Chapter XXXIV
Reading edition
WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH FOUNDLINGS?
The Need of Shelter for Illegitimate Children—Their Numbers in European Cities—Estimated Number in New York—Number of Still-births—Relation of Illegitimacy to Crime—Statistics in France—Foundling Asylums—Terrible Mortality of London Foundling Hospital, also of St Petersburg and Paris Hospitals—Former Great Mortality of Infant-Hospital in New York—Recent Improvement—Mortality of the Massachusetts Alms-house, and in Dorchester Infant-Asylum—Great Difficulty in Raising a Child without a Nurse or its Mother—Best Course is, "PLACING-OUT SYSTEM"—Great Success of "Bureau of Ste. Apolline"—Mortality Greatly Reduced—Children Scattered over France—The Outlay by the Government—The Moral Effects—This Bureau to be Distinguished from Private Bureaus—The Boarding out in Hamburg, in Berlin, in Dublin—The FAMILY PLAN—Tendency of all Civilized Countries towards this Plan—All the Illegitimate Children in this City might be Placed out in Country Homes—Duties of the Legislature in regard to Illegitimacy—Objections to the French Turning-tables—Too Great Laxness Injurious—The New York Law too Severe………………….pp. 404-417