Judge John E. Owens of the Cook County Court, Chicago, has
the distinction of having inaugurated the service of social
investigators, of having extended the court’s supervision over
thirty-three child-helping agencies and of having promoted their
close co-operation with the court and with each other.
Although Judge Owens has a contingent fund for the employment of
other judges to assist him in passing upon cases of insane and
dependent persons, he prefers to do all the work himself and use the
money for four social investigators. They report upon the conditions
involved in each case, and, aided by this information, the judge
enters his decision.
Hitherto the board of visitors, which the judge of the County
Court appoints to report upon the care of children committed to
child-helping institutions and agencies, has ordinarily attempted
little more than a perfunctory service. The present board with
Wilfred S. Reynolds as its secretary, however, had the services of
experienced social workers.
The first report of the board of visitors to the county judge tells
of co-operation and fellowship which has come into being, and of the
standardization thus brought about in buildings, equipment, methods
and service.
Among the recommendations of the report are the following:
A full record of all facts concerning the child and its previous
environment which are in the possession of the court should
accompany all commitments to institutions;
Regular and definite reports should be required by the court from
all institutions and organizations concerning all children under
guardianship;
Money which the court orders parents or guardians to pay for the
support of children should be paid to the clerk of the court and
turned in to the county treasury;
The submission of plans for new buildings or improvements should
be required of all institutions, so as to secure suggestions and
approval from a board of competent ability;
A diet should be established upon a scientific analysis of food
properties;
Assignment of routine work to be done by the children should be
strictly upon the basis of the child’s training, not service to the
institution;
Classes in industrial and special training should be organized, and
supplemented by routine work about the institution;
Record systems must be complete of the child’s history, its
institutional life and the after disposition;
Visits to placed-out children should be made as often as once in
six months;
Adoption should not be consented to until six months after placing;