Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/803

 THE RELIEF AND CARE OF DEPENDENTS 789

school, as in Michigan. The board of control becomes the guardian of such children and is to employ a salaried secretary to place out those it is thought will be benefited thereby, in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, or Connecticut. Those not placed out are retained in the institution until eighteen years of age. 1

The provisions for the Minnesota state public school for dependent and neglected children are very similar to those of Michigan. They differ from them in that children between two and fourteen are admissible, preference, however, being given to those under twelve. It is the duty of the county commis- sioners to bring all abandoned, neglected, idle, and vagrant children, those who are in danger of life, health, or morality, before the probate judge for commitment. A state agent is employed, who places them with families and visits them as directed by the board of control for the school. 2

The Wisconsin law differs from that of Minnesota chieflv in

that the ages of children committed are from three to fourteen, preference here again being given to those under twelve. As in Minnesota, no children of this age and of sound mind and free from disease are to be permitted to remain in the alms- house. 3

The Kansas Soldiers' Orphans' Home is an institution for dependent and neglected children like the state schools of Wis- consin and Minnesota, soldiers' orphans having a preference in

be the object of this chapter to provide for neglected and dependent children, not recog- nized as vicious or criminal, such influences as will lead toward an honest, intelligent, and self-supporting manhood and womanhood, the state so far as possible holding to them the parental relation. But if at any time, in the discretion of the board, this object can be better attained by placing a child in a good family, they shall have the power to do so on condition that its education shall be provided for by such family in the public schools of the to where they may reside. The board are hereby
 * Ch. 87. The purpose of the institution is stated in sec. 8 thus : " It is declared to

made the legal guardians of all the children who may become inmates of the home and school and charged with the duty of following such children as may be placed in families with watchful care, and of taking them back to their own immediate super- if at any time they fail to receive kind and proper treatment and a fair elemcn tary education."

3509-3520, as amended April 5, 1895.

3 573".