s a s . F l o r i r l l ' , l d a l t o , I l l i n o i s . J , o r r i s i a n a .M a r \ ' l a n d , 1 \ I i n n e s o t a ,M i s s o t r l i , N e b r r s i i n , N e vada. New Hampshire. ){ortlr Daliota. Ohio. Oklahonra. Sorttlr I)a, ashingiotr. West Virginia. rrnd W;'olring. I < o t a .T e n n e s s e e , ^ U t a l tW The'follorving is quoted flom the Arkansas law: such rllowanceshali be nlade * * * onlI upou the follxving conditions: (1) The child or children for rvhose benefit the ailorvanee is made must be * * anrl whert living with the mother of -such child or childl'en; (2) * nrith her chilat home to remain he able n'ill she allowance by nieans of such dren; (3) the mother must. in the judgment of the court, be a proper person' physicalll', morally, ancl mentally, for the bringing up of her children ; (4) -such ^albwance shall. iir judgment of ihe court, be neeessary to saTe the chiltl or children frour negleet.u Imnortant items arc inclucledin tl-relaws of tn-o States (Pennsylthe educalion vania and West Vi rEinia) in reqard to safegttarding that "no payaid. Pennsvlvania'provitleof the childrenreeeiv-ins "anv child of propel age and ment shall be made oi aeeonntof nhvsical abilitv unless satisfaetorv ledort has been made lrv the in rvhiehsrrchbrrpii is enrolled.stating tlrat such i"o".hu.of the s"chool chilcl is attendingschool.t,west'vi'rginia requircsthat-"satisfactorv reports muit be siven bv the teacher oT the district sehool staiingihat the childre-nof thd recipient of this fund are atte-nding schoo[ provided they are of proper age and physicaliy able to do so." A;l;;mi;t1h". amount of time the mofber may be away at work without itu iit'iiiniio -her health or legject of the ghildrcn' injury to --=---: provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University 5 E I PRovrsroNsoF MoTEERStero r,Aws I AGES OF CIIILDRENWIIO MAY BE GIVEN AID The most important considerationin regard to the age to which a child may be granted aid is that the age limit shall be in conformitv with comp"ulsoivschool attendance and child labor laws. In CoIo"rado aid riray be granted to the a$e of 1-8years,and in Michigan and Tennesseet6 the" age of 1? yeais. Indiana fermits aid u[ to 1? MAP 2._PUBLIC AID TO CHILDREN IN THEIR OWN HOMES AGESUNDERWHICH AID MAY BE GIVEN (Includes ! ffi ffi m Nl unac ra. uncer tt unoer tO. under t5. t,ndqr t4. D Nomothcrs'aid !qw. _ V _ I O i* l%islatior in efrect Jan. 1, 1928) "1{ _} rocord: Ar!?ndin6 6chool with foc worK: satisfacrory Riode Itt or incapacitated Maryl3n, tstandfor w-ork: wast virCinia. or with record, AltendinC ochool reCularry Sarisfaccory or i^capacita@d Pcnn3vlvan;d. law to attend Massachuset6. Unabla b gccure emDtc Minnesota. R@quird_bv School: (supplemen&d grant law menr ceftificate:-Wiscongin. wadegl6s ftaaimum under lhe bi than allolmenr equal to the differencd); Oragon. u^til ta: Louis;6na. Not entitted 6choolinCt ceftificaa: Itl or incapacitatd for b recelva recelya workl work; ade and 6chooling a€e Ohic Ohio. Noteoccified: d phy3ical Inc€ipablz d *lf-ouppff on ac@unt disabili!v: Nevada. lf for b6t interGt d child: F torida l?: tndiana. UniJzr t4inSt.Lo-ui5, Boys iJnder 16, llirts-under l6throughoutremainderofStak: Mi$ouri. in Maryland. in but lwo cou^t:6 Law operalive vears for Eirls and to 16 vears for bovs. In 30 States and the ilistriet oftolumbia. aid m"avbe sranted to children until thev are 16 vearsof age. ( Seemap 2.) Eight of thesefix the age at 14 fears but provide lhat'rrnder sieci'fiedcdnditionsit may be"continuid to 16 years, and 4 pelmit aid, under certain conditions,beyond 16 yeais. The States-which perioit aid to 16 years of age are:" Arizona California Connecticut F lorida u Illinois Indiana Iowa Louisiana I Maine Maryland r Massachusetts8 Minnesotao Missouri Montana Nebraska New Hampshire Nevada u New Jersey New York Oliiot Oregon' Pennsylvania t Rhode Island 8 South Dakota Texas Utah Vermont Virginia West Virginia 8 Wisconsin " 0Aid to be continued beyond 16. No age limitation (See map.) specifled, ?Aid may bp continuFd to 18 utrder specified conditions. tSee map.) EAid may be granted to l6 under speiined cotrditions, (See map.j provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University 10 PUBLIO AID fO MOTtrERS WITE DI]PENDANT CEILDIiEN INVESTIGATIONAND CASESUPERYISION The laws of most of the States include a statement relatinE to investigationof each application to deterrnineeligibility undeithe law, thi characterof thti home,and the amountof aid required. Continried oversight of the families'granted aid is also provided for, which makes-possiblethe appilca-tionof principles of social case work. In order to adiust the-allowancestb changing conditionsit has been found desirablein some States to provlde-for review of the grants at regular intervals-in most instanies oncein six months. AMOUNTOF AID PERMITTED Experience in the administration of motherst aid laws has shown that it is desirableto avoid strict limitation of grants and instead to be basedupon the needsbf each individual to permit assistance familv. In tletermininctl)e amount of the grant requireddue considerdtionshouldbe giien to the needsof the family as determined bv its composition,ai well as to the avrrilableresourcesfrom earnirics of membersof the familv, aid from relatives,and other sources.e the larvsof six States (Aiizona. Colorado,Maine. llassachusetts, Rhode fsland, and \-irginia) and'the District of Columbia do not specifv the amount of iiia that may be granted to each chilcl or to e^achfamilv but plovide that the amorrntmav be fixed b.y the adin eachfamily tvith what is-needed ministrativ"eaEeniyin accot'tlance to nrovide pro"perlvfor the children' In New York also the amount is iot snecihed.bul the law statesthat it shall not exceedthe cost of institutional care. In most States providing for a maximum grant-this is specified as a siven amount^fol eacfi child. In order to make a comparison oossifflethe maximum urnountsspecifiedin the laws of the various 'Stut.. are here reducedto the maximum rvhich might be allorved the States as follows: for a family with three children, grouping -Stafis.-.California, Connecticut,'' M ani.4nut;.I 50-870 a nt'on'th: s Indiana. Kansas.Michigan.Minnesota,Neva<la'Ohio. .Marir:trum, SJ0-$49 a' tttontlt': 7 States.-Florida, Nort h,Dakota, Pennsylvanii. South Dakota, IJtah, West Virginia. and Wy-oming. Maiimun,'830-$")9 u moniht l0 States.-Ilfinois," Iorva, Louisiana. Missouri,'2 l\{ontana' Nebraska,North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee.and lYisconsin. Maaimrum. 820-$29 a m'onth: I0 States.-Arkansas, Delaware, Iclaho, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey,Oklahoma,Texas, Vermont. and Washineton. The laws of 11 State"sspecifv a maximum amount for a family of anv sizeranging from $40to $60a rrronth-Kansas,Louisiana,Mqtyland, Missoriri,i'Montana. Nebraska.Nevada'North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, and. lVest Virginia. s Fbr furtier discussion see Standards of Aid. p. 5' *eekly buagel is given ]n detail in _the law. This,.bxdget provides for childrer of u'idows) and for different amounts for tne"A-mtii;um wleoweA iother (riid is-iiriit"dio ages. children ' - ' i i n ' s n . iof i a i -dlfferent provlslon -ieiating p e r n i t s $ 5 ; , a m o n t b f o r t h - r e ec h l l d - r e n . l o C b i c u g o-maxinium aliowauce is $3'50 a \Yeek for each ti""irr"'iiti'i,i'S;. fiirl;:To*1vE-tfi" cniro abproilinatety 6+Z u month for three cbildren. 1 3 E x c e p ti n J a c k s o n C o u u t y ' ---ts-:- provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown Universify pnovrsroNs orr trtoTHERs'AID t,AWs 11 ADMINISTRATIONAND SUPERVISION Responsibility for the administration of mothers' aid laws has been given to _variousagenciesdepending upon when the original law was passedand npon which existing agencieswere considlred best fitted-to undertakeihe new work. ln-onlv 4 of the42 States having such legislation (Delaware,New York, P6nnsylvania, and Rhode -In fsland) has a new agencv been established.'n 32 States local agencieshavechargeoT adininistrationand in 9 other Statesthey cooferate with a Statieboard having administrative functions.i5 ir u MAP 3._PUBLICAID TO CHILDREN IN THEIR OWN HOMES LocAL ADMINIsr RArIvEA3?r (Includes i'5i^1".t1[? fro l€gislatioD NEo RINcoo pERArIo N in effect Jan. 1, 1928) r NI [m ffi N D o w t *o C@rdids instbuis. majority of theseStatesthe local administrativeasencvhas countvwitl-ejurisdicti-on._fn one State (Delaware) admin'istrd'tionis soleiy in the handsof a State agenc.y(seemap 3).' Seventeenof the thirt-v:twd Siates in wfich State agenciesexercise no administrative functions have someform of State"supervisionof local administration. fn eight of theseStates rather general supervisory powersare given to a State agencv:in nine the only provilion for Staie supervisionis that ihe local ag"ncy must make"annualreports concerning all its work, including mothers' aid, to the State department. t'Thq Maine law (I4ws of I91?, ch. 222) origiDally provided that loco.l boards migbt be specially constituted for motbers'aid u'irrk or be co'mposed of ovcrseers of the po:or. but fl 1919 amendment (Laws of 1919, ch. 171) constituted tbese boards as boartis of children's guardians also, with gcneral poners rilating to tbc investigation and prosecutlon o[ cascs of cruclt.v or viulatlons of l:rws for tbe protectlon of cbil-dren. DIn lwo other States tMinncsotr trild Virginia) tba'laws rlive the State agency certalD, powers which have not beell genorally exercised. administrative -'- provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University 12 PI'BLIC AID TO MOTITERS 1VITTT DEPENDENT LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE CHILDREN ACENCIES Chieflv because the mothers' aid movement was in the beginning an outgrowih of the jurenile-court movement, 19 States have placed admin-*istrationin cottrts haling jurisdiction over casesof delinquent. dependent, and neglected childien. The types of local administrative ug^encyin the States having mothers' aid laws may be sumrnarized as follows: Local adminlstrative Number ot States agency 42 Total------------------_! Juvenile court-------County poor-relief officials.-----County or city board having other functions----------------Special county boarrl------Sihool boardNo local administrative agency---- 13 5 3 1 1 Juvenile court. The 19 States'u in which administration of mothers' aid has'been placed in a court having juvenile jurisdiction are: Arli&nsas Colorado Idaho'" Illinois Iowa Louisiana Michigan Minnesota Montana Nebraska New Jersey'? Ohio Oklahoma Oregon South Dakota Tennessee^ Vermont'" -Washington Wisconsin Poor-relief ofrcials. The 13 Statesin which countYor town officialsgranting poor relief Connecticut(seadministerthe mothers' aid law are: Califot'nia,2o lectman,\varden,mayor, or other local offrcialmakesrecommendation aet upon report and to State'asencv).Fl6rida (count.yeommissioners recommendatibn'ofcountv board of public instruction),Kunsas, (in Marvland (act operativein only tu'o iounties). Massachusetts rrith'State asencv). l\tissouri (except in St' Louis and coop"eration Ja&son County). Nevada,Xbittr Dakota. Texas, Utah. West Virginia, and lVyoming. County or city board having other functions. The five States" in which a countv or eitv board having other functions relatinq to child .rvelfareoi public welfare also administers mothers,aid are: Arizona (State board also has administrative authoritv). Indiana. Maine (state board also has administrative authority), North Carolina,arid Virginia$ fn one other State (trIissourl) aalministration 1s ln the juvenile court in .Tackson C - ounty. rz Aid is sranted bv courts and superYisionof families is by a State-board' ta Childie"n are coirmitted by couits or oyerseers of tbe poor to the State departmen! lor care in their own homes. o'Ihe court acts upon approval of the county commissioners. . e i t l , i - J i t r e i e d i a A e n c l e i ' a i e e m p l o y e dt h r o r i e b o u t t h e S t r t e i n t h e a d m i n i s l r a t i o n o f nn"otr..outi"ii.i-,rna h-ottieis;aia: ind out'r'elief supel'intondont.county supervisors. indig e n t a g e n t , p r i v a t ( ' a g o n c y ' o r o b a l i o n - o f f i c l r . w g l f a r e d e p a r t m a n t ' c l e r k o r a - u d i t u r 'n [ l r s e ;"-rinv;tciah.' In San"Franciico-the administration is in part by a special \vidows' pension b u r e a u a n d i n p a r t b y t h e J u v t ' n i l ec o u l t . ";ii; Si. Loriis,-U'o., dtdo' aOintnistration is.vested in the city board of children's Cotumbia admlnistration of the law is in -the board o! Eoa"^O'iati"'.ln-Tie-biitrict-'of ;hich--iso-h-as Ou-tiel-ietatlve to the suaralialqlip and placing out of ii6iii:?6rrrii. feii-itoriai :urtsdictibn ihe boartl hirs the antire lrdminlsin"-iimit"a i'frirti""ri.-d*irg'?" tration of the act. provided by the Maternal and Chitd Health Library, Georgetown Universify PROVISIONSOF MOTITENS'AID I,AWS 13 fn Arizona county child-rvelfare boarcls investigate applications for aid and report their findings to the State child-rvelfare boarcl. In addition to their duties in connection with the mothers' aid law the county child-welfare boards investigate the case of a1y orphan, rvaif, or neglected or abandonect child and report conditions to the judg6 of thE-State supreme court and also to the State child-weifare board. Aid to dependent *countv children in their orvn homes is administered in boards of children's guardians. rvhich are also Incliana bv responsible for placing dependent and ne[lected children,in family In Maine minicijral boards of ihildren's guardians havhoies. ing general pon'ers relating to t.he inveltigation and ,prosecution of caies of ciuelty or violation of la'lvs for the plotection of children make investigations of applications for m6thers' aid. They transmit reports and recommenclations to the clepartment of public r.elfare (constituted ex officio a State board of children's guardians) and supervise the families grantecl aid by thc State board. In North Carolina administration is placed in the county boards l tn r trileesn.t o f e h a r i t i e s a n t l u u b l i e ' r t e l f n r e . r r h i c l i h a v e v c r v 'gscunpcctl''ai nl rt e C n s e sr r e i n r e s t i g a t e r la n r l s t r p e r v i s c cbl p ' t h e c o u n i . r ' of public rrelfare (in efrect the executive officer of the cottnty board). Th'e State boartl of charities and public lvelfare has geneiral overs i-Aclniinistration s l r t o f t h e a d m i n i s t r a l i o no f t h e l d w . of the \rirgrnia mothels' aicl larv is placecl in county or citv boards of public welfare. nhich ha,ve general porvers Where no sucir boarcls exiit, juvenile or as in"North"Carolina. domestic-relations courts serve as administratir-e agencies. Thc State boarcl of public welfare has general supervisory authority. Specialboard. The States in ri'hich special corutv. citv. or torrn boarcls have been createrl to atlnrinister nl6thels' aid are Neri York. PennsYh'ania, and Rhode Island. Under the New York law. county child-rvelfare boarcls have been especially created for ihe administration of rnothers' aid. but a lair passed in 7922 provides that thev maY be reorganized and gi ven additional poo e.s relat ing to depenilent children.'- Pennsylvania has special county boards of trustees of the rnothers' assislance funcl. in New Y<irk the State boarcl of charities and in Pennsylvania the State department of n'elfare are given general supervision of the administration of the law. Cit.y br towir boards oi mothers' aid in Rhode fsland make investigations and aclminister the lan' in cooperation with the State buriau of mothers'aid. School board. New Hampshire has made local school boards, in cooperation with the Statb board of education. the administrative agencies. sIn three counties (Dutchess, Sufolk, and Westchester) administration of the law is Dlacealin boards with other aluties in relatiou to publie rvelfare, in accordance $'ith special Iegislatioe provided by the Maternal and Chitd Health Library, Georgetown University PUBLIC AlD To MoTEERS wITIT 14 STATE Administrative ADMINISTRATIVE AND DEPENDENT cEILDR,EN SUPERYISORY AGENCIES agencies." fn only 1 of the 10 States in which State agencieshave administrative duties has a special mothers' aid boald been created. In this State (Delawale) the specialboard has entire responsibilityfor mothers' aid administratiori. In the other g States existins State agencieshave been designated to act in cooperation with locaTagencies, (Seemap 4.) MAP4.-PUBLIC AIDTO CHILDRENIN THEIR OWN HOMES STATE ADM INISTRATIONAND SUPERVISION (Includes legislation in efect Jan. 1, 1928) ri Law opgrdilvo Stab in bu! two @u^ti"a qdie^cy oG in Marytand. alone in Oelawarci zlawarci in @opsratio^ with l@l l@t agenc)r in thsothor agenc)' the othcr gtatce ning nino gtoG Special State board.-fn Delaware a specialmothers'pensioncommissionhas beenestablished, composedof nine memberi.three from eaehcounty. Application for aid is made to the State'commission and referred to the membersof the commissionfrom the countv of the mother'sresidencefor investigationand report. The commission determinesthe amount ancl durat-ionof aid. State board haainq otfur funet,ions.-The States in which no special State agency has been createdto administer mothers,aid "Ariiona. are as follows: California. Connecticut.Maine. Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode fsland. and Vermont. The District of Columbia is also-classifiedwith this group. 23It has been difficult in some cases to decide on the basis of the law wh€ther the function of the State agency ls administrative or supervisory. A State agency has been dcslgnated as having administratiYe functions if. in addition to superyision, il approves grants or visits families receiving aid. in gdditlon to the 10 States listed undei tbis give State departments heaal the laws of Minnesota and Virglnia certain admini.stratiye powers, but administratiye responsibility has uot leen generally exereised. ------,= provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University =- PROVISIONS OF MOTHERS, AID LAWS 15 fn Arizona the State child-welfare board acts upon reports of county child-welfare boards. In California the bureau of children's aid of the State department of finance works in cooperation with courts or county ofrciials. In Connecticutthe widows' a-iddivision of the departmenfiof State agenciesand institutions acts upon report ancl re'commendationof lodal officers. In the District of Colurirbia the home-caredivision of the board of nublic welfare administers the law. In l\{aine the State department of public welfare is ex officio the State board of children'sguardians,and works in cooperationwith municipal boards of children's guardians, either espticially constituted or composeclof overseersbf the poo.. fn Mdssachusettsthe with local boards of State departrirentof publie welfare coofueraies public welfare. fn New Hampshire ttie St:i: board of education acts upon recommendationof loial schoolboards. In New Jersey the State board of children's guardians under the State department of sirpervises the families: aid is grantedby institutionsand ageneies courts. fn Rhocle-Islandthe burean of motherst'aid, esta'blishedby with loeal boards cooperates the State public-welfarecommission, of mothersiaid. In Vermont the departmentof public rvelfarereceiveschildren for care through juvenile courts or overseersof the poor. The division of authority in these States betweenState and local agenciesma.y be stated as foilorvs: The State agency determines whether aid shall be granted and- the amount. acting upon report anclrecommendationof loeal agency,in Arizona, Connecticut,Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. In California local authorities granting aid may be reimbursedby the State, within specifiedlimits, fhe State agency investigating applications for. aid and supervising homeslrher-eaid is grranied. Th6 local agencyin Nerv Jersey determines n'hether aid ihall be given and t[e airount, commitding the familv to the State board of children's guardians, which pays the allowiince from countv funds and surrervi-ses ^asencv the familv. fn li{assachusettsancl RhocleIiland the local 'Statb determinel whether aid board being requiredto shall be granted and the amount,the cooperatewith and supervisethe work of local agencies,visit families in receipt of aid, and approve expendituresbefore the local treasury mav be'reimburJeclfroriiState fuhds. (For conditionsin Minnesot"a ancl\'irginia seefootnote23. p. f4.) Supervisory agencies. The eight States in which the law gives the St,ateagency rather genelal supervisorv powers are: Minnesota, Missouri, I{ew York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.2st In Minnesota the State board of control is directed to promote e{ficiencyand uniformitv in the administration of the law by the juvenile courts.to advise''andcooperatewith the courts,suppiy forms, to recordsof courts visit and inspectfamilies granted aid. have aceess and other agencieseoncerningallowances.and require reports. 23trUnder the probation law of 1925. which is interpreted as qpplying--to court ofrcrers who administer inothers' aid, the State department of public welfare, in Ohio' is beginning to exercise general supervision over mothers' aid work. --- Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University 16 puBr,rc ArD To r\torrIERSwrrrl nEPENDENT crIrLnREN fn Missouri the State board of charities and correetionshas Eeneral supervisory power and control, except in Jackson County,. It is the clutv of-the county courts.juvenile courts, county boards of public to cooperatervith the State 'board rveffare,and similir organiz"ations and to' furnish inforilation rvhen req^uested.The county clerksmust make a completeannual report to the State board. In New York the State board of charities is vesteclwith general supervision or.er local boards of child welfare and may require repo'r'ts and revoke allowancesobtained in violation of law. fn North Carolina the law provides that the State board of charities and public welfare shall have general oversight of the administration oT the law by the county boards of charities and public welfale, furnish necessaryblanks, give advice and help, receivereports on each case,and gii'e appror,-il or d::eppror.al df reimbursement from State funds. In North Dakota the State board of administration is directed to promote efficiencyand uniformity in the administration of the law bv 'Inlocal poor-relie{ offlcials. Pen?rsylr'ania the State departmentof public welfare is charged rvitli the suiervision of the rpec^ialcountv boards that administerlhe Ian'. 'l'he State supervisor on the staff of this department is to prornulgaterules of procedure,visit eachcounty boald at least twico & vear. and act as general field organizer under the law. In Virsinia the State boarcl of nublic welfare is authorized to supelvise'local administr.ative ageneies anrl citv or corrntyboarclso{ pubtie welfare as to methotls"of investigation,sttp"r-vision, ancl i'ecordl<eeping. ft mny requirerepolts. and is direct'edto visit and inspect familils granted aicl and 1o approve reimbursementfrom State funds if State appropriations are madetherefor. (None appear to have beenmade.) In \\risconsin-where the juvenile court is the local administrative agency-the approval of the State boarcl of control is necessary before any countv mav be reimbursedfrom State funds. The nine Statbs in" n'hich the only supervision exereisedby the State agencyis to require that annual reports be submitted to it are Coloradb, Florida, Idaho, fndiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska,and Ohio. FROM STATEFUNDS PAYMENTOR REIMBURSEMENT State appropriations to supplementlocal funds have been made in someStatesto encouragelocal grants and to raise standardsof relief. States in which the application of mothers' aicl laws was originally left to the initiative of local officials have frequentlv found it desirable to amend the laws so as to make approlrriatibns mandatory instead of permissiveand to apply someform of assistanceor supervision by the State to carry out the intent of the laws. In twb Stites (Arizona hncl New Hampshire) the entire expenditure for mothers' aid is made from State funcls. Twelve of the 42 States havins mothers' aicl laws are authorized to share with the counties or municipalities the exrrenseof aid. In New Jersev the cost of administration is borne Uy the State, the countiespayirig all -a.------- provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University - - t PRovrsroNs oF MoTHERS ern lews 17 the allowance. In Dela'ware, Maine, I{orth Carolina,'a Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont the State divides equally wilh the counlY, town, or municipaiity the expenditures for aid. In California the State furnishes one-half or mole of the aid grarrted. In Connecticut and Massachusetts the State furnishes one-third. and local units furnish two-thirds, of the expenditures. In Wisconsin a portion of the expenditure is from State funds, the amount available being limited by the maximum annual appropriation of $30.000 fixed by Iaw. In Virginia the countv may be reimbursed by the State (if appropriation. u.e made for-this lrurpose), but no Slate appropriation has been made. In Maine ancl l\{assachusetts all the aid to families in which the mother has no legal settlement in any town is chargeable to the State. 2aThe latv also lj.mits tlle mirximun State aid permitted, apportiotreal among the counties on a per capita basis. tbe amount specifled being - Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown Universify AMOUNT OF AID AS RELATED LIVING '5 TO STANDARDS OF Questionsare often askedin regard to the comparativecnst of care of a chiid in his own home and in an institntion. Thoush it can be demonstratedeasilv that home care-either in a child's oivn home or in a boardinghom6in wlriclrhe is placedby a child-t'aringagencyis more econ-omical financiallyt,.rn care in an institutionof fairlv adequatestandards.this should not be the point that is given emphasis. The important considerationis l'hat the lack of home care coststhe child. Deprivation of his own home is a very seriousthing for any child, and it i. itr line with the best principlbs of rvork foi dependentchildren that every effort should be made to conservethe home. The most desirableprovisions for aid do not limit the amount of the grant for eachfaniily but make it possibleto supplv sucli aid as for the ts neeessarv and the brrclqet'nieded ln yle\\.of oiher l.esorlrces proDer ma'intenance of tlre familv. ]Iost families lrave sonrereiouices. such as assistancefrom leiatives. earninss of older chilclren or of the mother, saving of rental through ou'nership of the house, or recluctionin food coits tlirough use of-garden prohucts raised bv the family. In many instanceswhere the maximum amount of aid is specifie"rl in the larv it is too small to cover the family's needsand must be. supplementedby aid fro.m. some other prtblirc or private agencyI in more unusnalinstancesit is largel than the family would require if other resoulcesrveredeveloped. The aid giren should be sufficientto enablethe family, after utilizing other possible resources.to maintain an adequatestanclard of livring. It has been shorvn in various studies-the most extensive being that made by the LTnitedStatesBureau of Labor Statistics'6thatlhe living costin workmen'sfamilies is considerablygreater than the amounts generally available for the families of dependentchildren rvho aro aided in their or'r'nhomes. According to the Bureau of Labor Statisticsstrrdv.the averase eost of livine for 1918was 'father, mother,*andthree ehil$1434.3?for a family consistinqof dren under 14 years of age.'? To anirre at'the expensesof a family consistingof a mother an-dthree ehildren under 14 (the Eroup taken as the basis of study of the maximum grants permitted by the laws of the various States,seep. 10), the co-stof the husband'i food and clothine has been cleductedfrom the $1.434.37.in actordance with '?6See Standarats of Public -{itl to Children In 'Ihelr Ov'n Homes, by I'lorence Nesbitt (U. S. Chiltlren's Bureau Pu,.blication No. 118, Washington, 1913). ' ,b Cosl of tlving in the United States, United Stnte; Bureau of Labor Slatistics Bulle(The pcriod covercd by tbis sttldy ranged from the ye&r 1924. tin 357. Washinston, y p r r ended July 31,1918, to lbc e n d e d . h ' c b r u a r y : . 1 Sl.1 l l 9 . ) rIuid.,-p.5. (As report6d, the average sizp of families r|as 4.9 persons') -with the vear 1913'as a base thc'cost of livins index for .tune, 1925, is rFported lry tbe Bureau of Labor Statistics as 173.5, as compried vith 174.4 in Decamber. 1918. so that tlre- qsur.c *Gel mav be taken as representaiivc of present costs. See " Prlces and cost of living," in the Mrjntbly Labor Review, vol. 21, No. 2 (August, tgZ5), p' 76. 18 .-------,- provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University :- AMOUNT OT'AID AS NELATED TO STANDARDS OT' LIVING 19 data contained in the cost-of-Iiving studv cited. The amount thus arrived at is $1,19?.?8. Assuminithat ihe expenditures for some other items shouid also have beenil-educted. $1.00bmav be considered as the amount required {or a mother and'three depeirdentchildren, on the basis of actual expendituresreported by more than 12,00d families in almost 100citiei in the Unite'clStates"in1918. Such a standard of aid can be maintained in but few of the Statesunder presentmothers'aid laws. The maximum expenditures permitted by- the laws o{ 35 of the 42 States having moihers' aid laws would amount to lessthan $800 a vear for a mother and three children. fn 20 of these Statesthe amount would be lessthan $480 a year. Small as are the amounts specifiedin the laws, the actual grants are frequently much less,eithei becausethe appropriations are i-ladequateor'becadsethe officia.lsin charge of ttre acl'ministration of thii aid grant a small arbitrary amount;ithout specialreference to the needs-ofthe family. fn order to form the basis for a good sta:dard of mothers, aid, there{ore, the laws must permit the a-dministrative agenc-yto furnish aid that, in the words of the Massachusettslaw, shill ,,-besufrcient to enable the mothers to bring up their children ploperly in their own homes." When a maxiriuni amount is stat6d in the la-w it should be such that the individual familv mav be nrovided for in accordancewith their need and should n6ver 6e coristruedto mean an arbitrarv amountto be granted in every case----either the maximum stated in the law or any fraction of it, as is frequently done. It is probable that an actuai saving oc"urr when thd law"permits such leeway..thatthe administrativiagency can apply modein principles or ramllv casework. Many"administrative agencies,under both the general tvpe of provision and the form limiting the srant to a cErtain a"bitrarv amount, work out family budgits aftei careful study of the needs of each family being ionsiddred for aid. The giants are then made on the basis ol the requirementsso far as"appropriations make this_possible,,supplement'ary aid requiredbeing securedfrom othe-rpublic or privale agencies. It is dnlv in thiS way that the welfare of the chlldren cai be assured,and i[ is found thdt ecot<-rrny in the useof public.funds resultswhen f,amily needsand resourcesare grven proper consideration. _ provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University DXTENT TO WHICH MOTHERS' AID LAWS ARE APPLIED complete data could not be obtained as to the extent to which aid wus qi ue.t in all the 42 States,as many of the Stateshave no form of S&te supervisionof motheris'aid w6rk. The annual expenditure for motheri, aid, the number of families receiving this assistance, and the number'of children in these families for whom aid was srantecl were obtained,holever, from 25 states and the District of 0olumbia (seethe follorving table). Annual, erpend'iture for matluers' aiitr, numbe,r of families' and n'u.m.ber o f States anil' tho Distfict of chiltlren recei'ring aid, on January 1,792i;25 Colunrbi'a bv tho furnished rulv 1, 1e26' ur sutftteui*.i1]LilfjliTSr8t"or?.tftu,tot tlatasunotier{ [Mothers'pension Population of State A r i z o n a - -- - - - - - - C o l o r a d or - - - - - - - Connecticut---- - Delaware-------Idalto-- --- llinnesota- --- -Nlontana--,-New IlampshireNew Jersey ro. . PernsJlvania---. Rhodo Island- - -South Daliola-\ \ ' i s e o n s i n - - - - -- District of Columbia---- ---- 445,000 1,059,000 t, 606,000 240,000 522,N0 3, 124,m0 1,919,000 790,000 4, r97,000 4, 396,000 2,651,000 695,000 454,000 3, 660,000 11,304,000 2,858,000 6, 600,000 2,342,040 877,000 9, 614,000 ii93, 000 689,000 15352,428 2, 519,000 2,885,000 528,000 I Includes cost of administration. 2 Averaqe for }ear ended Juue 30, 1927. 3 Informationisgarding mothers'aid is for 62 of the 63 counties. r Erpendituro not reported; $180,19{sppropriBted. o Eiiimate, based on avorago numbei irf chiklren per family (2.86) in fanilios receiving aid for which the number ol children was reportod. b Total for vesr ended Octobor I, I926. z Erpendituro not, reported; $123.000 sppropriatod by 5 of the 6 parishesI hat grant motbers' pensioDs. t Total families aided in lhe 6 parishos. , Total for year 1926. rc Includes children boarded ix their own homes bv stato board of children's guardians lr ReDortsfrom seDaratecounties aL closeof tbeir fiscal yoars. r?Toial for last half of 1926. 13Information regarding mothers' aid is for 31 of the 36 counties for Novembor' 1926. l{ Fox 54 of the 64 counties for year ended July 1, 1926' 15PoDulation Jan. l, 1920;decreasdl9l0 1o 1920. t6Foi year ended July l, 1926. u Infoimation regarding mothers'aid is for rhe one city and the one county tbat grsnt mothers'pensioDs. tETotal June 30, l9Z. All but four of these States (Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, and South Dakota) had someform of'State supervtslon.or-\Yerereqilired to report to a State agency. Details wele not obtained,however,as 20 -------- provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University - EXTENT TO WHICII MOTEERS' AID IJA]MS ARE APPIJIED 2I to the extent of the application of the mothers' aid laws within each of theseStalesla feri^of the leports definitelystatethat onll.some of the countiesin the State were pr.ofitinubv Itiis t vpe of assistanee. ln consideringthe comparativelvsmalinuinberof ihildren in relation to the totil populafion for whom aid was gr.antedin certain States, it must be-taken into account that in soire sectionsof the country not only the need for this form of public assistance, but also the need foi the care of dependentchildren in institutionsand by child-placingagenciesis less prevalent than in others. On the olher hand,the lack of appropriationsby State or Iocal[q21dsn'as responsiblein somelocalilies Tol the faiiure to carry out the provisions of the law. althoush aid mav have been needeh. Even in the States reporting the highest proiror.tionsaided. the possibility of eonllnrctiveapplication"ot tniito.rn of aid has by no mean. reuthecl its limits. It is estimatedthat at this time, on anv one date, approximatelv 200.000ehildren are ret'eivingprrblicaid"in their on.i'homes. I'f estimate n'ere made of the total number of children in the LTnited Statesfor .w.homaid should be Eranted in their orvn homes.it rvould be closerto 400.000and probably even bevond this if all tvpes rf more or lesspermanentfahilv di"sabilitvt-i're includecl. Since the standards of aciministration in larse cities are more nearlv uniform, data in regard to the extent of care given in cities of at least 100.000inhabitantsare more yallable for com'arative pur'posesthan clata from the States as a s.hole. Information in reiard to annnal expenditures for mothers' aid. the number of faniilies receivingthis assistance, and the number of childr.enin thesefamilies for rvhom aid was granted was obtained from 61 cities of at least 100.000or countiesiontaininq such eities. In the 44 localities inclucled in the following tablJ motherst aid was administered on a c-ountJ'basis. In_some-ofthesecountiesthe city is coextensivewith the countyI in others the city, though territoriilly smaller than the county,containsa large proportion of the population: whereasin a 'the few ebuntiesthe citSr'includ'es less than half population of the county. A nua,l, enpaniliture far m,others' aiil,, nunrbor of f,ami,Iias,and nttmber of oh,il,dron recei,oing aid Janua,rg 1, 1927, anil estbnoteit popula,tio,,1,of cefiain cou,nties granting aiil. to mothnrs [Mothers'pe_nsiondata supplied by mrrnty ofdeials with the erceptioD of those for Tulsa. whjch wero gg4.Pileg, by tho author,fro_m local records. Estimated population, July t. t926, furriisneU try rtre t'nlto(l slales lJureau ot tno ('ensusl Principal city (population oYer 100,000)in county Oakland and Berkelov-----Los Angeles---- -San Diego-------San Francisco---- Number of children receiving aid J^\. L,7927 aid erclusive of cost of administratiorl 409,800 I $340,m0 I I,650,000 N. R. 146,100 70,153 566,800 N. R. , 631 | 1,2r5 I 160 692p 2 I, 536 | 3 , 4 75 6 420 6 2,32L r i.pproximate number or amount. 2 Total for January, 19?7. a Obtained from county offcers. { Fl"timate bmed on avorage number of children per family (2.86) in families receiving aid for which numDer ot cnlldren \vas reDorled. 6 Total for year ending Jirne 30, 1926. 6 Includes those rsported by tho widows' pension bureau md others receiving aid through the juvonilo court. 1- provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University 22 PUBLIC AID TO MOTEERS WITH DEPENDENT CEILDREN Annuatr, eopenal/rturefor m,oth,ers' ai,il,, nuntber of fanti,.l,i.esanil. mtmber of olt'ih ilrem receioing aiil, Januarg 1, 192'1,elc.---Continued [Mothors' pensioD data supplied by courty officials \rith tho exception of tboso for Tulsa, which wer€ ggmpi&d by lhe autbor from local records. Estimated population, July 1, 1926, furnished by tho I'nil€d States Buroau of the CeDsusl Principal city (population orer 100,000) in county County Colorado: Denver---------- ---Delaware: New Csstle---------F lorida: Duval--------------. Illinois: Cook---------------Indiana: Allen--------------Marion-- - - - - - -- - - - Iowa: Polk------ -- - - - - -- -Michigan: Kent- --- --- ---- ---Wayne- -----------Minnesota: Population of county AnDml expenditue Nmberof families aid oxclur0coiYing siYe of cost aid Jan. 1, ts27 of adminis. tration Number of children re ceiving aid Jan. 1,7927 Denver----------- 2&5,400 s97,830 180 615 Wilmington--- - -, 165,000 38,885 143 3U2 Jacksonville--- - - - 156,600 30,74 86 137 C h i c 8 g o - - - - -- - - - - 3,486,7N 7U,176 \n2 3,330 Fort Wsyne,----Indianapolis------ 128,300 4U,Un 5,94t) -3,067 Dos Moines------ 173,7$) 43,4O4 Clrand Rapids---Detroit------- ---- 199,000 1, 610,200 8Z 695 715,961 159 1,1!l 5n | 3,347 125,353 8 251 333 r 1,005 1,001 415 Minneapolis-----St. Paul---------Duluth------ - --- Kansas City- - --- C u y a h o g s -- - - - - - - - - F r a n k l i n - - -- - - - - - - - - , Ilamilton---- --- -- -Lucas---------------Montgomery-------Stark---------------Oklahoma: Oklahoma----------T u l s a - - - -- - - - - - - - - - , Oregon: Multnomah--------Pennsylvania: Alleghany----------Berks---------------E r i e - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ Lackawanna----- -- - Philadelphia------- -Tonnessee: Shelby-------_-_-_-_ Ters: Dallas- -- - - - - - -- - - - - Earris--------------Utsh: SaltLeke-----------Washington: King- - -------------P i o r c o -- - - - - - - - - - - - - Wisconsin: Milwaukee- --- -- ---- 470,3N 258, 500 235,300 74,447 724 111 66 v 500 lil 424,300 e) 66 174 228,6n 37,486 144 | 412 199,300 705,4U) 400,m 272,lftj 199,200 442,tN 69, 536 265,389 59,950 57,8J0 74,U3 147,Ur r0169 10414 t0 7g r o1 1 9 r0 100 t0m 1, 148,400 325,7U) 515,700 331,300 u0,w) 2r3,m ?45, 930 105,855 215,180 72,593 45,000 49,725 fi7,[n 157,700 I 8. (n0 t 8; ooo u 275,898 \n7,w) 2L2,7(n u 1&3, 536 304,2m 2,UJ7,zffi 18,000 7,741 u,439 25,507 58, 095 37442o 480 3n 456 243 276 r44 62 m 525 7n .t 146 835 rr ll5 244,ffi 36 000 260,600 234,N0 t3 32,?72 12,895 217 r0 441 l o1 , 3 5 7 r0398 t0372 r0430 r0708 1,569 980 1,240 721 725 456 rm I 150 400 t, 756 392 xn 3n 2,865 12m2 510 231 177,5$ 47,785 31E 807 325,000 r59,7oo 113,915 50,000 516 rr 305 I, 168 610600 183,832 lr 463 r5 1,466 I Approximate number or amount. 7 Number re@iving sid June 11, 1927. t Nmber rec€iYing aid Dec. 31, 1925. 0 Exp€nditure not reported; $12,000appropristod. r0Number recFiving aid at the end of tho fiscal year. 1l PoDulation I92012Total for Anrii. 1927. r3 Not reported whether this ercludes administretive €rp€lses. u Total for the year 1926. 1l Total for December, 1926. ar=----- provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University EXTENT TO WEICE MOTEERS' AID LAWS AR,E APPLIED 23 Motherst aid is administered bv cities or towns in three of the states (connecticut,Massachusetti, and Rhode tsland) Irom which ctty rnformation was obtained (seethe following tabl'e). fn addi_ Iron to the 14 cities in these states, B cities in Statesri'hereaid is p"alty adminisleredon a county basiswere also reporteaas naving munrclpat admrnrstratron. An!y!,l eapen.ali,ture_formothers, ai.d., num,ber of fa,mdties,amd,number of chi,L q!e? rec9r::it:{^aid,.January 1, iqg,l, and estinxateil,popul"atinm of certaim ci.ties of ouer 1UU,0A0 population granting oial,to moth,6rs [Mothers'p-ensiondata suppliedbv c_ityg$cials with th€ excoptionof thoso for st. Louis, which woro qomplled!-y lhe aurhor iiom rec-ordsbrt ne ciiv oiji, ifor 6i,iifi guardims' Estimal'edpopulation Jury I, 1926,furnishedby r,hounired sl,atosBureau of tho cejseunsi City Population of city Annual expenditure for Number of Number of families children mothers' aid receiving receiYing exclusive of Jan. aid 1, Jan. I, aid cost of sd7527 79n ministratioa I 155,000 7M,XX) 181,900 I 1I5,000 287,IW ln,w) 131,000 : 110,296 104,000 , 119,539 100,400 145,000 r93,400 830,400 5,Wm 274,8N 189,100 36, 619 37,U0 74,445 30,913 746,879 90, 6 43,977 100,128 41,273 48,895 40,770 19,681 70, 006 ol 58 t31 63 845 113 1e3 48 67 @ z2 101 43,726 3100 5, 156,4ii6 r 9,907 74,%5 7,595 156 188 360 169 3,043 404 220 590 155 846 262 90 372 I 310 | 2q 096 134 oD/ r22 r7g I Obtaioed from local officialsl_opulat,ion Sral,e census, 1925; decrease 1920to j92S. .1 Number on ADrrt 1.7927I Numbor receiving aid at tho ond of tbo fiscal y€ar, , Total for January, tgn. .rf. a comparis.onis made for difierent loealities of the number of ehrldren receiving aid. .as related to the total population, it is evident that even in fhesecities there i" -o"L ili'extent ""ri"tI"ii" to inadequate to which aid to mothers rvas granted. rn addition app.ropriations, rvhieh1naybe the primary factor in limitinqihi aid avarlab-le rn mrny localities,the numberof ehildren r.eceiviigaid is afiectedqI th: tegal hmrtation as to.tfe personseligible foriid, the tie.chrtctrel nfiom.ai{ js granred, and the liberality lF"-: -"1 io,r ot the. potreresadopted by^the administrativeagencies. A,srmrlar,c.omparisonof the annual expenditires for aid and the number of children receivingaid indicatei that there is much variation in the standardsof care"given. rn someof the tocatitiesmothers, aid more nearly resemblesp6or relief, smail grantt uelt s ;0" tor the maxrmumnumber of children who are eligible. rn olher localities adequategrants and careful casework are-provided-for a smaller nt'mberbf children. --- provided by the Maternal and Chitd Health Library, Georgetown University 24 puBrJrc ArD To MoTHERSwrrg DEpENDENTcErrrDa,EN Mothers' aid administration offers the most obvicus evidence of the seriousnessof placing laws on the statute books but failing to make them practically eflectivethrough adequateappropriation and propel administration. It is recognizedthat the chief problem at present in connection with mothers' aid work in most of the 42 Statesis not to obtain new State lesislation or amendrnentsto existing laws but to obtain,adequateapprropriationsand to raise the standard of administration so that the laws may mean adequatecare for the children they are intended to benefit. O 1 - - provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University