Number of Visits to Wards and Special Reports during the Official

The whole number of infants, or children under three years of age, in charge of the Board at the beginning of the official year, October 1, 1899, was 232; the number received during the year was 224; making the whole number supported by the State during the year, 456. There remained at the close of the official year, September 30, 1900, 266. Of the 224 infants received, 119 were committed to the custody of the Board by the Overseers of the Poor; 11 were taken from the State Hospital; 43 were committed by the courts; 10 were removed from unsuitable boarding places; 1 was taken

under section 14 and 34 under section 15 of chapter 318 of the Acts of 1892; and 6 were received under section 1, chapter 397, Acts of 1900. Of the 456 infants supported, 38 were legally adopted; 61 were transferred to the subdivision for older children, having reached the age of three years; 25 were discharged to parents or relatives; 1 was discharged to the State Hospital; 1 to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul; and 64 died. Of the remaining 266 infants, 8 were on trial for adoption without expense to the State. During the year 178 infants were received at the nursery, 6 of whom died there.

The 119 infants committed from cities and towns include foundlings, those deserted by parents or guardians, illegitimate children of mothers who are unable or unfit to care for their offspring, and those from families where, by reason of illness or death, the remaining members are unable to support them. While the condition of the infants taken in this way has varied, a larger proportion than usual have been seriously ill or moribund when received.

19 more

There were 43 infants committed by the courts, than last year. These infants are, as a rule, in better physical condition than those committed by the Overseers of the Poor, but most of them show by their language and actions the result of neglect and lack of proper training. It is our aim to place such in families where they can receive not only suitable food, clothing, and places to sleep, but homes where good influences and examples will counteract the effects of the bad conditions from which they have been removed.

There were 34 infants taken under section 15 of chapter 318 of the Acts of 1892, which provides that "The mother of an illegitimate infant under two years of age, who is a resident of this Commonwealth and who has previously borne a good character, may, upon personal application to the state board of charity and with the consent of said state board, give up such infant to said state board for the purpose of adoption, such giving up to be made by an instrument in writing signed by the mother; and said state board may in its discretion and on such conditions as it may impose receive such infant and provide therefor if said board deem such action to be for the public interest; and such giving up shall

operate as a consent to any adoption subsequently approved by said state board."

Although the number of infants taken under this section has been greater than last year, their condition when received has not been as good. This is not surprising, when account is taken of the unusually long, hot, and depressing summer and early autumn. As these infants can be legally adopted as soon as conditions are mutually satisfactory to the State Board and to the applicant, they can be placed readily in families, on trial for adoption, without expense to the State; whereas those whose parents have not given their consent and whose adoption is governed by statute, must necessarily remain longer in the custody of the Board before they become eligible for adoption, since the law provides that, previous to adoption, infants shall be supported by the State for a period of two years, and, further, that due publication shall be made of the petition.

But one infant has been taken under section 14 of chapter 318 of the Acts of 1892, which provides that "The parents, surviving parent or guardian of any infant under three years of age, if unable to support such infant, may, upon personal application to the state board of charity and with the consent of said state board, place such infant in charge of said state board by an instrument in writing; and said state board may receive such infant if said state board deem such action to be for the public interest, and shall thereupon have the custody of such infant in the same manner and to the same extent as if such infant were committed thereto by a court or magistrate under the provisions of section three of chapter one hundred eighty-one of the acts of the year eighteen hundred and eighty-two and acts amendatory thereof." The mother of the infant referred to was a widow, and on account of ill health was unable to support herself and her infant. The child still remains in custody, as her mother has been seriously ill during the summer, and her present condition is such that there is little hope that she will ever be able to resume the support of her child. The infant is a bright, attractive little girl, and is eligible for adoption whenever the mother's consent can be obtained.

There were 10 infants removed from unsuitable boarding

places to the custody of the State Board under the provisions of chapter 276 of the Acts of 1899, which is as follows:

may

Every person who receives for board or for the purpose of procuring adoption an infant under the age of three years shall use due diligence to ascertain whether or not such infant is illegitimate; and if he knows or has reason to believe it to be illegitimate, shall forthwith notify the state board of charity of the fact of such reception; and said board and its officers or agents may enter and inspect any building where they have reason to believe that any such illegitimate infant is boarded, and remove such infant when in their judgment such removal is necessary, by reason of neglect, abuse or other cause, in order to preserve the infant's life; and such infant so removed shall be in the custody of said board of charity, which shall make provisions therefor according to law." The number taken under this section was about half as great as that of last year, and probably will decrease from year to year, as the enforcement of the law providing for the regulating and licensing of boarding houses for infants breaks up the business of the class of women from which these infants are removed.

There were 6 infants received under section 1 of chapter 397 of the Acts of 1900, which has been cited above. There is no doubt that, as this law becomes more generally known, a large number of infants will, under its provisions, be placed in the custody of the Board. Judging from the condition of those already received, the new law is likely to bring under the care of the Board infants whose physical condition is such as to render them a burden to those who have them in charge. These infants will be placed in selected families and will receive the same expert care as other State infants.

There were 307 new applications for infants to board received during the year. Many of the applicants were visited, but in a large number of cases the personal appearance of the applicant was such as to make further investigation unnecessary; and not more than half of those visited were considered worthy of a trial, because of the bad sanitary condition of their premises, personal unfitness, or entire lack of the necessary experience in the care of young children.

There was an increase in the number of applications for

children to adopt during the year, and, although all were investigated, and many proved undesirable, still the number remaining was in excess of the number of infants eligible for adoption. Those ineligible include nearly all committed by the courts, those whose parents refused consent, those taken on account of the temporary disability of parents, and those mentally or physically defective.

The rate of mortality for the year, about 14 per cent., — has been somewhat greater than for the last two years. This was to be expected, in view of the enfeebled condition of many of the younger infants when received, and the protracted heat of the summer and autumn.

The medical visitors made 3,144 visits to the infants in the custody of the Board during the year. These visits are for the treatment of sick infants, and for supervision.

Licensed Boarding Houses for Infants.

During the last official year, 228 licenses to maintain boarding houses for infants were granted by the Board in 41 cities and towns, in addition to the 184 licenses in force at the expiration of the previous year; 157 licenses expired, 153 of them by the one-year limitation, 3 by six-months limitation, and 1 by four-months limitation; 59 were revoked, 55 on account of a change in residence, 1 for improper care of children, 1 for violation of provisions of license, and 2 on account of death; and 196 licenses, permitting the boarding of 398 infants in 38 cities and towns, remained in force September 30, 1900. These represent the licensed homes, not only of infants supported by the Commonwealth, but also of those placed out by their parents, by the St. Mary's Infant Asylum, the Massachusetts Infant Asylum, the Gwynne Temporary Home, the Boston Trustees for Children, the Boston Children's Aid Society, the New England Home for Little Wanderers, and a few others.

The following table shows the number of licenses issued, the number of cities and towns where licensees reside, the number of licenses expired and revoked, the whole number in force, etc., for the year ending September 30, 1900, and the eight preceding years :