Children's Home Had to Turn Away Infants in June, 1921

Report of the Children’s Home Society

We beg to hand you report covering operations for the month of June 1921.

We have realized this month more than ever before our utter helplessness when we undertake to handle young infants. At this writing we have at St. Leo’s Hospital two infants under three months of age and two at the Receiving Home. Today we placed one in a private home to be boarded until in proper condition to be placed in a home.

We find it impossible to induce anyone to assume the responsibility of more than two babies at one time and owing to this fact we have been compelled to refuse to receive five urgent cases during the past 30 days. It may be that our forced refusal to handle these infants may be the cause of their untimely death.

I earnestly hope that some kind of friend of the babies of North Carolina will come forward and offer to finance immediately the erection of an up-to-date Baby Unit with capacity for 25 infants. Pending the erection of this Unit I shall do my very best to handle every infant I can possibly find a boarding place for until such time when they are ready to be placed in approved homes.

I felt very much gratified with the work we are doing among the older children, and you will note that our placements over the same period of last year have increased 120 per cent.

Miss Bilyeu’s collections fell off somewhat last month and we wound up the month with a slight deficit. We hope collections will increase during the next month and overcome this loss.

We thank every Director for his personal interest in our institution and invite inspection of our Receiving Plant, 624 Fairmont Street, Greensboro, N.C., at any time.

Statistics for June are as follows:

New cases reported of children in distress, 32.

New applications for children, 36.

Cases of distress adjusted since January, 18.

Children received, 24.

Homes rejected, 9.

Children placed in approved homes, 16.

Homes supervised:

By Miss Tutle, 80;

By Supts. Public Welfare, 30;

By Special Agents, 20.

Reports from guardians, 4.

Reports from children, 5.

Surgical operations, 10.

Deaths, 1.

Adoptions executed, 2.

Applications for children withdrawn, 16.

Children on hand on June 30:

In Receiving home, 26;

In St. Leo’s Hospital, 2;

In private home, 1.

Total children placed January 1st to June 30th, 1921, 88.

Total children placed 1920, same period, 40.

Increase, 120 per cent.

Infants under six month unable to receive, lack of facilities, 5.

Collections by Miss Bilyeu, $560.40.

Operating expenses, $1,089.13.

Yours sincerely, John Phoenix, State Superintendent

From the front page of The Enterprise, Williamston, Martin County, N.C., Tuesday, July 12, 1921