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Show CAHt OF "VETERANS' UHILDKEN Government Bureau WIN Co-Operato With Lef Ion in Plan for Atten. tion to Dependents. Full co-operiillon of tho children's bureau oi the United Stales Department' Depart-ment' of Labor will be: extended to tho American l.eglon In Hie plan for care of dependent children of World war veterans. This assistance to the pro-grain pro-grain of tlio Legion on a problem which Legion leaders liellewi will eventually approximate care of disabled, dis-abled, will bo rendered In every possible pos-sible way, according to Miss Grace Abbott, chief of the children's bureau, In charge of welfare work for tho government. Miss Abbott has clearly outlined to George A. Withers, chairman of tho Legion's national committee on children's chil-dren's homes, her Ideas of what tho veterans' organization should undertake under-take In this work. In the llrst place, Miss Abbott says that every effort should be bent toward keeping tho children of the Legion whose fathers have died, or are Incapacitated, with their mothers or near relatives who are willing und competent to cure for them. Miss Abbott declares that in the past it has been a common practice prac-tice to take away children from the remaining parent If means are In-sulllclent In-sulllclent to care for the dependents. Usually, according to child welfare workers, this ope.ntes adversely, causing a double loss to the child. Sometimes u mother Is ullowed to struggle on under a load obviously too greut for her shoulders, and the fumlly becomes demoralized sometimes some-times delinquent. Here, thinks Miss Abbott, Is where the Legion posts may help In this portion of the problem by friendly help and care, und by lending assistance In the schooling. Miss Abbott says that foster homes are generally regurded as better than Institutional, If child' en must be taken from their parents or relatives. "Such un Institution," declared Miss Abbott to Chairman Withers, "should be the last resort ufter every effort has been made to keep the family together, to-gether, ruther than the beginning of a program. If you could get every post to report to the state department, and In turn to report to national headquarters head-quarters as to the success In curing and providing for these children, helping help-ing families to remain together, In finding ways of providing scholarships for the education of the children, etc., then finally as to the Institutional care which may be necessary, I think you would make sure that the Legion children were having the right kind of opportunity for home life, for special spe-cial care, If physically defective in any way, and for educution, which is their right." The government welfare worker holds that members oi the Legion who nre to handle this vital problem for Its members should be named from the ablest men In the organization, and that they should approach the question as one which Is certalr to require diligent study, great expenditure expendi-ture of time, and much patience and Ingenuity. |