1909. t gt g. t 930.

t g40
.
t 950. t g60
Provided
by the Maternal and Chitd Health Library, Georgetown
University
+***+
+
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Fr *
+
*
* F l
ntr[
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[ t r D
DUI
THE STORY
OF THE,
WHITE HOUSE
CONFERENCES
ON CHILDREI\
AI{D YOUTH
***
+
+**
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND \TELFARE
SOCIAL and REHABILITATION SERVICE
o Children' s Bureau o 1967
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University
contents
Or i gi n of t he' Whi t e House Conf er ences on Chi l dr en. . . . . . . . z
Whi te Fl ouse Conference on Dependent Chi l dren
-
1909. .. .
3
Whi te House Conference on Chi l d Vel fare Standards
-
1919 6
Whi te House Conference on Chi l d Heal th and
Protection
-
1930 8
White House Conference on Children in a Democracy
-
1940
Mi dcentury Whi te House Conference on Chi l dren and
Youth
-
1950
Gol den Anni versary Whi te House Conference on Chi l dren
and Youth
-
1960
The T970 White House Conference on Children and Youth . .
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University
L2
I 6
22
2g
************************************ ************
THE STORY OF THtr
WHITE HOIJSE CONFtrREI{CE,S
Oi{ CHILDREN AND YOIJTH
Each decade of the twentieth century, the
United States has held a great national confer-
ence devoted to children and youth-their cir-
cumstances and thei r prospects.
These Conferences have been convened in
Washington, the Nation's capital, and have
been sponsored by the President of the United
States. Si nce one or more sessi ons have usual l y
been hel d i n the Whi te House, they have been
known as Whi te House Conferences.
Although called by the President, the pur-
pose
of these Conferences has not been to
advise or to benefit any Federal agency or
group
of agenci es. They have, i ndeed, been ad-
vi sory to the Ameri can peopl e
as a whol e and
to thei r representati ves i n l ocal , State, and
nati onal Iegi sl ati ve bodi es, to professi onal
and
ci ti zens' groups, to publ i c
and pri vate agenci es.
Whi te House Conferences on Chi i dren and
Youth have been hel d at roughl y l O-year i n-
terval s duri ng thi s century-1909, 1919, 1930,
1940. 1950. 1960. Each of these Conferences has
exerted a di rect and powet' ful i nfl uence on the
welfare of the children of the United States.
In a very real sense, comi ng as they have each
decade, they have served as bench marks agai nst
r,l'hich the progress of the Nation in terms of
i ts chi l dren coul d be measul ed.
The Conferences have ranged in size from
a membership of several hundred to a member-
Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University
shi p of more than 5,000. Physi ci ans, soci al
workers, educators, communi ty l eaders, mem-
bers of l abor uni ons and ci vi c groups, rel i gi ous
leaders,
Farents-all
who cherish and serve
chi l dren-have taken part
and contri buted to
the probl ems under scruti ny at the vari ous
Conferences.
Each of the Whi te House Conferences on
Chi l dren has been concerned wi th a probl em
typi cal of the decade i n whi ch i t occurred.
The fl rst Conference i n 1909 was the Whi te
House Conference on the Care of Dependent
Chi l dren. The second hal f of the ni neteenth
century had been the "i nsti tuti onal era" i n
chi l d care. In a sense, the 1909 Conference was
a protest agai nst the use of i nsti tuti onal care
for dependent and negl ected chi l dren. The Con-
ference cl earl y stated the i mporbance of home
l i fe for the chi l d and that the dependent chi l d
"shoul d be cared for i n fami l i es whenever
practi cabl e."
The second Conference, hel d i n 1919-the
Whi te House Conference on Standards of Chi l d
Wel fare-came at the end of a "great war" and
as Jul i a Lathrop, fi rst chi ef of the Bureau
sai d, "the begi nni ng as we l ong to bel i eve
-of
the Great Peace." It was a peri od of soul -
searchi ng on the part of many peopl e as to how
the potenti al s of a peaceful worl d coul d be
real i zed i n orcl er "to
gi ve
every chi l d a fai r
chance." To i nsure thi s fai r chance, the 1919
Conference framed the first important body
of chi l d heal th and wel fare standards.
The White House Conference on Child
Heal th and Protecti on
(1930) occurred duri ng
an era marked by a wealth of research mate-
ri al s i n the fi el d of heal th and chi l d devel op-
ment, and its ambitious charge included "all
chi l dren i n thei r total aspects, i ncl udi ng those
soci al and envi ronmental factors whi ch are
i nfl uenci ng modern chi l dhood." The Conference
produced the most comprehensi ve statement of
the needs of chi l dren ever wri tten. Unfortu-
natel y, the Great Depressi on soon overwhel med
all the portents to a better day for children.
The subj ect of the next decenni al Confer-
ence-the 1940 Conference on Children in a
Democracy-was the logical one in a world so
threateni ng to democracy i tsel f. Thi s Confer-
ence canvassed the fundamental democrati c
pri nci pl es,
condi ti ons, and servi ces essenti al
for the wel l -bei ng of chi l dren i n a democracy.
The Mi dcentury Whi te House Conference
on Chi l dren and Yout h (1950), whi ch came at
the end of a decade of much popul ar and re-
search i nterest i n dynami c psychol ogy,
was
concerned wi th democracy' s responsi bi l i ty "to
produce soci al l y-mi nded cooperati ve peopl e,
wi thout sacri fi ci ng i ndi vi dual i ty." The Confer-
ence expl ored the i ngredi ents of a heal thy per-
The i dea for the fi rst Whi te House Con-
ference on Chi l dren ori gi nated wi th James E.
West, a young l awyer who had been rai sed i n
a Washi ngton, D.C., orphanage. James West
was born i n Washi ngton i n 1876. At the age
of 6, havi ng l ost both parents, he was pl aced i n
an orphanage. As a young man, he became a
member of the orphanage staff, di recti ng the
program for boys. It was i n thi s background
that hi s l i fel ong i nterest i n dependent chi l -
dren had i ts roots.
Soon after
graduati on from l aw school ,
2
sonal i ty, the forces that work for and agai nst
i ts devel opment, the ki nds of hel p chi l dren and
youth have a right to expect frorn their fami-
l i es. school s, churches, and
government i f they
are to have a chance to
grow i n physi cal ' men-
tal , emoti onal , and soci al heal th.
Si nce the Mi dcentury Conference had
centered its attention on healthy
pe$onality
developrnent, it was a natural outcome for the
1960 Whi te House Conference on Chi l dren and
Youth to enl arge thi s theme to fi nd ways "to
promote opportuni ti es for chi l dren and youth
to real i ze thei r ful l potenti al for a creati ve l i fe
i n freedom and di gni ty." The great number of
del egates and guests, i n addi ti on to the broad
representati on by youth, marked the deep con-
cern fel t over the Nati on for assuri ng that
every chi l d woul d have a chance to know the
fui l meani ng of a creati ve l i fe. The many rec-
ommendati ons that emerged out of the Confer-
ence work groups made i t cl ear that maj or
steps i n many di recti ons woul d have to be taken
before the goal of the 1960 Conference coul d
become a real i ty for al l of the Nati on' s chi l dren
and youth.
Thi s pamphl et, then, tel l s the story of
these Whi te House Conferences on Chi l dren
and Youth-thei r ori gi n, r' hat thei r goal s have
been, rvhat they hsyg contri buted to the rvel l -
bei ng of chi l dren and thei r fami l i es, how they
have helped to build the strength of the Nation.
West was appoi nted by Presi dent Theodore
Roosevel t to the Board of Pensi on Appeal s for
the Di stri ct of Col umbi a and l ater became
Assi stant Attorney of the Department of the
Interi or' . Duri ng these years, West was acti ve
on many fronts i n behal f of chi l dren. He i s
credi ted wi th havi ng secured the
j uveni l e
court
for the Di stri ct of Col umbi a. He promoted the
Pl ayground Associ ati on of Washi ngton and
organi zed and served as secretary of the Na-
t i onal Chi l d Rescue League.
Someti me earl y i n 1908, West became as-
Origin of the
\White
House Conferences on Children
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University
sociated with the child rescue campaign being
conducted by Theodore Dreiser, editor of THE
DELINEATOR. Thi s campai gn had been
l aunched l ate i n 1907 "for the chi l d that needs
a home and the home bhat needs a chi l d."
Each month, THE DELINEATOR fea-
tured the photographs
and case histories of
chi l dren Ii vi ng i n i nsti tuti ons. Anyone wanti ng
a child was urged to get
in touch with the social
agency having custody. That this campaign
would have great
appeal to West is obvious.
West
j oi ned
forces wi th Drei ser i n an
effort to advance the well-being of the de-
pendent
chi l d. It was an al l i ance that coul cl
have been forecast on the basi s of the i nterest
of these two men in children.
In August 1908, West represented THE
DELINEATOR at the twenty-fi fth anni ver.sary
meeti ng of the Nati onal Home Fi ndi ng -Soci et.r'
i n Chi cago. Thi s conference stressed the need
for a greater
national effort on behalf of de-
pendent
chi l dren.
Later that summer, West wrote to Presi-
dent Roosevel t i n an effort to i nterest hi m i n
the care of dependent chi l dren. In October, he
and Drei ser went to the Whi te House to di scuss
rvi th the Presi dent THE DELINEATOR' s chi l d
rescue caml rai gn and the needs of the del ren-
dent chi l d. West suggested a nati onal confer-
ence on dependent chi l dren to be sponsored by
the Presi dent as a way to "greatl y advance the
cati se of the dependent chi l d."
Presi dent Roosevel t i ndi cated hi s wi l l i ng-
ness to hel p i n any way he coul d and asked that
the i dea for the Conference be presented
to
hi m i n a more detai l ed form.
From thi s poi nt on, West concentrated
mai nl y on the Conference; Drei ser, on hi s cam-
pai gn
and the formati on of the Chi l d Rescue
League.
tVhite
House Conference on Dependenr Children (1909)
West began by i nteresti ng many of the
nati onal l eaders i n chi l d wel fare i n
j oi ni ng
hi m
i n proposi ng a nati onal conference on the de-
pendent
chi l d. Later, on December 22, 1908, a
proposal
for such a conference was outl i ned
i n a l etter sent to the Pl esi dent. West rvas
mai nl y responsi bl e for dl afti ng the l etter. al -
though i t u' as si gned by ei ght other. men i n
addi ti on to hi msel f :
HOMER FOLKS, Secretary
New York Chariries Aid Association
HASTINGS HART, Superintendent
Illinois Children's Home and Aid Sociery
JOHN
M. GLENN, Director
Russell Sage Foundation
THOMAS M. MULRY, President
St. Vincent de Paul Society
ED\7ARD T. DEVINE, Editor
CHARITIES AND COMMONS
JULIAN
\7. MACK,
Judge
Ci rcui t Court of Il l i noi s
CHARLES \7. BIRT\UtrELL, Secretary
Boston Chi l dren' s Ai d Scci ety
THEODORE DREISER, Editor
THE DELINEATOR
Excerpts from thi s l etter to Presi dent
Roosevel t reveal the arguments advanced for
hol di ng the conference.
"The
State has dealt generously with her
troublesome children; but what is she doing
for those who make no trouble but are
simply unfortunate? . Some are orphans
or half-orphans; some are abandoned by
heartless parents; some are victims of
cruel ty or negl ect. They are not del i n-
quents; they are accused of no fault; they
are si mpl y desti tute or negl ected . . . .
"It i s of the hi ghest i mportance to the wel -
fare of thi s vast number of future ci ti zens
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University
that all child-caring work shall be con-
ducted on a high plane that in the
placing of children in families the utmost
care shall be taken to exclude all unde-
sirable applicants; that every precaution
should be taken in the subsequent super-
vision of the children to prevent neglect,
overwork, insufficient education, or inade-
quate moral and religious training, and
t hat i nst i t ut i ons shal l be so carri ed on as
to secure the best physical, mental, moral,
and rel i gi ous t rai ni ng of each i ndi vi dual
chi l d and t o f i t hi m f or act i ve and credi t -
a b l e c i t i z e n s h i p . . . .
"The problem of the dependent child is
acut e; i t i s l arge; i t i s nat i onal . We be-
lieve that it is worthy of national considera-
tion.
\J7e
earnestly hope, therefore thar you
will cooperate in an effort ro ger this
problem before the American people. . . ."
The memorandl l m accompanyi ng the l etter sug-
gested
10 proposi ti ons
for consi derati on and
acti on by the Conference.
T he Conf erence is called
On December 25, 1908, Presi dent Roose-
vel t i ssued the cal l to the Conference to 200
persons concerned wi th some phase
of chi l d
cari ng.
In cal l i ng the Conference to be hel d i n
Washi ngton, January 25 and 26, the Presi dent
sai d, "Surel y nothi ng ought to i nterest our
peopl e more than the care of the chi l dren who
are desti tute and negl ected but not del i nquent.
Personal l y, I very earnestl y bel i eve that the
best way i n whi ch to care for dependent chi l -
cl ren i s i n the fami l y . . . ."
On January 10, the Presi dent appoi nted
.Iames
West, Homer Fol ks, and Thomas M.
l l Lrl ry as a commi ttee on arrangements.
The del egates to the Conference hel d thei r
fi rst meeti ng i n the Whi te House on January 25
when they were addressed by the Presi dent.
The Presi dent sai d: "There can be no more
i mportant subj ect from the standpoi nt of the
Nati on than that wi th whi ch you are to deal , be-
canse when you take care of the chi l dren you
are taki ng care of the Nati on of tomorrow; and
i t i s i ncumbent upon every one of us to do
al l i n hi s or her power to provi de for the i n-
4
terests of those children whom cruel misfortune
has handi capped at the very outset of thei r
l i ves. "
He expressed the earnest hope that "the
members of thi s conference wi l l take a pro-
gressi ve stand, so as to establ i sh a goal toward
whi ch the whol e country can work . . . . I bel i eve
that we. al l of us. have come to the concl usi on
that rvhere possi bl e the thi ng to be done for
t he chi l d i s t o provi de a home f or hi m; and
that rvhere that i s not possi bl e,
we shoul d make
the condi ti ons as nearl y as possi bl e l i ke those
whi ch the chi l d woul d have i n a home."
At the end of the 2-day sessi on, the con-
cl usi ons of the Conference were sent to the
Presi dent. Some of the r,vords are sti l l echoi ng
dor,vn the years. Here i s the gi st of them.
Home life is the highest and finest
product of civilization. trt is the great
molciing force of mind and character.
Chilclren should not be deprived of it
except for urgent and compelling rea-
sons. Except i n unusual ci rcumst ances,
the home should not be broken up for
reasons of poverty
The most important and valuable
philanthropic s' ork is not the curative,
but the preventive; to check depen-
dency by zr thorough study of its causes
and by effectively remedying or eradi-
cat;ng them shoulrl be the constant
ai m of soci et y . . .
As to the children who for sufficient
reasons must be removed from their
own homes, or have no homes, it is
desi rabl e t hat , i f normal i n mi nd and
body and not requiring special train-
ing, they should be cared for in fami-
lies whenever practicable. The care-
fully selected foster home is for the
normal child the best substitute for
t he nat ural home
So far as it may be found riecessary
temporarily or permanently to care
f or cert ai n cl asses of chi l dren i n i n-
st i t ut i ons, t hese i nst i t ut i ons shoul d be
conducted on the cottage plan
To engage in the work of caring for
needy children is to assume a most
serious responsibility, and should,
therefore, be permitted only to those
" 1.
, , 2.
)
, , 4,
Provided
by the Maternal and Chitd Health Library, Georgetown
University
who are definitely organized for the
purpose, who are of suitable char-
acter, and possess, or have reasonable
assurance of securing, the funds needed
for their support . . .
"6. The proper training of destitute chil-
dren being essential to the well-being
of the State. it is a sound public policy
that the State through its duly au-
thorized representative should inspect
the n'ork of all agencies which care
for dependent chi l dren, whether by
institutional or try homefinding meth-
ocls and x'hether supported by public
or pr i v at ef unds . . . . "
Other recommendations dealt with the im-
portance of educati onal opportuni ti es for the
destitute child, the importance of facts and
records to his care, the necessity for good
physical care and health measures, the neces-
sity for cooperation between child caring
agencies, the undesirableness of State legisla-
ti on that presented roadbl ocks to pl aci ng
chi l -
dren in homes, and the need for a permanent
voluntary organization devoted to the needs of
the dependent chi l d.
The last two recommendations submitted
to the Presi dent consi sted of an endorsement
of pendi ng l egi sl ati on for a Federal Chi l dren' s
Bureau and a cl ari on cal l that the needs of the
dependent chi l d shoul d be the cri teri a whi ch
govern hi s care:
"13. A bill is pending in Congress for the
establishment of a Federal Children's
Bureau to collect and disseminate in-
formation affecting the welfare of
children. In our judgment
the esrab-
lishment of such a bureau is desir-
able and we earnestly recommend
the enactment of the pending meas-
ure.
"14. The preceding suggestions may be
almost completely summarized in this
-that
the particular condition and
needs of eaih destitute child shoulcl
be carefully studied and that he
should receive that care and treat-
ment which his individual needs re-
quire, and which should be as nearly
as possible like the life of the other
children in the communitv."
On February 15, 1909, Presi dent Roose-
velt sent a lnessage to Congress in which he
declared that, "The interests of the nation are
i nvol ved i n the wel fare of thi s army of chi l dren
no l ess than i n our great materi al affai rs." He
urged the establishment of a Federal Children's
Bureau and l egi sl ati on for the Di stri ct of Co-
lumbia in accordance with the recommenda-
ti ons of the Conference.
Outcomes of tbe Conf erence
The 1909 White House Conference on the
Care of Dependent Chi l dren had far-reachi ng
effects on child care in the United States for
many decades.
The proposed Chi l dren' s Bureau became
a fact i n 1912, after a l ong and arduous cam-
pai gn conducted by the Nati onal Chi l d Labor
Commi ttee. The recommendati on for a vol un-
tary nati onal chi l d wel fare agency was real i zed
wi th the establ i shment of the Chi l d Wel fare
League of Ameri ca a few years l ater.
The strong decl arati on i n favor of the care
of chi l dren i n thei r own homes l ed to a move-
ment for mother' s pensi ons
whi ch swept the
country duri ng the next decade. The recommen-
dati on of fami l y care i nstead of i nsti tuti onal
care, when practi cabl e, for chi l dren necessari l y
removed from thei r own homes contri buted
greatl y
to the devel opment of adopti on agenci es
and sti l l more to the boardi ng-out care for chi l -
dren unavai l abl e for adopti on. The "cottage
pl an" i n pl ace of the congregate i nsti tuti on was
another devel opment that fol l orved i n the wake
of the Conference suggesti on.
Other recommendati ons deal i ng wi th such
subj ects as i ncorporati on of agenci es, i nspec-
ti on of them by the State, educati on and medi -
cal care of foster chi l dren, soci al i nvesti gati ons
and records, and the l i ke, ai ded substanti al l y i n
the devel opment of hi gher standards on the
part of the chi l d cari ng agenci es.
The Chi l dren' s Bureau, once i t was estab-
Ii shed, i ncl uded hi gh on i ts Ii st of pri ori ti es
the i nvesti gati ng and reporti ng on mother' s ai d
and foster care. Begi nni ng wi th i nsti tuti onal
care, the Bureau moved on to adopti on, i l l egi ti -
macy, and foster fami l y care.
Al l of these devel opments, however, were
the resul t of osmosi s rather than di rect fol l ow-
up by State and l ocal commi ttees, as was to
Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University
be the case for l ater Conferences. As far as
the record shows, the onl y di rect fol l owup of
the Conference was a l etter sent by Presi dent
Theodore Roosevelt to the Governors of the
vari ous States: "I hearti l y endorse the deci ara-
ti ons of the Conference and bespeak
your co-
operati on i n getti ng the same before the peopl e
of your State di rectl y i nterested i n the subj ect
matter thereof." Thi s di rect cal l i ng on State
Governors for acti on set a precedent for al l
later Conferences-although, in most instances,
the Presi dent' s cal l was i ssued as part of the
preparati on for the Conference rather than as
an afterrnath.
Nothi ng i n the 1909 Conference proceed-
i ngs suggested that a Whi te House Conference
on Chi l dren shoul d be cal l ed at 10-year i nter-
val s. That the second one was cal l ed-and the
pattern establ i shed-was due to Jul i a Lathrop,
the fi rst Chi ef of the Chi l dren' s Bureau.
were united in the effort to protect children
from the effects of the war.
The acti vi ti es of Chi l dren' s Year reached
out over the country to a degree enti rel y new
and greatl y strengthened nati onwi de under-
standi ng of the i mportance of chi l d wel fare as
a nati onal i ssue. It was, therefore, natural to
concl ude the
year by a summi ng up of nati onal
opi ni on on standards of chi l d wel fare.
In an effort to real i ze Presi dent Wi l son' s
hope, a Conference on Chi l d Wel fare Standards
was sponsored by the Chi l dren' s Bureau' i n
May, 1919.
Mi ss Lathrop descri bed the purpose of the
Conference as fol l ows:
"Fi rst, i t was fel t that the Chi l dren' s Bu-
reau as part of the Department of Labor-
a department concerned fundamentally
with the problems of human welfare as
exemplifred in the great mass of working
people of America which it represents-
had the responsibility of bringing together
and coordi nati ng opi ni on concerni ng the
wel fare of chi l dren i n the Uni ted States.
Second, the Conference seemed the most
di rect way of ful fi l l i ng the ai m of Chi l -
dren's Year, as expressed by the President,
'to
set up certain irreducible minimum
standards for the health, education, and
work of the American child.' Such stand-
ards. it was felt. should be considered not
as a goal, but as a suggested point of de-
partufe."
tVhite
House Conference on Child Welfare Standards (tltl)
In 1918, a great war had ended. Duri ng
the war, the Bureau had struggled to maintain
certai n basi c standards as to the heal th and
wel fare of chi l dren. To Jul i a Lathrop, i t seemed
the l ogi cal ti me to establ i sh these standards
on a fi rmel base.
It was duri ng the second year of Worl d
War I-i n Apri l 1918-that the U.S. Chi l -
dren' s Bureau, wi th the approval of Presi dent
\\roodror' ,' Wi i son,
procl ai med
"Chi l dren' s
{ss1"-i 1 campai gn desi gned to arouse the Na-
ti on to the i mportance of conservi ng chi l dhood
i n ti mes of nati onal peri l . The second Whi te
House Conference on Chi l dren t' as the cul mi na-
ti on of thi s campai gn. Funds for the Confer-
cnce came from an al l otment from Presi dent
Wi l son' s Emergency Fund.
Presi dent Wi l son i n maki ng the al l otment
for the campai gn decl ared that, "Next to the
duty of doi ng everythi ng possi bl e for the sol -
diers at the front, there could be, it seems to
me, no more patri oti c duty than that of pro-
tecti ng the chi l dren who consti tute one-thi rd
of our popul ati on." He al so expressed the hope
that the work sponsored i n the Chi l dren' s Year
campai gn mi ght so successful l y devel op as "to
set up certai n i rreduci bl e mi ni mum standards
for the heal th, educati on, and work of the
Ameri can chi l d."
The Women' s Commi ttee of the Counci l of
Nati onal Defense establ i shed a speci al chi l d
wel fare department whi ch organi zed 17,000
commi ttees. As a resul t, over 1,000,000 women
6
Provided by the Maternal and Chitd Health Library, Georgetown
University
A small number of foreign experts were
i nvi ted to attencl the 1919 Conference for the
i nsi ghts they coul d gi ve to new protecti ve meas-
ures f or chi l dl en growi ng' np t i ndel war condi -
ti ons. In adcl i ti on to forei gn guests, there were
some 2()0 Anrel i cans at the \\' zrshi ngt' on Con-
fsrgngs-ssci al norkers, pedi atri ci ans,
obste-
t ri ci ans, psychi at ri st s, publ i c heal t h nurses,
educat ors, economi st s,
j udges,
cl ub women.
Trvo theni es were cl osel y i ntenvoven
throughor,i t the Washi ngton Conference-the
necessi ty for more publ i c effort i n behal f of
chi l dren, anci the expendi ture of that effort i n
the l i ght of the i ndi vi dual characteri sti cs of
each chi l d anrl hi s fami l y. Whatever the phase
of the chi l d' s wel l -bei ng that was uncl er ci i s-
cussi on, the Conference frankl y demancl ecl or
bol dl y presupposed publ i c provi si on
of i nstruc-
ti on, servi ce, money, equi pment, or l egi sl ati ve
protecti on.
At t he t i me of t he \ \ ' : rshi net ()r]
(-l ouf et ' et rce,
Presi dent Wi l son was deepl y i nvol r.ecl i n hi s
effort to get the Senate to rati fv the treatl '
pt' ovi di ng
for the Uni ted States' parti ci pati on
i n the League of Nati ons and he was unabl e to
attend the Conference.
The smal l meeti ng of speci al i sts i n Wash-
i ngton was fol l owed by a seri es of 8 regi onal
conferences i n New York, Cl evel and, Boston,
Chi cago, Denver, Mi nneapol i s, San Franci sco
and Seattl e. These, i n turn, were fol l owed by a
number of smal l er conferences i n ci ti es and
States.
The regi onal conferences, extendi ng from
Boston to San Franci sco, resul ted i n broad di s-
cussi on and val uabl e cri ti ci sm of the standards
tentati vel y set up at the Washi ngton meeti ng.
The di scussi on at the regi onal conferences cen-
tered about four mai n topi cs: protecti on
of the
heal th of mothers and chi l dren, the economi c
and soci al basi s for chi l d wel fare standards,
chi l d l abor, and chi l dren i n need of speci al
care.
The di scussi ons of chi l d l abor, as wel l as
the economi c factors of chi l d wel fare, repeated-
Iy brought forth the statement that for the suc-
cessful reari ng and educati on of the chi l d, the
income of the father was of the utmost im-
portance.
On the i ssue of chi l dren i n need of spe-
ci al care, the experts attendi ng the regi onal
295 155 0- 68- 2
Provided by the Maternal and Child
meeti ngs arri ved at much the same concl usi ons
as di d the conferees i n Washi ngton about the
need for certai n basi c fundamental s-an ade-
quate fami l y i ncome, as few broken homes as
possi bl e, every effort to reconstruct the home
and to supervi se the chi l d i n hi s own home be-
fore resorting to remol'al from it, adequate op-
portuni ty for "educati on, recreati on, vocati on-
al preparati on for l i fe and for moral and
spi ri tual devel opment."
These mi ni mum standards, al though much
more general i n character, were very si mi l ar
to those recommended at the 1909 Whi te House
Conference. Duri ng the next decacl e, these
stancl ards were refl ected i n much of the l egi s-
l ati on passed by the States for the protecti on
of chi l dren.
Mi ni mum standards for the publ i c protec-
ti on of the heal th of mothers and chi l dren,
chi l cl ren enteri ng empl oyment, and chi l dren i n
need of speci al care were adopted by the Con-
ference. After consi derati on by the regi onal
conferences, these standards were revi sed by a
speci al commi ttee of fi ve.
Nl i ni mum standards as to chi l dren enter-
i ng empl oyment rvere consi derabl y i n advance
of the l egi sl ati on of the ti me. In the decades
thai l ol i orved, however, these standards had an
i mpol t ant beal i nl i on Federal and St at e ci ri l d
Itrbor l egi sl ati on.
But i t r,vas the standards on the protecti on
of mti terni ty and i nfancy that proved most i n-
fl uenti al . The di scussi ons at the Conference
and the mi ni mum standards i t supported for
the protecti on of materni ty and i nfancy repre-
sentecl the fi rst steps i n a nati onrvi de movement
that cr,rl mi nated i n the enactment of the Shep-
pard-Tor,vner Act passed by the Congress i n
1921. Under thi s l Vl aterni ty and Infancy Act,
the Federal Government contri buted to the de-
vel opment of faci l i ti es throughout the country
for the better protecti on of mothers and thei r
l i zrbi es. Ol i gi n:ri l v authori zed fot' a 5-r' etLt'
l reri -
od, i t was subsequentl y extended for 2 addi -
t i onal years-nnt i l June 30, \ 929, when i t
ceased t o operat e.
Upon the foundati on of the work under the
Sheppard-Towner Act was erected i n 1935 the
cooperati ve Federal -State program for mater-
nal and chi l d heal th nnder the Soci al Securi tv
Act .
Health Library, Georgetown University
$fhite House Conference on Child Health and Protection
(tro)
The thi rd Whi te House Conference found
the Uni ted States i n the mi dst of an i ndustri al
depressi on whose depth was bl eakness i tsel f
and whose end was shrouded i n the mystery of
the future. The ti mes were troubl ed, ways of
meeting the emergency were matters of con-
troversy, and chi l dren' s workers were over-
whel med by the sufferi ng among chi l dren and
t hei r f ami l i es.
In Jul y 1929, Presi dent Herbert Hoover
i ssued a cal l for a Whi te House Conference on
Chi l d Heal th and Protecti on, "to study the
present status of the heal th and wel l -bei ng of
the chi l dren i n the Uni ted States and i ts pos-
sessi ons: to report what i s bei ng done; to rec-
ommend what ought to be done and how to do
i t." The Presi dent al so set up a pl anni ng com-
mi ttee for the Conference made up of emi nent
physi ci ans, soci al workers, educators, and l ay-
men.
The Conference chai rman was Dr. Ray
Lyman Wi l bur, Secretary of the Interi or; i ts
di rector, H. E. Bernard. The Secretary of
Labor u' as vi ce chai rman, and the Chi ef of the
Chi l dren' s Bureau, Grace Abbott, was a mem-
ber of the pl anni ng
commi ttee and secretary
of the executi ve commi ttee.
A grant of
$500,000
made avai l abl e by the
Presi dent from certai n funds l eft over from the
European rel i ef funds of Worl d War I, gave
the 1930 Conference adequate resources for i ts
work.
The planning committee developed a corn-
mi ttee membershi p of approxi matel y 1,200 men
and women. The Conference was di vi ded i nto
four secti ons-msfl i s2l servi ce, publ i c heal th
servi ce and admi ni strati on, educati on and
trai ni ng, and handi capped chi l dren. These, i n
turn, were di vi ded i nto 17 di vi si ons, many of
whi ch were further subdi vi ded. A total of ap-
proxi matel y 138 commi ttee and subcommi ttee
chai rmen conducted the vari ous research and
study acti vi ti es, i n addi ti on to the offi cers of
each secti on and to careful l y sel ected research
assi stants.
On the eveni ng of November 19, the 1,200
8
and more del egates and 2,000 i nvi ted guests
came together i n the fi rst Conference sessi on.
T lce Conf erence opens
It r,l ' as Presi dent Hoover' ' s nteeti ng. Hi s ad-
dress reveal ed the Presi dent i n the l i ght whi ch
had endeared hi m to the Nati on duri ng the war.
Consci ousl y, or unconsci ousl y, i t was an emo-
ti onal appeal .
Onl y excerpts can be
gi ven here from the
Presi dent ' s speech:
"We
approach all problems of childhood
with affection. Theirs is the province of joy
and humor. They are the most wholesome
part of the race, the sweetest for they are
fresher from the hands of God.
rJ7himsical.
ingenious, mischievous, we live a life of
apprehension as to what their opinion may
be <if us; a life of defense against their
terrifying energy; we put them to bed
wi t h a sense of rel i ef and a l i ngeri ng of
devotion. S7e envy them the freshness of
adventure and discovery of life; we
mourn over the disappointments they will
me e t . . . .
"The
fundamental purpose of this confer-
ence is to ser forth an understanding of
those safeguards which will assure to them
health in mind and body. These are safe-
guards and services to children which can
be provided by the community, the State,
or the Nation-all of which are beyond
the reach of the individual parenr
"Indeed,
human progress marches only
when children excel their parents. In de-
mocracy our progress is the sum of prog-
ress of the individuals-that they each
individually achieve to the full capacity of
their abilities and character. Their varied
personalities musr be brought fully ro
bloom; they must not be mentally regi-
mented to a single mold or the qualities
of many will be stifled; the door of op-
portunity must be opened to each of them."
Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University
The 1930 Conference was able for the first
time to utilize the radio in bringing millions of
mothers and fathers within range of the open-
ing session. President Hoover in this address
referred to "these unseen millions listening in
their homes, who likewise are truly members
of the conference."
Tbe gist of tbe reports
The four sections of the Conference-medi-
cal serviee, public health service and adminis-
tration, education and training, and handi-
capped children-were composed of specialists
working in different fields but, with few ex-
ceptions, significantly similar threads were
woven into the patterns
of the reports pre-
sented. Among these were:
1. The importance of individual rather
than mass methods of dealing with
children, in homes, clinics, schools.
courts. and institutions.
2. The child himself, the total child, as
the unit for consideratioll-141hs1
than the child as a patient, a pupil, a
scholar, an athlete, or a "case."
3. The social aspects of the child's life.-
his home relationships and his rela-
tionships with those touching his life
outside the home-as being equally
important with his body and his mind
in building up his personality and
character.
4. The responsibility of society ro pro-
vide a sound economic and social basis
for family life and to conserve whole-
some family life by every means at its
command, whenever it is threatened
by national or individual disaster.
5. The need for bringing to parents the
mosr aurhentic information on child
care and training, and for a founda-
tion of all technical service to chil-
dren in the understanding, supporr,
and cooperation of individual fathers
and mothers.
6. The establishment of specialized serv-
ices upon the basis of adequare pro-
fessional preparation and skill, suffi-
ciently compensated and supported by
the public.
7. National, Stare, and local cooperation
in providing the information and the
services required for translating into
the lives of children the recommenda-
tions growing out of the conference.
8. The basic and transcendent importance
of child welfare work to the future of
the nation.
Some of these points
can be illustrated
further by examples drawn from the reports
and addresses.
The report of the Section on Education
and Trai ni ng stated: "Democracy demands uni -
versal education. Equality of opporbunity has
long been the ideal of the American child.
There is grave
danger, however, of confusing
equality of opportunity with the sarneness of
educational training. No other type of govern-
ment so much as democracy demands the adap-
tation of education to the individual differences
which characterize her children. The danger of
a dead l evel of medi ocri ty i s more grave
i n a
democracy than in any other form of govern-
ment. Therefore, the first cardinal principle
in
the education and training for a democratic
soci ety i s that each i ndi vi dual chi l d shoul d de-
velop to his highest possible
level of attain-
ment . . . . "
The same report also stated, "Among the
significant problems
in character development
i s the modern tendency toward speci al i zati on.
To the doctor the chi l d i s a typhoi d pati ent;
to
the pl ayground
supervi sor, a fi rst baseman;
to the teacher, a learner of arithmetic. At dif-
ferent times he may be different things to each
of these speci al i sts but too rarel y i s he a whol e
chi l d to any of them . . . ."
The recommendations referring to child
l abor decl ared: "Chi l d l abor must wai t upon
chi l d rvel fare. No economi c need i n prosperous
America can be urged as
justification
for rob-
bi ng a chi l d of hi s chi l dhood."
In presenting
the reporb of the Committee
on Del i nquency, Dr. James S. Pl ant sai d: "The
i ndi vi dual del i nquent i s not si mpl y a chi l d sur-
rounded by a fami l y, surrounded by a school ,
surrounded by an i rrdustry, but the chi l d' s
parents,
hi s teachers, hi s empl oyer, through
Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University
thei r l ongi ngs, through thei r cravi ngs, through
thei r desi res, i nextri cabl y weave themsel ves
i nto the chi l d' s l i fe . . . ."
The report of the Committee on the Physi-
cal l y and Mental l y Handi capped decl ared: "If
we want civilization to march forward it will
march not onl y on the feet of heal thy chi l dren,
but besi de them, shoul der to shoul der, must go
those .others-those chi l dren we have cal i eci
' handi capped' -the
l ame ones, the bl i nd, the
deaf, and those si ck i n body:rnd mi nd. Ai l ti rese
chi l dren are ready to be enl i sted i n thi s movi ng
army, ready to make thei r contri buti on to hu-
man progress; to bri ng rvhat they have of
i ntel l i gence, of capaci ty, of spi ri tual beauty.
Ameri can ci vi l i zati on cannot i gnot' e them.
"The handi capped chi l d has a ri ght:
1. To as vigorous a body as httman skill
can give him.
2. To an education so adaPted to his
handicap that he can be economically
independent and have the chance for
the fullest life of which he is capable.
3. To be brought uP and educated bY
those who understand the nature of
the burden he has to bear and who
consider it a privilege to help him bear
i t'
4. To grow up in a world which does
not set him apart, which looks at him,
not with scorn or pity or ridicule-
but which welcomes him, exactlY as
it welcomes every child, which offers
him identical priviieges and identical
responsi bi l i ti es.
5. To a l i fe i n whi ch hi s handi cap casts
no shadow, but which is full day by
day with those things which make it
worthwhile, with comradeship, love,
work, play, laughter and tears-a life
in which these things bring continu-
ally increasing growth, richness, re-
lease of energies, joy in achievement."
Perhaps the most significant considera-
tions of the Confersngs-rnsfle doubly so by
the condi ti ons i n whi ch the Uni ted States
found i tsel f due to the drought and the i ndus-
trial depressi6n-rvgre those dealing u'ith the
economi c aspects of fami l y l i fe.
10
In his address, James J. Davis, the Sec-
retary of Labor, in speaking of these circum-
stances said, "No item is more important to
the chi l d or contri butes more to our nati onal
welfare than the uninterrupted employment of
American fathers at a wage which will provide
security and a reasonable standard of living for
thei r fami l i es. No one woul d say that thi s i s
an easy
problem to solve, but, with President
Iloover, I believe that a way must be found to
prevent these cycles of industrial depression
and provide adequate wages for American
workmen ! "
Low wages, unernplo;rment, preventable
acci dents were among the causes of dependence,
Grace Abbott, second Chi ef of the Chi l dren' s
Buretru, tol d the 1930 \Vhi te House Conference
Commi ttee on Dependency and Negl ect. Now,
as i n previ ous peri ods of i ndustri al depressi on,
the permanent burden had fal l en upon the
backs of l i ttl e chi l dren. "It i s no
gl ory I am
sure to anybody here to be told that this un-
employment from which we are now suffering
i s worl d-wi de. We don' t sl eep any better know-
ing that children the rvorld around are suffer-
i ng toni ght because of unempl oy' rnent."
Then she went on to describe the effects
on chi l dren of the depri vati ons
growi ng out of
the depressi on. She sai d, "What does i t do to
chi l dren? It, of col l rse, sends them i nto man-
hood and rvomanhood more subject to tuber-
cul osi s, more subj ect to di sease than they other-
wi se woul cl be; but i t al so does sornethi ng to
them that I shal l l eave to our fri ends, the
psy-
chi atri sts, to expl ai n when they l i ve day by
day without knowing what tomorrow is to
bri ng forth. Chi l dren need not onl y food and
a comfortable home, but they need above all
t hi ngs sec ur i t y. . . . "
T be Cbildren' s Cbarter
The Children's Charter endorsed by the
Conference contained 19 statements as to what
every child needs for his education, health, wel-
fare, and protection. It expressed the aspira-
tions of the Nation for its children in words
that are sti l l vi brant and ful l of meani ng. No
other declaration as to the rights of children
has had such accl ai m or been so wi del y di s-
tri buted i n thi s country attd abroad.
This statement of the fundamental rights
h
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University
of i he chi l d i s excerated here:
THE CHILDREN'S CHARTER
President Hoooer's Whi.te House Conlerence
on Cbild Healtb ancl Protection, recog-
nizing tbe rigbts ol tbe cbild as tbe
first
rigbts of citizensbip, pledges
itsell to tbese aims
for
tbe
Cbildren of America
I. For every child spiritual and moral train-
ing to help him to stand flrm under the
pressure of life.
II. For every child understanding and the
guarding of his personality as his rnost
precious right.
IIL FoT every child a home and that love and
security which a home provides; and for the
child who must receive foster care, the
nearest substitute for his own home.
IV. For every child full preparation for his
birth, his mother receiving prenatal, natal,
and postnatal care; and the establishment of
such protecti ve measures as wi l l make chi l d-
bearing safer.
V. For every child health protection from birth
through adolescence, including: periodical
examinations and. where needed. care of
specialists and hospital treatment
VI. For every child from birth through adoles-
cence, promotion of health, including
heal th i nstructi on and a heal th program,
whol esome physi cal and mental recreati on,
with teachers and leaders adequately
trai ned.
VII. For every child a dwelling place safe,
sanitary, and wholesome, with reasonable
provisions for privacy, free from conditions
whi ch tend to thwart hi s devel opment; and
a home envi ronment harmoni ous and en-
riching.
VIII. For every chi l d a school whi ch i s safe
from hazards, sanitary, properly equipped,
l i ghted, and venti l ated. For younger chi l -
dren nursery school s and ki ndergartens to
supplement home care.
IX. For every child a community which recog-
ni zes and pl ans for hi s needs, protects hi m
against physical dangers, moral hazards,
and disease . . . and makes provision for his
cul tural and soci al needs,
X. For every child an education which,
through the discovery and development of
hi s i ndi vi dual abi l i ti es, prepares hi m for
Ii fe; and through trai ni ng and vocati onal
guidance prepares him for a living which
wi l l yi el d hi m the maxi mum of sati sfac-
tion.
XI. For every chi l d such teachi ng and trai ni ng
as will prepare him for successful parent-
hood, homemaking, and the righrs of citi-
zenship; and, for parents, supplementary
trai ni ng to fi t them to deal wi sel y wi th the
problems of parenthood.
XII. For every chi l d educati on for safety ahd
protection against accidents to which
modern condi ti ons subj ect hi m . . . .
XIII. For every chi l d who i s bl i nd, deaf, cri ppl ed,
or otherwise physically handicapped, and
for the child who is mentally handicapped,
such measures as wi l l earl y di scover and
diagnose his handicap, provide care and
treatment, and so trai n hi m that he may
become an asset to society rather than a
l i abi l i t y . . . .
XIV. For every chi l d who i s i n confl i ct wi th so-
ci ety the ri ght to be deal t wi th i ntel l i gentl y
as society's charge, not society's outcast . . . .
XV. For every chi l d the ri ght to grow up i n a
family v.ith an adequate standard of living
and the security of a stable income as the
surest safeguard agai nst soci al handi caps.
XVI. For every child protection against labor
that stunts growth, ei ther physi cal or rnen-
tal , that Ii mi ts educati on, that depri ves
chi l dren of the ri ghts of comradeshi p, of
pl ay, and of j oy.
XVII. For everv rural chi l d as sati sfactory school -
i ng and heal th servi ces as for the ci ty chi l d,
and an extensi on . . . of soci al , recreati onal ,
and cul tural faci l i ti es.
XVIII. To suppl ement the home and the school i n
the trai ni ng of youth . . every sti mul ati on
and encouragement should be given to the
extensi on and devel opment of the vol untary
l out h
or gani zat i ons.
Xl X. To make everywhere avai l abl e these mi ni -
mum protecti ons of the heal th and wel fare
Provided by the Maternal and Chitd Health Library, Georgetown
University
11
of children, there should be a district,
county, or community organization for
health, education, and welfare . . .
For EVERY cbild. tbese rigbts, regard.less of race,
or color, or situation, utbereoer be ncay lioe under
tbe protection of tbe American
flag.
The Children's Charter served-and today
continues to serve-as an extremely useful
guide to the people of the United States con-
cerned with the well-being of children.
Outcome of the Conf erence
Followup programs were organized in
many States. Frequently they represented the
first statewide attempt to bring together the
various professional groups
and agencies to
revi ew chi l dren' s needs and
' i mprove
servi ces.
One of the outstanding results of the Con-
ference was a great advance in the field of
pediatrics and pediatric
education. Conference
findings and recommendations served as a base
for the chi l dren' s measures under the Soci al
Securi t y Act (1935).
The 32 volumes of Conference findings ap-
peared over a period of several years and were
representative of an era of detailed factfinding
and report making. But to condense or coordi-
nate these flndings into a composite whole or
to convert them into a program of action for
chi l dren was al most i mpossi bl e. Perhaps such
a program could not have survived even if it
had existed-the Conference was held at the
beginning of the depression-a depression that
steadily deepened and became more bewilder-
i ng duri ng the years i n the course of whi ch
the final volumes of the report appeared.
marized the task which faced the Conference
by sayi ng:
"No matter what the storms, no matter
what the stresses, no matter what the world
problems are, both economic and social
problems, it is our intent and purpos to
keep our minds frrmly fixed upon the wel-
fare of our children and to promote that
welfare under all conditions, recognizing
that they are the vitality . . . of this great
experiment which we are making on this
continent.
"One of our problems in this, as well as
in every other Nation, is how to make it
possible for the children who are the fu-
ture generation to partake of the best that
the Nation is able to give, while they are
in the formative stage, while their health
is being built up. This Conference has
brought in people of many backgrounds,
people with many points of view, people
with a great variety of expert knowl-
edge . . "
l
White House Conference on Children in a Demo$^cy (I94o)
The fourfh White House Conference on
Chi l dren was concerned wi th al l chi l dren, not
merely with those handicapped by circum-
stance. This was a major development-and a
significant one for the future.
The base l i ne for the Whi te House Con-
ference on Children in a Democracy was family
and communi ty l i fe. Its speci fi c purpose was
to develop a frame of reference for equipping
Ameri can chi l dren "for the successful prac-
ti ce of democracy."
In mi d-January 1940, approxi matel y 700
men and women
gathered in Washington to
exami ne i n detai l the state of chi l d l i fe i n the
United States, the forces that shape it, and the
condi ti ons requi si te to heal th and opporbuni ty
for al l chi l dren.
A few scattered young people sat in with
the group as observers and commentators.
They were the vanguard of the great numbers
of youth who were to take thei r pl ace i n the
1950 and 1960 Conf erences.
Secretary of Labor Frances Perki ns sum-
12
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University
The keynote of the Conference was struck
by the often repeated phrase,
"Our concern is
every child."
The content of the report sent to members
prior
to the Conference considered the major
factors affecting children in the United States,
including the characteristics of American
family life, incomes of families, their dwell-
i ngs, and thei r assi stance i n ti mes of need;
educati on; chi l dren wi th speci al needs; and ad-
ministrative factors and finance affecting pub-
l i c acti on.
Throughout the report, recommendations
for further study, for strengthening person-
nel and trai ni ng standards, for fi nanci al assi s-
tance, and for administrative improvements
were recurring themes.
But the fundamental question
still re-
mai ned, "Can a free peopl e
rear chi l dren who
wi l l become responsi bl e ci ti zens i n a democ-
racy? Can they rear chi l dren who, i n thei r
turn, wi l l mai ntai n and cheri sh thei r freedom?,,
El i zabeth Chri stman of the Nati onal
Women's Trade Union League, a member of
the report committee, in her discussion of the
reporb at the opening session spoke for an
adequate wage for the breadwinner as the key
to the x' el fare of the chi l d: "The democl ati c
way of l i fe means economi c freedom to enj oy
i ts l ess tangi bl e bl essi ngs."
Dr. C. E. A. Wi nsl ow of Yal e Uni versi ty,
speaki ng as a "publ i c heal th man," poi nted
out
that the National Health Survey had made it
"abundantly" clear that "as one goes
down the
economi c scal e, si ckness i ncreases and medi cal
care decl i nes . . i t wi l l be very bad economy
to save money at the cost of the mi nds and the
bodi es of the chi l dren of thi s country. We can-
not afford to let things rest as they are."
Fl oyd W. Reeves, Di rector of the Ameri -
can Youth Commi ssi on, bel i eved that the
Uni ted States shoul d not be content to l et edu-
cati onal opportuni ty hi nge on economi cs: "\\/e
cannot assure educati on for young peopl e
be-
yond the compul sory age merel y by provi di ng
faci l i ti es. It must be made possi bl e
for them
to use those faci l i ti es."
W. R. Ogg, Di rector of Research, Ameri -
can Farrn Bureau Federati on, stressed the sec-
ti ons of the report that woul d i nsure equal op-
portuni tv
for al l chi l dren: "We tal k about
conservati on of soi l . water. forest. and so on.
but what about the conservation of th: greatest
of al l our resources-chi l dren? . Certai nl y
they are worth spending tax revenue to im-
prove
and expand educati onal faci l i ti es, medi -
cal and health facilities, and other vital child
wel fare servi ces."
A youthful mother of six claimed the
right to speak as a parent, not as an otganiza-
ti on or a "cause." She asked the Conference
to realize that the tangibles proposed in the
report were not enough to make the American
way of l i fe. "We want for our chi l dren the hi gh
adventure of pushing
out the boundaries of
brotherhood. So, we ask you to see that these
vari ous proposal s
i mpl y our democrati c fai th
i n the val ue of every i ndi vi dual , hi s ri ght to
the opportunity of development, his ability to
work with his fellows and his willingness to
pay
the pri ce
of l i berty by assumi ng respon-
si bi l i ty. Thi s fai th we must transmi t to our
chi l dren, i n the onl y way that can gi ve i t
val i di ty. We must l i ve i t oursel ves."
At the cl ose of the fi rst sessi on, the Con-
ference broke up i nto groups
to di scuss vari -
ous aspects of the report. In al l of these groups,
di scussi on was l i vel y and oftenti mes heated.
Some hewed to the l i ne of fundamental s.
Others l ost themsel ves i n debates over phrase-
ol ogy. Some battl ed over i ssues and pol i ci es.
Some thought the prel i mi nary
reports showed
too l i ttl e recogni ti on of l i -hat had been accom-
pl i shed;
some, that they fai l ed to poi nt
to ne$'
and fresh ways of meeti ng chi l dren' s needs. For
the most part,
the reports u' ere not modi fi ed
greatl y i n terms of content or approach when
they rvent back to the commi ttee.
The outstandi ng vi rtue of the Conference
report as i t was fi nal l y accepted by the Con-
ference was that it brought together a great
mass of facts about the "growi ng" condi ti ons
of Ameri can chi l dren. However, the report pre-
sented statements of pri nci pl e rather than a
program
of acti on. Perhaps thi s accounts more
than anythi ng el se for i ts Iack of i mpact on
acti on groups.
T be report is presented to
tbe President
On the eveni ng of the second day, Presi -
dent Frankl i n D. Roosevel t accented the re-
Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University
13
port of t he Conf erence. The Presi dent sai d:
"Last April when this Conference first met,
I asked you to consider two things: First
how a democracy can best serve its chil-
dren; and, the corollary, how children can
best be helped to grow into the kind of
citizens who will know how to preserve
and perfect our democracy.
"Since that time-since last April-a suc-
cession of world events has shown us that
our democracy must be strengthened at
every point of strain or weakness. All
Americans want this country to be a place
where children can live in safety and gro*,
i n underst andi ng of t he part t hey are goi ng
to play in the future of our American
Nat i on
"You have charted a course, a course
for 10 years to come. Nevertheless, the
steps that we take now, in this year of
194O, are going to determine how far we
can go t omorrow, and i n what di rect i on.
"I believe with you that if an' ' where in
the country any child lacks opportunity for
home life, for health protection, for edu-
cation, for moral or spiritual development,
the strength of the Nation and its ability
to cherish and advance the principles of
democracy are thereby weakened."
The last session of the Conference was
devoted to consi derati on of what the Confer-
ence members coul d do to keep the report from
sl i di ng i nto obl i vi on. Mrs. El eanor Roosevel t
ul ged cach membel of the Conference to
take a personai responsi bi l i ty for carryi ng
back home the i deas embodi ed i n the report
and, by usi ng the report as a frame of refer-
ence, to study how hi s own communi ty coul d
i mprove i ts servi ces for chi l dren.
Homer Fol ks, who had taken an acti ve
part i n the thl ce
l rrevi ous
\Vi ri te House
Conferences, expressed much the same vi ew
when he sai d, "One other group must be fol -
l owed up, perhaps the most i mportant and pos-
si bl y the most di {l i cul t, namel y, oursel ves
Under the pressure of our nsual conti nu-
i ng i nterests, are we not l i kel y to l ose si ght of
the l ogi cal i mpl i cati ons of what we have done
here ? We must organi ze procedures
by whi ch
we may fol l owup even oursel ves, l est we for-
get."
I 4
A cal l to acti on
The "Cal l To Acti on" at the end of the
Conference was the dramati c hi shl i ght of the
Conf erence. I t decl ared:
"This Conference is convinced that the
recommendations submitted on this report
are essent i al t o t he wel l -bei ng of t he chi l -
dren of t he Uni t ed St at es. Many can be
put into effect in the near future but the
Conf erence has not l i mi t ed i t sel f t o mat -
t ers suscept i bl e t o i mmedi at e act i on
Thi s i s a program f or 10 years, and some
of i t f or a l onger peri od The Con-
ference believes that its proposals are well
s' i t hi n t he capaci t i es of t he Ameri can peo-
pl e and t hat t he economi c wel l -bei ng of
t he count rl ' wi l l be enhanced. What t he
American people wish to do they can do.
"' Somewhere
wi t hi n t hese Uni t ed St at es,
' w' i t hi n
t he past f ew years, was born a chi l d
v' ho will be elected in 1980 to the most
responsible office in the world, the Presi-
dency of the United States,' said Homer
Folks at the first session of the Conference.
' We
cannot guess hi s name or whereabout s.
He may come from any place and from any
social or economic
{aroup.
He may now be
in the home of a soft-coal miner. or in the
f ami l y of a sharecropper, or qui t e possi bl y
in the home of the unemployed . . or he
may be surrounded with every facility, con-
venience, and protection which money can
bry.
"' I f we coul d unrol l t he scrol l of t he f u-
ture enough to learn his name and where-
abouts, how many things we would wish
t o have done f or hi m, how caref ul l y we
would wish to guard his healthy growth,
h i s s u r r o u n d i n g s . , . . '
"\ What we mi ght wi sh t o do f or t hat un-
known child . . . we must be ready to do
for every child, so that he may be ready to
l i ve a f ul l l i f e, sat i sf yi ng t o hi msel f and
usef ul t o hi s communi t y and Nat i on.
"Thi s
document i s a cal l t o act i on: t o do
now those things that can be done now and
to plan those that must be left for to-
morfow , , .
"The
Vhite House Conference on Children
in a Democracy holds these to be the con-
victions of the American people:
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University
"That democracy can flourish only as citi-
zens have f ai t h i n t he i nt egri t y of t hei r
fellow men ancl capacity to cooperate with
t hem i n advanci ng t he end of personal and
soci al l i vi ng.
"That such faith and such capacity can best
be established in childhood and within the
family circle. Here the child should find
affection which gives self-confdence, com-
munity of interest which induces coopera-
tion, ethical values which influence con-
duct . . "
Recommendati ons
The di scussi ons at the Conference resul ted
eventual l y i n 98 recommendati ons-recom-
mendati ons that formed a program to be i ni -
ti ated, not i n 1 year, but duri ng the next 10
years:
They deal t wi th al l phases
of chi l d l i fe i n
al l paCs of Ameri ca.
They were based whol l y and soundl y on
actual experi ence.
"fhey
were framed with due regard to the
resources of the country.
They di d not cal l for revol uti onary
changts i n zrnl ' present acti vi ti es foi ' chi l dr.en,
br"rt rather suppl ementi ng, strengtheni ng, and
revi si ng these acti vi ti es so as to real i ze thei r
purposes more compl etel y.
They recogni zed the i ncreasi ng rol e i n
chi l d rvel fare of governmsnf-l ogal ,
State, and
Federal -but urged the retenti on and devel op-
ment of vol untary agenci es i n those fi el ds i n
r,vhich they coulcl be effective.
Few i f any of the recommendati ons cal l ed
for measures that were new. They were chi efl y
expansi ons and i mprovements.
Followup
Nati onal l y, the pl an
fi nal l y adopted pro-
posed the creati on of both a nongovernmental
Nati onal Ci ti zens' Commi ttee, to whi ch re-
sponsi bi l i ty woul d be
gi ven
for l eadershi p i n
the fol i owup program,
and a Federal Inter-
agency Commi ttee.
The Nati onal Ci ti zens' Commi ttee-com-
pl eted
by June 1940 and compri si ng 25 mem-
bers-undertook to sti mul ate the i nterest of
some groups i n each State to study the recom-
mendations of the Conference in relation to
si tuati ons surroundi ng the State' s own chi l -
dren, to di scover what needed to be done for
their protection and advancement, and to initi-
ate measures which would be of benefit to them.
Twenty such State committees were estab-
lished. These committees were organized with
the "official sanction" of the Governors or as
voi untary groups.
They represented a wi de
range of peopl e concerned wi th the wel l -bei ng
of chi l dren. In addi ti on, 20 nati onal organi za-
ti ons pl anned programs desi gned to fol l ow up
on Conference recommendati ons.
Shoftly after the Conference, many of
these commi ttees sponsored statewi de or re-
gi onal meeti ngs. In some States, l ocal com-
mi ttees were organi zed.
Both the nati onal and State commi ttees
rvere al most at once engul fed i n consi derati ons
of nati onal defense and l ater i n warti me ac-
ti vi ti es. Gradual l y, the 1940 Whi te House Con-
ference fol l owup, for the most part, Iost i ts
i denti ty. But a new pattern for fol l owup had
been established-and this patter"n was to be
fol l owed i n al l subsequent conferences.
The Federal Interagency Commi ttee, corn-
posed
of representati ves of 30 Federal agen-
ci es, was organi zed i n March 1940 for the pur-
pose of coordi nati ng the u' ork of Federai
Departments i n cooperati on wi th the Nati onal
Ci ti zens' Commi ttee and State and l ocal fol -
l ol vup programs.
Wi thi n the next decade, three formal or-
gani zati ons
concerned l vi th chi l dren and youth
u-ere establ i shed and have conti nued i n exi s-
tence to the present. The fi rst was the Inter-
departmental Commi ttee on Chi l dren and
Youth whi ch was formed at the request of
Presi dent Harry S. Truman i n Ma1' 1948 for
several
l l ul poses,
one of whi ch l l ' as to ":tssi st
the Chi l dren' s Bureau i n l ayi ng the groundu' orh
for the 1950 Whi te I{ouse Conference." Wi th the
Admi ni strator of the Federal Securi ty Agency
as Chai rman, t he Chi ef of t he Chi l dren' s Bu-
reau as Vi ce-Chai rman, and the Chi l dren' s Bu-
reau provi di ng the secretari at, the Commi ttee
began to pl an, r' i th vztri ous nati onal . State, and
Iocal groups, for the next Conference. In addi -
ti on, Bureau staff provi ded consul tati on and
assi stance to State Commi ttees for Chi l dren
and Youth whrch l equested them.
The other two organizations, those known
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University
t 5
today as the Counci l of Nati onal Organi zati ons
for Chi l dren and Youth (offi ci al l y desi gnated
i n 1953) and the Nati onal Counci l of State
Commi ttees for Chi l dren and Youth (known
as the Nati onal Advi sorv Counci l on State and
The Mi dcentury Whi te House Conference
on Chi l dren and Youth whi ch met i n Washi ng-
ton i n December 1950 u-as a maj ol step toward
a nati onu' i de effort to deal
-' vi tl t
one of the most
i mportant probl ems of the decade: How can
rve devel op i n chi l dren the mental , emoti onal ,
and spi ri tual qual i ti es essenti al to i ndi vi dual
happi ness and responsi bl e ci ti zenshi p ? What
physical, emotrona\, and social conditions are
necessary to thi s devel opment?
No earl i er Conference had brought to-
gether so great a vari ety of ci ti zen i nterest and
experi ence. None had had such a l ow average
age, for 500 of the 4,800 del egates u,ere undct'
2L.
The Conference was supported pri mari l y
by vol untary funds. Congress appropri ated a
total of
$150,000
over a 2-year peri od, u.l .ri l e
the bal ance of the
$413,000
budget was se-
cured from vol untary sources.
Worki ng as members of Conference com-
mi ttees, cooperati ng agenci es, or on State and
l ocal commi ttees or youth commi ssi ons, for
more than 2
Srears,
State and local delegates
gathered facts about chi l dren' s needs, sur-
veyed l ocal condi ti ons, pul l ed together avai l -
abl e knowl edge, and otherwi se contri buted to
the store of wri tten materi al bei ng assembl ed
i n preparati on for the Conference.
Every State and Terri tory and 1,000
counti es had these commi ttees. Over 100,000
ci ti zens contri buted to thei r work. Thi rty-seven
nni ts of the Federal Government had pul l ed to-
gether
a pi cture of thei r servi ces for chi l dren.
Researchers and students from over 150 uni -
r6
Midcentury
\White
House Conference
on Children and Youth (1950)
Local Acti on unti l 1956), were outgrowths of
the advi sory counci l s establ i shed by the Na-
ti onai Commi ttee i n 1949 to prepare for the
Mi dcentury Whi te House Conference.
versi ti es, foundati ons, and other centers hel ped
i n surveyi ng the present knowl edge of what
contri butes to heal thy personal i ty devel opment
and how i t i s achi eved.
In December 1950, armed wi th four
pri nted documents representi ng a s1' nthesi s of
thi s accumul ati on, the del egates arri ved at the
Nati on' s capi tal to prepare a "pl atform" for
meeting the problems
which prevent
children
and young peopl e from achi evi ng heal thy per-
sonal i ti es. Stunned by the tragi c turn of events
i n Korea, they faced the gri m real i zati on that
nothi ng they coul d say or do woul d be of any
val ue to the Nati on' s young unl ess i t hel ped
them devel op the ki nd of personal i ty
that coul d
wi thstand tensi on and adversi tv.
T he Conf ere',tce gets underLucty
Here, no attempt v' i l l be made to gi ve a
compl ete account of the Conference. The em-
phasi s wi l l be on hi ghl i ghts and on fl avor.
Presi dent Tl nman set the grave tone of the
Conference rvhen he u' arned the members that
the Nzrti on faces "the greatest chal l enge i n our
hi storl ..
"
"We
cannot i nsul at e our chi l dren f rom t he
uncert ai nt i es of t he worl d i n whi ch we l i ve
or from the impact of the problems which
confront us all. What we can dc>-and must
do-is to equip them to meet these prob-
l ems, t o do t hei r part i n t he t ot al ef f ort ,
and to build up those inner resources of
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University
character which are the main strength of
the American people."
During the Conference, a few dignitaries
spoke, inspiringly and informatively, at gen_
eral sessions and in the 81 panel
meetings.
But these only set the stage for Bg workshops
and one great
"town meeting', where every one
of the official delegates had a chance, and
seemed to take it, of hammering out the 6Z
recommendations
to be presented
to the Nation.
The Conference also adopted a
pledge
,o Cbit-
dren (p. 20).
Oscar R. Ewing, Federal Security Ad-
ministrator and chairman of the Conference's
National Committee, stated the purposes of tbe
Conference:
"\We aim to further the development of a
healthy personality, through the contribu-
tions of family life, the church, the school,
health services, social services, vocational
guidance, and placement services. $/e are
exploring, at the same time, economic
forces; working conditions; leisure time;
and the influence of the law. the courts. and
the protective services.
"'We
aim to further healthy personality
development of children in special situa-
tions-children in families with inadeauare
i ncome; chi l dren wi th part-ti -" pur.rrtr;
children on rhe move; children with severe
mental and physical limitations; children
with serious emotional disorders; and chil-
dren who rebel.
"$/e
aim, finally, to determine how a com-
munity can assess what needs to be done in
planning creatively for young people . . .
and how best to implement the recom-
mendations and findings that come out of
this conference."
Major responsibility for nurturing healthy
personality
development, the conferees general-
ly agreed, rests with the parents.
parents
are
the most i mportant i nfl uence i n thei r chi l cl ren,s
lives-but they are not to blame for ever;'thing
that goes
wrong. "If chi l dren know they are
fundamental l y l i ked, accepted, and bel i eved i n,
they can stand the mistakes their parents
in-
evi tabl y make."
Opinion was unanimous as to the impor-
Provided by the Maternal and Child
tance of love in the child's early life. If a child
has "a
pair
of good parents
who love him
trul y," mai ntai ned Dr. Benj arni n Spock,
,,he
can put
up with a lot of other deprivations.',
AII i nsti tuti ons and i ndi vi dual s touchi ng
the lives of children and youth,
it was stressed
over and over again, have a part
to play in the
great
task of creating an environment in which
healthy personality
has a chance to bloom.
This calls for more and better trained pro-
fessional workers-workers
trained not merely
in their own specialty but also in an under-
standing of how the normal child grows
in
heal thy personal i ty.
Since tbis utas d.emocracy in action, there ttere
bound to be contuoaer5is5-uniysr.sst
military
training, publicly
supported nursery schools,
Federal ai d to educati on, and di sabi l i ty i nsur-
ance, to name a few, provoking
the most pas-
sionate arguments. None, however, disrupted
the apparently universal agreement that the
child should be regarded as a whole rather than
treated in segments.
All tbrougb ,he discussions of cbild grotttb
came uarnings against sca.ting
J)oung
parents roith
sci.entific tbeories. This in fact seemed to be one
of the Conference's own conflicts: how to
spread far and wide the knowledge of the basic
tenets of mental health and good
child care
without burdening parents
with a sense of
anxiety and guilt.
More and earlier parent
educati on was urged as a necessi ty, but a
woman i n one of the workshops compl ai ned:
"Mothers are not ready for all the psychology
and psychiatry
they're expected to practice
on
thei r chi l dren. There' s no stabi l i ty i n us. We
j ump
from one feel i ng to another and end up
feel i ng compl etel y i nadequate.,,
Tbe basic points
wbi.cb emergecl
from
tbe six
uorksbops concernecl taitb the aarious pbases of
cbilcl deoelopment were summ arized, by a
joint
commi t t ee as:
The changing needs of each child depend
on hi s i ndi vi dual i ty, hi s envi ronmenr, and
particularly his relationship to his parents.
The feelings for children on the part of
parents and professional people are more
important than the techniques they use.
Attitudes in giving advice are more im-
portant than the advice given.
Health Library, Georgetown University
t 7
Both boys and girls need to be close to men
and women for good emotional develop-
ment.
A general healthy personality is not estab-
lished once and for all at any age period,
but can be strengthened or weakened at
any stage in life.
The experts at the Conference were aware
that our present knotuled.ge of cbild.ren's need.s is
lar front
definitioe. Among those who called for
an interdisciplinary attack in carrying on more
research was Leonard Mayo, vice-chairman of
the Conference's National Committee.
Some of the bl ocks standi ng i n the way of
intelligent application of this knowledge were
identified as: a failure to test theories suffi-
ci entl y; i nadequate col l ati on of the resul ts of
research; the personality factor-"if the truth
hurts in the psychological sense we do not set
upon i t readi l y."
"Though our knowl edge i s i ncompl ete i n
most aspects of personal i ty devel opment," the
conferees agreed, "there i s pl enty of knowl edge
to do an i nfi ni tel y better
j ob
than i s bei ng done
today." The "most obvi ous and i mmedi ate
needs" l vere: more and earl i er hel p for emo-
ti onal l y negl ected chi l dren and i mprovement
of the school s.
A pai r of l ovi ng parents-offeri ng a "wel l -
ronnded, easygoi ng ki nd of l syg"-1vss 5ssn
as the one essenti al for every chi l d under 6.
The school -aged chi l d, too, was bei ng
deni ed opportuni ti es for heal thy growth. "Our
school s are too few and too crowded, the equi p-
ment i s anti quated, the teachers are too few
and many of them i nadequatel y trai ned, or
temperamental l y unsui ted to thei r rvot' k, the
programs-often at communi ty i nsi stence-are
more concerned wi th the three R' s than i n hel p-
i ng chi l dren devel op thei r potenti al i ti es, and
the proporti on of nati onal i ncome
goi ng to
publ i c educati on i s fal l i ng."
Adol escents are al so short-changed by our
educati onal system, the conferees agreed, for
they are deni ed "an adequate sense of accept-
ance i nto the grown-up worl d and of di eni fi ed
parti ci pati on i n i t."
The most vi vi d i ndi ctment agai nst school s
for the unreal i ty of thei r programs came from
Al l i son Davi s of the Uni versi ty of Chi cago.
18
"The vast store of ability in millions of
chi l dren i n the l ower soci oeconomi c groups i s
l argel y wasted because thei r teachers do not
understand the basi c cul tural habi ts of the
l vorki ng groups," Professor Davi s charged.
Professor Davi s tol d of studi es carri ed on
by social anthropologists showing that be-
havi or frowned on as "del i nquent" by "mi d-
dl e cl ass teachers, cl i ni ci ans, and psychi atri sts"
i s i n sl um chi l dren often a perfectl y real i sti c,
adapti ve, and soci al l y acceptabl e response to
real i ty.
Among the sad resul ts of thi s mi sunder-
standi ng of soci oeconomi c di fferences are "an
rrnreal i sti c and extremel y uni nteresti ng cur-
ri cul nm" and "cul tural l y bi ased" i ntel l i gence
t est s.
Discussion of leisure-time actioi.ties brougbt
out tbeir potentialities as educational
forces,
as well
as the opportuni ti es they provi de for pl ay and
sel f-expressi on. There seemed to be
general
agreement that adul ts shoul d "recogni ze and
devel op the trai ts acq-.ri red through l ei sure
rvhi ch l ead to heal thi er chi l dren-physi cal l y,
emoti onal l y, mental l y and spi ri tual l y." Other
del egates saw recreati on as provi di ng a means
of escape, a method for expressi ng i nner feel -
i ngs, devel opment of soci al attri butes, experi -
ence i n group cooperati on.
Hou to close tbe gap betuteen knouleclge and.
application in tbe institutions affecting cbildren
Taas a major concern of tbe Conference. Is this
knowl edge bei ng put to use i n the fami l y, the
churches, the school s, l ei sure ti me programs,
vocati onal ai d, heal th and wel fare servi ces, the
coui ' ts? "Not l vel l enough," cri ed del egate after
del egate, bri ngi ng an abundance of testi mony
as to the uneven sensi ti vi ty to chi l dren' s needs
wi thi n these i nsti tuti ons.
The wi despread i nci dence of broken homes
and anxi ety-ri dden parents was offered as evi -
dence that the fi rst pl ace for i mproved appl i ca-
ti on must be wi thi n the fami l y i tsel f. Imma-
turi ty among adul ts emerged as the chi ef
sol rrce of fami l y di ffi cul ti es, and thi s i n turn
was bl amed i n l arge part on earl y chi l dhood
experi ences. The conferees found themsel ves
caught i n the vi ci ous ci rcl e of i mmature parent,
unstabl e chi l d, i mmature parent. Some of the
weapons suggested for breaki ng thi s sequonce
l vere i ncreased fami l y wel fare and marri age
Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University
r
t
counsel i ng servi ces, preparati on
for marri age
i n the school s and col l eges, sex educati on, com-
muni ty use of mass medi a of communi cati on
for educati on i n "fami l y centered l i vi ng,"
"wel l fami l y conferences."
Religion came into tbe picture as a source of
strengtb
lor
u,itbstanding toda1,'s tensions, The
common el ement s of al l f ai t hs t hat can be hel p-
ful i n personal i ty
de' u' el opment were sought i n
a panel
meeti ng of Cathol i c, Protestant, and
Jewi sh representati ves.
"Rel i gi on i s not magi c," sai d Monsi gnor
John J. McCl afferty, "nor i s i t phi l osophy, or
ethi cs, or art. Essenti al l y i t i s the l i ai son be-
tween man and God."
Rabbi Uri Mi l l er of the Synagogue Coun-
ci l of Ameri ca mai ntai ned that, because rel i gi on
stresses the i mportance of the i ndi vi dual , the
rel i gi ous person i s l ess l i kel y to have a sense of
rej ecti on.
Culture patterns receioed. beaoy empbasi.s
from
tbe platform and in d.iscussion groups as m.aior
forces
affecting children's lioes, But it was Mar-
garet Mead, of the Ameri can Museum of Na-
tural Hi story, who descri bed the effects of the
changi ng, unpredi ctabl e nature of modern l i fe
on f ami l i es and chi l dren:
"Ameri can
chi l dren are growi ng up wi thi n
the most rapidly changing culture of which
we have any record in the world, within a
culture where for several generations, each
generation' s experience has differed sharply
from the last, and in which the experience
of the youngest child in a large family will
be extraordinarily different from that of
the first born. Mothers cannot look back to
t he experi ence
. of
t hei r mot hers, nor even
to that of their older sisters; young hus-
bands and f at hers have no gui des t o t he
behavior which they are assuming today.
So l ong st andi ng and so rapi d have been
these processes of change that expectation
of change and anxiety about change have
been bui l t i nt o our charact er as a peopl e. "
Mi ss Mead found strengths and dangers
i n the characteri sti c mobi l i ty of Ameri can l i fe.
Thi s, she sai d, has brought about fl exi bi l i ty,
awareness, and "a capaci ty to shi ft and change,
to pause
and wei gh." But i t has al so exacted a
pri ce-"the pri ce of l onel i ness, of the sense
that each ventures al ong a path unguarded by
the friendly spirits of past generations."
It was obvi ousl y the sense of the Con-
ference that di scri mi nati on-raci al and rel i g-
ious-is a major obstacle of healthy personality
development. Testimony as to its damaging
effects came out all through the Conference as
well as in the specific panel and workshop set
up to exami ne the subj ect. These di scussi ons
deal t wi th the effects of di scri mi nati on on the
di scri mi nator as wel l as on those di scri mi nated
agai nst.
Tbe effects on cbildren of economic
forces
infl.uencing
family
income, bousing, neigbborhood,
tuere also consi.dered, Ewan Clague, of the Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics, pointed out that while
Ameri can i ncomes are hi gh and ri si ng, many
chi l dren are born i nto economi cal l y substand-
ard fami l i es, and the maj ori ty of them l i ve i n
areas v'ith the least wealth and the fer,yest
services. "Any economic investment of funds in
our youngsters today r,vill maintain the great-
ness of our nati on," he sai d.
Not only children in
families
ol inadeqaate
income, but cbildren ol ntigrants and. otbers
'non
tbe moc,e" awl cbildren of utorking motbers uere
also regard.ed as baaing special problems, A few
del egates al so poi nted
out that chi l dren of the
wealthy likewise face special barriers to
heal thy devel opment.
Repeatedly throughout the Conference
came assertions that the delegates' findings
must apply to all children and youth, but it was
recogni zed that there were chi l dren i n speci al
si tuati ons wi th speci al probl ems to be con-
si dered. Parent educati on was desi gnated as
the fi rst essenti al i n bui l di ng heal thy
person-
al i ti es i n chi l dren wi th mental or physi cal
handi caps, wi th severe emoti onal di sturbances,
wi th rebel l i ous behavi or. Teamwork was cal l ed
for
among al l the agenci es servi ng such chi l -
dren.
Interest at the Conference focused not
onl y on chi l dren' s needs and what shoul d be
done about them, but al so on how to go about
doi ns i t. Workshops and panel s on communi ty
organi zati on \Mere heavi l y attended. They em-
phasi zed
the i mportance of effecti ve pl anni ng
machi nery, i ncl udi ng the cooperati on of vol un-
tary and publ i c agenci es; teamwork among the
professi ons; wi deni ng the ci rcl e of ci ti zen
par-
ti ci pati on; pl anni ng tai tb i nstead of
for
youth.
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University
19
Teamuork antong tbe professions was implicit
i n the Conference' s focus. Unl i ke many an-
other large assembly, it never broke down into
small segments of narrow interests with the
experts concentrating only on their own spe-
ci al ti es. Educators, soci al workers, vocati onal
counsel ors,
pedi atri ci ans, psychi atri sts, nurses,
public health administrators-all worked to-
gether in preparatory committees, in the work-
shops, and on the panel s. The chi l d remai ned
whol e.
Discussion of mass media dealt almost en-
tirefu tuitb ,eleoision, Though there were some
who decri ed the poor taste and vi ol ence i n many
of the programs to whi ch chi l dren are ex-
posed, the emphasi s was on maki ng the most
educati onal l y of thi s new medi um and on more
effective parental supervision. After hearing
about the large portion of the day many chil-
dren spent rvatching television, L)rman Bryson,
of Col umbi a Uni versi ty, remarked: "Appar-
entl y the onl y noi se one does not hear i n the
l i vi ng room today i s the sound of the parental
foot goi ng down."
No topi c occupi ed so much Conference
thought and comment as tbe effects on cbild.ren
ancl young people of tbe tbreat of taar, Scarcely a
speaker or del egate from the Presi dent to the
high school youth refrained from mention of
the grave
si tuati on faci ng the Nati on. Two
themes predomi nated: Servi ces to chi l dren
must be strengthened to provi de as much pro-
tecti on as possi bl e from the hazards of war
and the di srupti ng factors of mobi l i zati on;
young peopl e, on whom the mai n burden of the
cri si s wi l l fal l , must be gi ven whatever sup-
port
they need to face the di ffi cul ti es ahead.
The Conference's uide circle ol citizen par-
ticipati.on was representative of all the racial,
l el i gi ous, and ethni c groups-Protestant,
Cath-
ol i c, Jewi sh, whi te, Negro, Ameri can Indi an,
.Iapanese
Ameri can, Spani sh Ameri can.
Fi nal l y, and far from l east, there was
loutb
participation, a far from "nominal" repre-
sentati on of those who were the chi ef concern
of the Conference. The 500 young peopl e, who
ranqed i n age from 12 to 23, came to the Con-
ference as members of the Advi sory Commi ttee
on Youth Parti ci pati on-representati ve of
nranl ' nati onal vol untary organi zati ons-and
as members of State del esati ons.
20
There was an earnest qual i ty about these
young peopl e. They rvere troubl ed, but they
went about thei r busi ness wi th a si mpl e di rect-
ness that was a chal l enge to the adul ts. One
youth put thi s i n words:
"Yesterday i s gone; forget about i t. To-
morrow i s ahead; don' t worry too much about
i t. Today i s here; do somethi ng!"
At the cl ose of the Conference, the del e-
gates endorsed the fol l owi ng:
PLEDGE TO CHILDREN
To you, our children, who hold within you our
most cherished hopes, we, the members of the
Midcentury White House Conference on Children
and Youth, relying on your full response, make
thi s pl edge:
From your earliest infancy we give you
our love, so that you may grow with trust
in yourself and in others.
\7e will recognize your worth as a person
and we will help you to strengthen your
sense of bel ongi ng.
rJ7e
will respect your right to be yourself
and at the same time help you to under-
stand the rights of others, so that you may
experience cooperative living.
We wi i l hel p you devel op i ni ti ati ve
imagination, so that you may have
opportunity freely to create.
We will encourage your curiosity and your
pride in workmanship, so that you may
have the satisfaction that comes from
achievement.
We will provide the conditions for whole-
some play that will add to your learning,
to your social experience, and to your
happiness.
IW'e
will illustrate by precept and example
the value of integrity and the importance
of moral courage.
u7e
will encourage you always to seek the
truth.
We will provide you with all opportunities
possible to develop your own faith in God.
and
the
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University
f"
We will open the way for you to enjoy the
arts and to use them for deepening your
understanding of life.
rJTe
will work to rid ourselves of prejudice
and di scri mi nat i on, so t hat t oget her we may
achieve a trull' democratic sociery.
We wi l l N' ork t o l i f t t he st andard of l i vi ng
and t o i mprore our economi c pract i ces, so
t hat you mav her e t he mat er i al basi s f or a
f ul l l i f e.
We * ' i l l pr or i r l e vou r r i t h r ewar di ng edu-
cat i onal oppor t t r ni t i es, so t hat you may
devel ol r r-our t rl ent s and cont ri but e t O a
bet t er n' orl d.
V' e *i l l prorecr vou agai nst expl oi t at i on
ancl un. l ue hazarcl s and hel p you grow i n
heal t h ant i sr r engt h.
Ve si l l s' ork t o conserve and i mprove
f ami l v l i f e ant l . as needed, t o provi de f ost er
care accordi nl J ro
)' our
i nherent ri ght s.
\ We
s' i l l i nt ensi f y our search f or new
knorvledge in order to guide you more
ef f ect i rel v as
)' ou
devel op vour pot ent i al i -
t i es.
As vou grol' from child to youth to adult,
est abl i shi ng a f ami l y l i f e of your own and
accept i ns l arger soci al responsi bi l i t i es, we
n' i l l uork wi t h you ro i mprove condi t i ons
f or al l chi l dren and yout h.
Aware thar these promises to you cannor be fully
met i n a s' orl d at war, we ask you t o j oi n us i n a
firm dedication to the building of a world society
basecl on freedom, justice, and mutual respect,
So ma1' you grow in joy,
in faith in God and in
man, and in those qualities of vision and of the
spirit that will sustain us all and give us new hope
for the future.
Accornplis hment s of t be
1950 Conference
The box scores of accomplishment-tangi-
ble and intangible----of the 1950 Conference are
sti l l bei ng tal l i ed.
Shortly after the Conference, the National
Mi dcentury Commi ttee for Chi l dren and Youth
was forrned to publicize
Lhe findings, promote
action on the 67 recommendations, and to en-
courage further research. This Committee car-
ried on its work until 1953 when it was dis-
sol ved.
This left the National Advisory Council
on State and Local Action for Children and
Youth, representi ng 51 State and Terri tori al
committees, without a central informational ex-
change. To fill this gap, the Interdepartmental
Commi ttee on Chi l dren and Youth si gned an
agreement wi th the Counci l i n October 1953
under which an informational exchange would
be provided
by the Committee. This statement
of understanding is reviewed every two years
and updated i n l i ght of current devel opments.
In 1954, these two organi zati ons met to-
gether
as the Joint Conference on Children
and Youth. Their cooperative efforts were
j oi ned
by those of the Counci l of Nati onal Or-
ganizations
in sponsoring three more such con-
ferences i n 1955, 1956, and 1958. Duri ng these
meetings, the progress
and circumstances of
the Nati on' s chi l dren and youth were di scussed.
The agenda for the latter two meetings pro-
vi ded for a di scussi on of the pl ans and struc-
ture for the 1960 Whi te House Conference.
For the first time in the history of the
Whi te l fouse Conferences on Chi l dren and
Youth, such committees survived and func-
ti oned duri ng the ti me betx,een Conferences.
Other tangible outcomes of the Midcentury
Conference were many.
I'{ost of the States held "little White House
Conferences" called by the governors
to discuss
Conference fi ndi ngs. Some of these drew wel l
over a thousand peopl e. In addi ti on, some
States hel d smal l er meeti ngs on a statewi de
basi s.
Conference materials were disseminated
wi del y-and conti nue to ci rcul ate. They have
appeared in scores of textbooks for high school
and col i ege students.
A book for technical workers, Personality
in tbe Making, by Helen Witmer and Ruth Ko-
ti nsky, appeared i n 1953.
On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court of
the Uni ted States i n i ts deci si on outl awi ng
racial segregation in public schools cited find-
i ngs i n the Conference Fact Fi ndi ng Report of
the harmful effects of segregation on children.
The Chi l dren' s Bureau added to i ts l i st of
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University
2l
"best sellers" a publication entitled A Healthy
Personality
lor
Your Cbild, a popular version by
Dr. James L. Hymes of the Fact Fi ndi ng Re-
port. Cl ose to a mi l l i on copi es of thi s pamphl et
had been sol d by the Government Pri nti ng Of-
fi ce by December, 1966.
Rel i gi ous groups, parent-teacher associ a-
ti ons, 4-H Cl ubs, ci vi c
groups, popul ar maga-
zi nes have i ssri ed thei r own versi ons of Con-
ference fi ndi ngs. Radi o and tel evi si on
programs
have found them to be ri ch sources for ma-
teri al .
The vari ous professi ons-soci al work,
nursi ng, publ i c heal th, medi ci ne-i ncorporated
the fi ndi ngs i n the trai ni ng of workers at both
the undergraduate and graduate l evel s and i n
i nsti tutes and refresher courses for peopl e al -
ready r' vorki ng i n the fi el d.
In many communi ti es, servi ces for chi l -
dren, both
publ i c and vol untary, were revi ewed,
modi fl ed, and extended as a resul t of Confer-
ence acti vi ti es.
The l egal base for servi ces to chi l dren and
their parents in many States were reexamined
and modi fi ed.
AII of thi s adds up to persuasi ve evi dence
i n many areas that chi l dren and thei r needs
are better understood than before the Mi dcen-
tury Whi te House Conference and that thi s
understandi ng wi l l spread and deepen i n the
years ahead.
Golden Anniversary
\il/hite
House Conference
1955, 1956, 1957, and 1958. I n 1956, t he
j oi nt
conference authori zed a commi ttee to consi der
prei i mi nary steps torvard a 1960 Conference.
At the request of the Chi ef of the Chi l dren' s
Bureau, the
j oi nt
commi ttee met i n 1957 to di s-
cuss a possi bl e scope and theme for the Con-
ference. Duri rrg 1958 and 1959, several ad hoc
groups of physi ci ans, educators, and soci al
workers were convened by the Chief to disct-tss
methods of staging a far-reaching and effective
Conference.
As had those that preceded it, this Con-
ference brought together representatives from
both governmental and nongovernmental agen-
cies concerned with the well-being of children
and youth. Nati onal vol untary organi zati ons-
i ncl udi ng churches, synagogues, heal th, wel -
fare, and educati onal agenci es, recreati on, hu-
man rel ati ons, l abor, communi ty
groups-sent
thei r representati ves.
In the fal l of 1958, Presi dent Ei senhon er
appoi nted a nati onal commi ttee to be respon-
si bl e for pi anni ng the 1960 Conference.
Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University
on Children and Youth (1960)
The Gol den Anni versary Whi te House
Conference on Chi l dren and Youth, whi ch met
I' Iarch 27 through Apri l 1, 1960, sought to
fi nd ways "to promote opportuni ti es for chi l -
dren and youth to real i ze thei r ful l potenti al
for a creati ve l i fe i n freedom and di gni ty."
The 1960 Whi te House Conference fol -
l ou' ed several tradi ti ons establ i shed by previ ous
Conferences i n prepari ng for and duri ng the
Conference.
Once agai n, the Chi i dren' s Bureau assumed
i ts l eadel shi p rol e as i ni ti ator of advanced
pl an-
ni ng and cooi ' di nator of earl y i nformati on-
gatheri ng precedi ng the appoi ntment of the
Presi dent' s Nati onal Commi ttee. Even befol e
Pr"esi dent Drvi ght D. Ei senhos.er i ssued the cal l
for the 1960 Whi te House Conference on Chi l -
dren and Youth, pt' eparati ons had been under-
u' ay. The three coordi nati ng groups from the
1950 Conference-no\{ the Counci l of Nati onal
Organi zati ons for Chi l dren and Youth and the
tr'ederal Interdepartmental Committee on Chil-
dren and Youth-met i n
j oi nt
conferences i n
7)
Included among the 92 members of the com-
mittee were community leaders, representa-
tives of the various disciplines concerned with
children, and 10 young people of high school or
college age chosen for their leadership in
school, church, and community activities.
Total expenditures for the Conference in-
cluding followup activities were slightly over
$1
mi l l i on, deri ved al most equal l y from the
Federal Government and private sources.
The partnership, carried over from the
1950 White House Conference, among the In-
terdepartmental Committee on Children and
Youth, the National Council of State Commit-
tees for Chi l dren and Youth. and the Counci l
of Nati onal Organi zati ons, made pl anni ng for
the Golden Anniversary Conference far
broader in scope than for any of the previous
White House Conferences.
The participants had laid the groundwork
for their activities at the Conference back in
their home communities, through local or State
Committees, or through the national organiza-
tions with which they were affiliated. They
brought to the Conference not only the results
of thei r own i nqui ri es. but i nformati on gai ned
throueh study of the ei ght vol umes of materi al
on chi l dren and youth prepared for the Con-
ference. Two of these vol umes were based on
the participants' own preconference efforts,
and the others were prepared by experts of
vari ous ki nds.
Most of the State Committees sponsored
a youth counci l or commi ttee. In most States,
at least one youth was a member of the poiic-v
maki ng commi ttee. In the 1960 Conference,
youth played an important role-a role that
had been
growi ng and expandi ng si nce they
were fi rst i ncl uded i n the 1940 Conference.
Tbe Conf erence gets underTaa.y
The Gol den Anni versary Whi te House
Conference opened on the eveni ng of March
27, 1960. Attending the opening session were
11,000 persons-7,600 del egates and 3,400 i n-
vi ted guests.
Presi dent Ei senhower addressed the open-
i ng assembl y, emphasi zi ng the i mportance of
the del egates' mi ssi on and outl i ni ng the basi c
purposes of the Conference:
"First . . . you are working with the most
precious resources of our Nation: a whole
generation of Americans who will someday
make their counry's policies and dispose
i t sgr eat power . . . .
"Second, this process of preparation for
tomorrow's leadership grows increasingly
difficult as rapid and momentous changes
alter the look of tomorrow's world . . . .
". . within this great context of change
and accommodation there are certain im'
perishable values which must neither be
changed nor abandoned . . . .
". . for civilization is a matter of spirit;
of conviction and belief; of self-reliance and
acceptance of responsibilicy; of happiness
in constructive work and service; of devo-
tion to valued tradition. It is a religious
faith; it is a shared attitude toward life and
l i vi ng. . . . "
For the first 3 days of the Conference, the
delegates attended one of five concurrent
assembl i es devoted to wi del y i ncl usi ve themes:
assessing ideals and values in the changing
world of children and youth; the impact of
change on children and youth; adapting to
change and innovation; the effects on children
and youth of science, technology,
population
pressl l res; and rn' orl d events.
Following the theme assemblies, there
u'ere 18 concurrent forums, each concerned
wi th a di fferent topi c. Ni ne focused on vari ous
forces that influence the young person's im-
mediate world-environment, mobility, sup-
port, nurture, opportunity, free time, mass
communi cati ons, human resources, and bel i efs.
Some of the forums dealt with aspects of de-
velopmental
growth that confront all youth-
as they move toward maturity from
puberty to
young adul thood; as l earners and thi nkers; as
doers; as ci ti zens-and other forums centered
around children with special problems-those
wi th mental handi caps; wi th soci al handi caps;
chi l dren i n confl i ct.
The Conference
participants were assigned
to the work
groups and forums on the basis of
their varied interests. This process of selection,
whi ch i ncl uded keepi ng a bal ance of represen-
tation in each
group, was made by a computer.
In addi ti on, each work
group i ncl uded a num-
Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University
23
ber of the young people thernselves.
It was in the 210 small work groups that
the forum topi cs were hammered out i nto rec-
ommendations-ranging from "the significance
of a personal fai th for chi l dren and youth" to
"the identification and the treatment of the
mental l y retarded."
Teams composed of representatives from
the di fferent work groups weeded out dupl i cate
recommendations which were then submitted
by the work groups to a foru.m. The approxi-
matel y 400 peopl e compri si ng each forum voted
to accept or rej ect each recommendati on. No
recommendati ons were voted on by the Con-
ference as a whol e.
Duri ng thei r del i berati ons, and especi al l y
through thei r many recommendati ons, the
conferees made i t cl ear that i f chi l dren and
youth were to have opportuni ti es to real i ze
"their full
potential for a creative life in free-
dom and di gni ty," maj or steps woul d have to
be taken to i mprove servi ces i n the fi el ds of
heal th, l vel fare, educati on, and
j uveni l e
de-
l i nquency control . Ai so, steps u,oul d have to
be taken to el i mi nate raci al di scri mi nati on i n
al l areas of chi l d l i fe.
Art. oueruiew of tbe Conf erence
The conferees brought to the Gol den An-
ni versary \Yhi te Honse Conference a ri ch as-
sortment of backgrounds,
personal i ti es, and
i nterests. Yet cl espi te thi s di versi ty-and re-
gardl ess of the subj ect matter of thei r work
,frol l ps-ol rt
of the padi ci pants' del i berati ons
emergeci some common threads of maj or con-
cern. Presi cl ent Ei senhower had anti ci pated
some of these u-hen. at the ol reni ng sessi cn, he
.poke
of the i mportance of the Conference mts-
si on.
At that ti me, he hacl si ngl ed out
j uveni l e
cl el i nquency as a probl em of worl dwi de concern
to r' vhi ch the Conference must address i tsel f.
Foi nti ng out that i ts causes are "mul ti pl e," he
".ri d
that "mul ti pl e measl l res must be used to
rveed them ottt." Yet he warned agai nst a
tencl ency to general i ze pessi mi sti cal l y about
toda.u-' s
-v:outh.
"I have an unshakabl e fai th i n the over-
rvhel mi ng rnaj ori ty of fi ne, earnest, hi gh-
<pi ri ted yonngsters rvho compri se thi s ri si ng
senel ati on of Amer:i cans" he tol d the Confer' -
',
,l
ence. "A happy family is the surest way to
prevent fai l ures i n our soci ety."
However, a widespread uneasiness about
the possible toxic byproducts of affiuence was
clearly evident throughout the Conference.
Jr-rvenile delinquency was reported to be more
preval ent i n ti mes of prosperi ty, and one cause
suggested was the resentment of our Nation's
socral l y and economi cal l y di sadvantaged young
people at their inability to get the things that
roday stand for success.
"To cure del i nquency," sai d one speaker,
"we
must cure oursel ves."
Another speaker saw our society as "30
seconds to mi dni ght," our onl y hope l yi ng i n
a rather immediate fllling of "the vacuum at
the value core"-both in the inner man and
i n the soci al structure. Another cal l ed for "a
defense i n depth," mai ntai ni ng that "moral
and spiritual values must never be dealt with
i n i sol ati on from soci al i ssues." He and many
others cai l ed for ful l acceptance of mi nori ti es
as a morai i mperati ve.
The rapidity of social change and the com-
pl exi ty of the economy were frequentl y ci ted
as causes i or a sense of i ndi vi dual hel pl essness
among both youth and adul ts. One youth sai d
i n a work group:
"I' m part of a
generati on
that is faced with daily evidence that the H-
bomb may drop tomorrow. We need somethi hg
that tells us that life is worth something-
has meani ng."
But an assembly speaker saw the com-
pl exi ti es of l i fe today as an opportuni ty for
personal fulfillment through the acceptance of
cooperati ve soci al responsi bi l i ty. "It has been
wel l sai d that today' s hero, l i ke today' s sai nt,
must be an organi zati on man," he commented.
No matter what kind of service to children
was under di scussi on, an emphasi s on the need
for stepped-up training for all types of pro-
fessional personnel recurred throughout the
Conference. It was also the focus of the entire
forum devoted to "Human Resources" and i ts
related work groups. The competition for the
educated i n thi s country was termed one of the
chi ef bl ocks to ful fi l l i ng the promi ses to chi l -
dren that were made i n previ ous Whi te House
Conferences.
Over and over, the conferees cal l ed for
expectati ons of "excel l ence" on the
part of the
schools. They asked especially for greater stim-
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University
ul ati on of the gi fted.
But at l east one educator
mai ntai ned that such a goal
need not confl i ct
wi th equal i ty of educati onal opportuni ti es for
al l chi l dren regardl ess of thei r i ntel l ectual po_
tenti al i ti es. He emphasi zed that persons
who
"accept
the sophi strl ' that equal i ty i nevi tabl y
means a commrtment to medi ocri ty
[overl ook]
the need for cl i versi ty of i nterest and vari ed
i ntel l ectLral po\\' er
and speci al creati vi ty.' ,
Tel er-i si on, radi o, moti on pi ctures,
adver_
ti si ng, ancl the press
came i n for some heavy
cri ti ci sn-r for not l i vi ng up to thei r educati onal
potenti al s.
Incessant portrayal s
of vi ol ence and
presenti ng
force as a heroi c way of obtai ni ng
desi red goal s
whi ch are often materi al i sti c and
superfi ci al i n nature were some of the cri ti _
ci sms ai med at mass medi a.
On the other hand, many conferees spoke
of the val nes of TV i n wi deni ng chi l dren' s
hori zons and of i ts uses as a teachi ng ai d. The
need for more effecti ve parental
control over
TV rvatchi ng \vas stressed repeatedl y. Incl eecl ,
many del egates expressed apprehensi on not
onl y about the effects on the yorrnger genera_
ti on of too much tel evi si on vi ewi ng, but of too
much passi ve
recreati on i n general .
Constantl y duri ng the Conference, the cl i s-
cussi on reverted to the qual i ty
of parenthoocl
and fami l y l i fe. Mothers were cal l ed
,,i rrespon_
si bl e" for goi ng
to work outsi de the home.
Fathers, i n general ,
were accused of sub,qti tut_
i ng a "phony togetherness"
for depth of rel a_
ti onshi p. The young peopl e
*.." especi al l y
hard on parents,
accusi ng them of not setti ng
rood exampl es, of not bei ng fi rm, of not al j orv_
i ng enough freedom of choi ce.
But parents
al so had thei r cl efencl ers. A
soci ol ogi st, for exampl e, deni ecl the exi stence
of a moral decl i ne. He sai d that i n bri ngi ng
chi l dren i nto the worl d ancl i n reari ng the
younger generati on,
there i s more dedi cati on
i n the adul t worl d today than ever before.
Ameri can \\' omen are i ncreasi ngl v
combi ni ng
homemaki ng
u' i th other concerns' and zrre en_
j oyi ng
"ri cher, ful l er l i ves." A
).ol rng col l ege
student sai d: "There i s a
,me'
who I want to
be, and i t l ooks l i ke my father and mother.,'
A few voi ces, i ncl udi ng
some youthful
ones, suggested that young peopl e
themsel ves
had a responsi bi l i ty for thei r behavi or, as wel l
as for the ki nd of adul ts they woul d ttrrn our
to be. For example, in one work group,
when
a youth
representati ve
bl amed the
,,wi l dness,,
of a teenage neighbor on the fact that his
mother rvent out to work, a young
German vis_
i tor sai d: "I thi nk that by the ti me a person
i s
a teenager, he has a responsi bi l i ty
for the way
he behaves, and i f he knows hi s mother has
to rvork he ought to be ashamed for becomins
wi l d. "
Cal l s for strengtheni ng parental
adequacy
suggested a host of approaches. They i ncl uded
the el i mi nati on of such soci al and economi c i l l s
as di scri mi nati on
agai nst mi nori ti es, unempl oy_
ment i n depressed areas, poor
housi ng; provi d_
i ng educati onal programs
such as fami l y l i fe
courses for school chi l dren and parent
educa_
ti on cl asses for adul ts; the provi si on
of i ndi _
vi ci ual i zed servi ces to parents
wi th speci al
difficLrlties-parents
with mentally or physi_
cal l y handi capped
chi l dren, mothers or fathers
i n one-parent fami l i es, and parents
too emo_
ti onal l y i mmature to functi on adequatel y as
parents.
Unmarri ed mothers usual l y come from de_
pri ved
backgrounds and have known puni sh_
ment al l thei r l i ves, a soci al worker observed.
They need i nterest and protecti ve
authori ty to
keep them out of troubl e-not more puni sh_
ment, she mai ntai ned.
The normal processes
of chi l d cl evei opment
recei ved consi derabl e
attenti on as di d the ki nds
of heal th servi ces that can hel p prevent
i m_
pai rment
of these processes. peri odi c
and con_
ti nui ng medi cal care shoul d be provi ded
for al l
chi l dren, one work group
concl uded. The par_
ti ci pants expressed concern over the qual i ty
of
care. In a forum speech, a professor
of publ i c
heal th referred to "our i nabi l i ty to provi de
ade_
quate
heal th servi ces to certai n groups
of chi l _
fl pgn"-fhose
who depend on cl i ni cs for wel l
chi l d care.
Thi s physi ci an,
and others, deprecatecl the
ri se i n our Nati on' s i nfant mortal i ty rate and
the great
di screpanci es i n rates among geo_
graphi cal
areas and popul ati on groups.
He
l i nked thi s i ncrease i n i nfant mortal i ty to Iack
of prenntal
care. Hi s concern rvas carri ed i nto
at l east one work group
rvhi ch recommended
that a forceful attack be made to l ower i nfant
mortal i ty and morbi di ty rates among mi nori ty
groups.
Provided by the Maternal and child Health Library, Georgetown
University
25
New and i ncreasi ng dangers to publ i c
heal th al so recei ved the conferees' attenti on-
ai r pol l uti on, water pol l uti on, radi ol ogi cal haz-
ards. A State heal th offi cer, i n poi nti ng out "the
geneti c hazards of radi ati on that pose an
omi nons threat to the heal th of the l i vi ng and
r-rnborn generati ons," found i t depl orabl e that
oni l - a f eu' States have l aunched f ul l -scal e
racl i ol ogi cal heal t h programs.
l ' Iuch of the di scussi on on heal th centered
Ll pon chi l dren sufferi ng from handi caps-
nrentl i , physi cal , or emoti onal . Emoti onal fac-
tol s ancl i nterpersonal rel ati onshi ps that assi st
or i mpede treatment of chi l dren wi th any type
of hancl i cappi ng condi ti on were under speci al
scrut i ny.
Concern was repeatedl y expressed over
the growi ng number of chi l dren wi th congeni tal
mal formati ons. In one work group, a sl l gges-
ti on was made for provi di ng eugeni c counsel i ng
as a possi bl e deterrent. However, thi s was re-
j ected
as a recommendati on on the grounds
that not enough i s as yet known about thi s
fi el d.
There was some di fference of opi ni on or.' er
u' hether mental l y retarded chi l dren shoul d at-
tencl speci al or regul ar cl i ni cs. The group
er.entnal l y deci ded that, i n vi ew of the chroni c
natnre of mental retardati on and the
past
tendency to negl ect these chi l dren, speci al
cl i ni cs are needed-at l east. at the
present
ti me.
H i g bli g bt s o
f
t b e r e c o7n?rrend at i.ons
By the ni ght of Wednesday, March 30,
1960, 68 topi c teams had fi ni shed thei r task of
prepari ng recommendati ons for presentati on to
the 18 Whi te House Conference forums. A
total of 1,600 recommendati ons had been sub-
mi tted by the vari ous work groups.
Because of the vol ume of recommenda-
ti ons, the task of apprai si ng the si gni fi cance of
the Conference proved a staggeri ng assi gnment
for Dr. Ruth A. Stout, Di rector of Fi el d Pro-
grams, Kansas State Teachers Associ ati on,
Topeka. On Fri day morni ng, Apri l 1, she tol d
the conferees at the fi nal pl enary sessi on that
she had spent the enti re ni ght attempti ng to
categori ze al l of the recommendati ons. The fi nal
tally, ri'hicl-r brought together those that u'cre
i denti cal or si mi l trr i n i ntent, total ed 670 t' ecom-
mendati ons. Dr' . Stor-rt -.ai d that she had found
i n thi s vast otttpoul i ng of thought the ttni versal
convi cti on that "no chi l d i s too i nsi gni fi cant for
consi derat i on. "
In thei r eagerness not to i gnore a si ngl e
facet of the l i ves of chi l dren, today and tomor-
rorv, the
parti ci pants had gone "overboard" i n
assuri ng that thei r bel i efs were represented-
and i n expressi ng thei r fai th i n the essenti al
di gni ty and worth of each i ndi vi dual . A com-
trl ete sr,i mmary of thei r recommendati ons, for
obvi ous reasons, cannot be i ncl uded here.
Throughout the Conference sessi ons, a
panel of 18 young peopl e had been "l i steners"
i n the forums. After tal ki ng wi th many other
youth parti ci pants, thi s panel drafted a state-
ment of "youth pri ori ti es" for the decade
1960-1970. These pri ori ti es refl ected many of
the recommendati ons of the total Conference-
but wi th a di l Terence. They were fresh, gl obal ,
and i deal i st i c i n t he way t hat onl y yout h can be
i deal i st i c.
YOUTH PRIORITIES 196O-L97O
$/e, as youth, recognizing that meaningful
action must be based on a sense of purpose, religious
beliefs, personal values, and shared ideals, are fully
aware of the gap between reality and our goals.
We believe that the deepening of individual values
and attainment of our common ideals can be
26
achieved only by a realistic appraisal of, and active
participation in the major issues now challenging
us.
l . Ve bel i eve that any i nfri ngement on equal i ty
of opportunity denies to youth of various
Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University
ethnic, creedal, and racial backgrounds the pos-
sibility for a full life. To eliminate these de-
privations, we call for the substantial comple'
tion of school desegregation by 1970, the
prorision of equal access to housing for all indi-
viduals, and the elimination of discrimination
in employment and advancement practices
throughout the United States.
'W'e
also affirm
the right of all citizens to peaceful protest and
nonviolent resistance against all forms of social
i nj usti ce.
$7e recognize the disintegration of the family
unit in American culture and call for a re-
emphasis of the family as a central force for
democracy. This will promote facilitation of
communication between adults and youth
within the family circle, the schools, and re-
ligious institutions. Education of youth in the
role of the family, and realization by commu-
nity organizations that they must supplement
and not compete with, the family should also
be real i zed.
Education is the main basis for the broad
political participation and individual mobility
essential for a free society. To fulfill these needs
we must provide varied educational opportu-
nities to challenge each individual to realize
his full abilities. It should be recognized that
all institutions and programs designed to meet
individual needs can and should maintain high
standards. To do this, local, State, and Federal
Governments, as well as individuals, businesses,
and nonprofit bodies must greatly increase
their support for education on all levels.
Further, the teacher must be more adequately
honored as an individual and recompensed as
a ski l l ed professi onal .
In order that all individuals throughout the
world may have increased opportunity to attain
their aspirations, we accept an imperative obli
gation on American youth to support and par-
ticipate in positive national policies for the
attainment of world peace with justice, the
active support of human rights especially
through the United Nations, the development
of international understanding through ex-
changes and cooperative nonmilitary assistance,
and the constructive involvement of youth in
carrying out these policies, such as through
service in expanded technical assistance pro-
grams.
\W'e
urge the adoption of legislation
empowering the President to provide for the
conduct of a nongovernmental research group,
university, or foundation to study the advis-
Provided
by the Maternal and Child
ability and practicality of the establishment by
the United States of a Youth Corps, under
which young citizens will be trained and will
serve in programs of technical and educational
assistance in the underdeveloped areas; and
that this commission study the relationship of
such a program to the present system of com-
pulsory military service.
Youth must recognize their obligation to par-
ticipate in local, national, and State affaits
through voluntary organizations and political
activity. At the same time, adults should realize
that youth have valuable and often unique
contributions to make to policy formulation
and program planning, as well as implementa-
tion, and have special ideas and interests
worthy of consideration by local, State and
national legislators and executives. Ve further
recommend cooperative adult and youth efforts
to make such participation effecrive.
\ilZe
demand that high-quality books, music,
cultural attractions, radio and television pro-
grams, and libraries be widely available and
that mass media take the responsibility for
informing and educating yourh, as well as
adults.
Acknowledging the increasing need for skilled
workers and the shift from rural to urban
work, we urge that the total community pro
vide guidance, training, and creative work for
youth interested in such programs. Full-time
guidance counselors and effective vocational
educational programs must be provided. Special
emphasis should be given to rhe school drop-
out, the juvenile
delinquenr, and the mentally
handicapped so that they may become useful
citizens.
Vhile only a small percentage of youth are
juvenile
delinquents, we recognize that they,
as a result of causes such as mental health,
broken homes, and economic and social de-
privations, find themselves engaged in destruc-
tion, not achievement, of their potential.
ril7'e
believe that the ultimate solution to this prob-
lem li'es in energetic attacks on spe'cific causes.
'We
urge that all efforts be made to rehabili-
tate and secure acceptance for these youths who
are now delinquent.
\fle urge that youth and young adults be active
participants on narional, State, and local follow-
up committees of the 1960 White House Con-
ference on Children and Youth. These com-
2.
6.
7.
4.
8.
o
Health Library, Georgetown University
) 7
}
mittees should be a cooperative endeavor of
adults and youth, as was the planning for this
Conference.
The 670 recommendati ons di d not l end
themselves to a meaningful program of action
on a nationrvide basis. Instead they I'epr'e-
sented wi despread concern of ci ti zens of the
Uni ted States for chi l dren. However, fol l owup
i n the i ndi vi dual States was bri sk and the
achievements of many State's Committees were
encompassi ng and frui tful .
Followup of tbe Conf erence
On the recommendati on of the Presi dent' s
Nati onal Commi ttee, the Nati onal Commi ttee
for Chi l dren and Youth u' as establ i shed
j oi ntl y
by the Counci l of Nati onal Ol gani zati ons for'
Chi l dren and Youth, the Nati onal Counci l of
State Commi ttees for Chi l dren and Youth, and
the Interdepartmental Commi ttee on Chi l dren
and Youth i n November 1960. Resi dr:al Confetr
ence funds from vol untary sources
(al rl l rori -
matel y
$210,000)
u' ere tl ansfen' ed to the nerv
Commi ttee for these
pLtrposes: "to encottrage
and sti mul ate the i mpl ementati on of the fi nd-
i ngs of the 1960 Conference by appropri ate
pr,rbl i c and pri vate agenci es and bodi es, to co-
ordi nate the acti vi ti es of i ts consti tuent
groups,
to provi de for conti nui ng exchange of i nforrna-
ti on concerni ng chi l dren and youth, and to pl an
and sponsor appropri ate
j oi nt
acti vi ti es by i ts
consti tuent
groups and others i nterested i n
chi l dren and youth." In addi ti on, the Commi t-
tee "shoul d provi de for the revi ew and eval ua-
ti on of i ts acti vi ti es and those of i ts consti tu-
ent groups i n 1965 and shoul d prepare and
submi t a report to the Nati on."
In the years si nce the 1960 Conference,
the Nati onal Commi ttee for Chi l dren and
Youth has produced publ i cati ons on a vari ety
of topi cs rel ati ng to young peopl e. It has al so
j oi ned
wi th i ts consti tuent organi zati ons i n
sponsori rl g three bi enni al
j oi nt
Conferences on
Chi l dren and Youth. In 1962, the Conference
focused on youths' parti ci pati on i n communi ty
affai rs. The pri mary concern of the 1964 Con-
ference rvas how to transl ate new concepts i nto
servi ces for chi l dren and youth. In 1966, the
Mi d-Decade Conference rvas devoted to assess-
i ng hov' far the Nati on had come si nce the 1960
28
Conference and how much more coul d be
achi eved before the 1970 Conference.
The National Committee for Children and
Youth sponsored two special conferences which
hel ped to cal l the Nati on' s attenti on to the
pl i ght of unempl oyed youth. These were the
Conference on Unempl oyed Or,i t-of-School
Youth i n Urban Areas, hel d i n \Vashi ngton,
D. C. . i n 1961, and t he Nat i onal Conf erence on
Probl ems of Rural Youth i n a Changi ng En-
vi ronment, hel d i n Sti l l water' , Okl ahoma, i n
1963.
Althorlgh the National Committee on Chil-
dren and Youth i s eonti nui ng i ts acti vi ti es, the
Interdepartmental Commi ttee on Chi l dren and
Youth i s no l onger a member. The l atter group
wi thdrew i n October 1966, stati ng that "the
Nati onal Commi ttee for Chi l dren and Youth
has substanti al l y compl eted those of i ts func-
ti ons whi ch made i t desi rabl e for the Inter-
departmental Commi ttee on Chi l dren and
Youth to be a formal member," and that "the
rol e of the Nati onal Commi ttee i s now evol vi ng
i n rvays whi ch are constructi ve but whi ch i ndi -
cate that the rel ati onshi p of the Interdepart-
mental Commi ttee and the Nati onal Commi ttee
shoul d al so change. "
The di versi ty and mul ti pl i ci ty of Confer-
ence recommendati ons sparked fol l owup acti vi -
ti es i n many sectot' s of the Nati on,
parti cul arl y
rvi thi n the organi zati ons that had pl anned the
Conference.
Wi th a congressi onal al tpropr"i ati on of
$150,000, the Chi l dren' s Bureau establ i shed a
Speci al Uni t for Fol l ou.up. Duri ng i ts 8
months of operati on, thi s uni t sti mul ated ac-
ti vi ti es by other agenci es and groups to achi eve
Conference obj ecti ves, and i nterwove Confer-
ence phi l osophy, materi al s, and made sugges-
ti ons to the Bul eau. These
purposes \l ' ere
carri ed forward by pi ' epat' i ng speci al
l rubl i r:a-
ti ons geared to Conference topi cs, and by
pro-
vi cl i ng a ful l -ti me consttl tant to rvork rvi th
nati onal , State, and l ocal organi zati ons con-
cerned n' i th chi l dren and youth.
The Counci l of Nati onal Organi zati ons was
acti ve i n pl anni ng and conducti ng the
j oi nt
conferences and speci al conferences hel d i n
1960. Thi s counci l meets bi enni al l y to revi ew
and evaluate activities of the member organiza-
ti ons rel ated to fol l owup of the 1960 Confer-
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University
ence. Indi vi dual members fol l ou.,ed up on the
Conf erence recommendations.
Al so taki ng i ts cue from the 1960 Con_
fl ' ence recommendati ons,
the Inter.deaprt-
mental Commi ttee on Chi l dren and
youth
sug-
gested proposal s,
through i ts subcommi ttees,
for getti ng
rehabi l i tati ve heal th servi ces to Se_
l ecti ve Servi ce rej ectees; for hel pi ng young
peopl e
i n thei r transi ti on from school to work;
and for drawi ng on the potenti al s
of youth
to
provi de
constructi ve servi ces. These have been
i ncorporated i nto nati onal programs.
Si nce one me t sure of t he success of any
Conference i s the acti on that fl or,vs fl om i t,
State Commi ttees on Chi l dren and
youth
were
urged to keep i nformed of conci i ti ons through_
out thei r States and to suggest neecl ed changes
-to
thei r Governors and l egi si atnres. to organ_
i zati ons and agenci es, and to i ndi vi dual s wi th
a concern for chi l dren and youth.
Immedi atel y
fol l owi ng the Conference,
there was a surge of acti vi ty to bri ng the rec_
ommendati ons
from the forums to the attenti on
of ci ti zens throughout the Nati on. Some State
Commi ttees provi ded
speakers and consul tati on
to local groups
to inform and interpret. Others
di stri buted on a statewi de
basi s the recom_
mendati ons from the Conference and a report
on thei r State' s acti vi ti es.
A number of statewi de and regi onal con_
ferences were hel d. Local and stater,vi de studi es
were undertaken. Cl eari nghouses
of i nforma_
ti on and materi al s were establ i shed. Newsl et_
ters were publ i shed.
Trencl s ancl ci evel opments
affecti ng youth
and chi l d l i fe were i denti fi ed,
together wi th probl ems
and needed acti on. Con_
ferences were convened and reports di stri buted.
The fi rst steps toward a 1970 Whi te House
Conference on Chi l dren and Youth were taken
i n August 1966 by the Secretary of Heal th,
The I97 O
\White
Flouse
Conference
on Children and Youth
Legislation was sponsored or recommended.
Subcommittees were set up to study parbicular
condi ti ons.
Duri ng the years
si nce the 1960 Confer_
ence, parti cul ar
emphasi s has been pai d
to
youth parti ci pati on
i n communi ty affai rs. Com_
mi ttees have encouraged young peopl e
to pl an
and conduct statewi de youth
conferences. In
some instances, this effort has supporfed or has
been devoted to the formation of youth
coun_
ci l s, i ocal l y' and on a statervi cl e basi s.
In those States where young people
are
not members of the State Committees. and
youth
counci i s do not exi st, State Commi ttees
are trying to determine how best to clevelop
thei r programs
i n order to gi ve young peopl e
an opportuni ty to real i ze the potenti al
of thei r
engagement i n communi ty l i fe.
When preparation
for the 1970 Confer_
ence got
underway, 44 Committees or groups
whi ch had been requested by thei r Governors
to cooperate u' i th the 1960 Conference_and, at
i ts concl usi on, to do what they coul d to i mpl e_
ment Conference r.ecommendafi 6n5-r,sl e
ac_
ti ve. Thei r accompl i shments
for chi l di .en anrl
l "outh sel ve as a testi moni al to the vi tal i ty of
citizen concern released and reinforced by the
1960 Conference.
Many of the Commi ttees acti ve i n the fal l
of 1967 had been l eappoi nted by the Governors
of thei r States to pr.ovi de
l eadershi p i n prel tara_
ti on fol the 1970 Confer.ence. Si nce the Gol den
Anni vet' sal y Conference, the-"e Commi ttees on
Chi l dren and Youth had u.orked to bri ng about
the communi ty i nvol vement
rvhi ch i s vi tal to
any l asti ng i mi trovement i n the condi ti ons that
affect chi l dren.
Educati on, and Wel fare, John W. Gardner. At
the request of Presi dent Lyndon B. Johnson,
Secretary Gardner wrote to the Governors of
Provided by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University
29
the 50 States, Puerto, Ri co, Guam, the Vi rgi n
Isl ands, and Ameri can Samoa, and to the Presi -
dent of the Board of Commi ssi oners of the
Di stri ct of Col umbi a. aski ng for thei r 5"1-rport.
In hi s i etter, the Secretary asked each Gor' -
ernor to appoi nt a commi ttee to pl an for
l l ar' -
ti ci pati on i n the Conference, to act as l i ai son
betl r.een the Governor and a nati onal commi t-
tee to be appoi nted by the Presi dent, and to
x.ork rvi th the staff of the 1970 Confel ' el l ce.
Staff for the Conference l ' i l l be att:i ched to
the Chi l dren' s Bureau.
Se' n' eral ad hoc advi sory
gror-rl )s, i rtcl udi ng
one composed of youths, have l teen cottt' ened
by the Chi ef of the Chi l dren' s Bttl eatt to di s-
cuss possi bl e formats, themes, and i ssues for
the Conference. The Bureau has al so been
u-orking closely u.ith representative State, na-
ti onal , and Federai agenci es, commi ttees, and
counci l s that have i ni ti ated vari ous Confer-
ence pl anni ng efforts. From the del i berati ons
of these groul l s, a prel i mi nary consensl i s seems
to be emerging-that the tempo and tenor of
the l ate 1960' s are
provi di ng unprecedented and
unnsr-tal chal l enges to those u' ho are pavi ng
the rvay for the next Conference. As these
groups move foru' ard i n thei r pl anni ng acti vi -
ti es, they ma1' fl nd i nspi rati on i n the l vords of
George Santayana, "We must rn'elcome the fu-
ture, r' ememberi ng that soon i t wi l l be the past
and u.e must resl rect the past rememberi ng that
cnce it s'as ail that u'as humanly possible."
A U . 5 . G O V E R N ME N l P R I N T I N G O F F I C E : l 9 6 a O - 2 9 5 - 1 5 5
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University
30
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bureau
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1967
nepnt Nr eo 1968
Provided
by the Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown
University