Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/793

 THE RELIEF AND CARE OF DEPENDENTS 7/9

out dependent children is not exercised (and it is not), they are cared for in the almshouse, supported with their parents in the home, or treated as young vagrants.

The assertion that there is no further provision in these states than that spoken of above is not quite true. West Vir- ginia and South Dakota authorize the courts to commit depend- ent and vagrant children to societies to be placed out. 1 Thus provision is made for cooperation with private organizations, so that children may be cared for in a semi-public way. Kentucky has a " board of children's guardians " in cities of the first class, whose duty it is to cooperate with the courts in removing chil- dren from vicious homes and securing good homes for them.* This board will be referred to again. Eight of these states make it the duty of the poor authorities to bind out dependent minors, and not to permit them, unless injudicious to do other- wise, to remain in the almshouse. 3 In Louisiana the county

1 By an act of 1887, West Virginia authorizes orphans' homes to place their children in families when they think it best. The courts may commit destitute chil- dren to such orphans' homes. In South Dakata an act of March i, 1895, provides for the incorporation of societies to care for and place out children surrendered to them by the parents or committed to them by the courts.

'The Kentucky law is a good example of the inclusive vagrancy acts. In that state (325) children under sixteen found begging, or who are homeless, or who are cruelly treated or neglected, or who are orphans destitute of the means of support, may be committed by the court to the reformatory.

'These states are Alabama (1474-1478), Mississippi (3159, 3161), Arkansas (250, 252), North Dakota (1498, 2834), South Dakota (2165), New Mexico (1037), Nevada (1985), and Washington (1599). The two Dakotas and Nebraska (3950)
 * e that such children shall be educated when permitted to remain in the aims-

house. Section 3161 of the Mississippi statutes reads : "It shall be unlawful for any superintendent of a poorhouse to permit a healthy child of ten years of age or over to remain at the poorhouse ; but all such children there shall be reported to the board of supervisors and bound apprentices." The members of the board of supervisors are to "report to the board the names of the poor orphan children within their respective districts, and of other children whose parents are unable to support them." In Ala- bama it is the duty of the sheriff, justices of the peace, and all civil officers to report children to the probate court, so that they may be bound out. A like duty devolves upon the justices of the peace in New Mexico. A similar provision is found \\\ Georgia (2605), where policemen and other civil officers are to report all such cases to the ordinary. In Florida (2115), when a person is placed upon the " pauper h>t " of the county, it is the duty of the county commissioners to report any children he may have under sixteen years of age to the county judge, that he may bind them out.