Page 2 - The Privilege of Caring

The Privilege of Caring: A Community’s Response to Needy Children
As the the the the oldest child welfare organization in the the the the state the the the the roots of Children’s Friend reach back to to to to the the the the the 1830s With this long history comes an an an unusually rich treasure of of of historical documents and and materials that tell the the the the story story of of of how this agency and and others have cared for children over the the the course of of of three centuries The agency’s archives include handwritten intake ledgers where the the the cases were presented to to to the the the the Society’s Society’s Board of Managers to to to evaluate whether a a a a a a a a a a a a a child should be be admitted to to to the the the the the Society’s Society’s Home Annual reports chronicling the the the activities and challenges faced by the the the organization have been published since 1836 Agency archives also include board minutes correspondence with children rules and and regulations enforced in in in in the the orphanage managed by Children’s Friend and and other materials In 1949 the the the agency merged with Rhode Rhode Island Island Child Child Service founded as the the the Rhode Rhode Island Island Society for the the the Prevention of Cruelty to to Children
Children
in 1882 to to become Children’s Friend & Service A private agency RISPCC was responsible for investigating complaints of abuse and and neglect and and employed agents to determine whether children were being exploited employed for ill purposes starved abandoned or or beaten RISPCC’s annual reports provide detailed information on on the the the the work of the the the the agents as they performed their legally mandated duties including prosecuting parents and and collecting fines from lawbreakers The photographs presented here became part of the Children’s Friend archives These photographs are taken from the the agency’s collection as as well as as other resources Together these materials - agency records annual reports photographs and other documents - - begin to to to tell the the story of how our community has cared for its children 1836 Providence Children’s Friend Society granted 1834 incorporation by Harriet Ware Rhode Island General
1886
RISPCC buys the Doyle Avenue Home to house children removed for reasons of abuse or or neglect 1926
Built in 1863 the Tobey Street Home closes when Children’s Friend ends orphanage work and and takes up family aid and and foster placement 1946
RISPCC changes name to Rhode Island Child Service envisions Providence Children’s Friend Society as a a a refuge for desperate children 1 Assembly 1882 1927
General
Assembly approves name change to Rhode Island Children’s Friend Society (RICFS) 1949 Recognizing their common goal RICFS and RI RI Child Service Service merge to become Children’s Friend & & Service Service (CF&S) Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
is incorporated 1880s - 1920
“Golden Age of of Child Welfare ” Organizations focus on on preserving families formal world of of of social work develops Reformers argue for for for removal of of children from institutions and placement in in family foster homes