FIELDBOOK FOR INSPECTORS OF CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS AND SOCIETIES.

PREFACE.

This manual is not designed to supersede or to be in any sense a substitute for the larger manual published by the Board in 1903, with which the inspectors of the Board are expected to be entirely familiar, but is intended to supplement and interpret for the use of inspectors the laws and those portions of the manual which relate to the scope of inspections.

The Department of Inspection was organized for the purpose of carrying out the following provisions of the State Charities Law:

ARTICLE I.

Section 11. Powers and Duties of the Board on Visits and Inspections. On such visits inquiry shall be made to ascertain: 1. Whether all parts of the State are equally benefited by the institutions requiring State aid.

2. The merits of any and all requests on the part of any such institution for State aid for any purpose, other than the usual expenses thereof, and the amount required to accomplish the object desired.

3. The sources of public money received for the benefit of such institution, as to the proper and economical expenditure of such moneys and the condition of the finances generally.

4. Whether the objects of the institution are being accomplished.

5. Whether the laws and the rules and regulations of this Board in relation to it are fully complied with.

6. Its methods of industrial, educational and moral training, if any, and whether the same are best adapted to the needs of its inmates.

7. The methods of government and discipline of its inmates.

8. The qualifications and general conduct of its officers and employes.

9. The condition of its grounds, buildings and other property. 10. Any other matter connected with or pertaining to its usefulness and good management.

It will be seen from the above statute that the ground to be covered in the inspection of a given institution is quite extensive and that a thorough inquiry is required if the Board is to perform conscientiously the duties laid upon it by the constitution and the law. Reduced to concrete terms the subjects to be covered in a general inspection are indicated by the following outlines for such inspections of each of the following classes of institu tions or societies:

A. Orphan Asylums or Homes for Children.

B. Hospitals.

C. Dispensaries.

D. Agencies for Placing Out or Boarding Out Children in Families.

E. Homes for the Aged.

F. Reformatories (under private management).

G. Fresh Air Charities.

H. Industrial Schools.

I. Temporary Homes.

Each outline is intended to cover the essential points in a careful inspection, but other matters will doubtless suggest themselves from time to time as proper subjects for inquiry. It will be noted that such outline is divided into sections corresponding to the different phases of institution management, viz: Supervision, administration, plant, education, census, etc.

A. OUTLINE FOR GENERAL INSPECTIONS OF ORPHAN ASYLUMS OR HOMES FOR CHILDREN.

General inspections and reports upon institutions in this class should cover the following points. In writing these reports follow this outline, so far as possible:

I. INTRODUCTION.

Give name and location of institution.

Secure names and addresses of the president, the secretary and the treasurer of the governing board and of the chief officer and the attending physician of the institution and note them in the report.

Give dates of present and last inspections.

II. IMPROVEMENTS and CHANGES SINCE LAST INSPECTION.

Note under this head what action has been taken in regard to the defects enumerated in the last report upon the institution in question and any improvements made by the management on its own initiative.

III. APPROPRIATIONS OR RECEIPTS OF PUBLIC MONEY. Note: 1. Appropriations or receipts of public money for current or last fiscal year and state whether from city, town or county, gross or per capita and also similar facts in regard to all appropriations for educational work.

2. The authority for such appropriations.

IV. CAPACITY, CENSUS, AGES AND CLASSIFICATION OF INMATES. Note: 1. The number of beds for boys. The number of beds for girls. Total capacity.

2. The number of boys, the number of girls, and the total

number present.

3. The number of public charges, the number of private

charges.

4. The ages of the children:

a. The number under 2.

b. The number from 2 to 12 years of age.

c. The number from 12 to 16 years of age.

d. The number over 16 years of age.

5. Is due attention given to securing a careful and sensi

ble classification of the children?

6. What are the bases of classification and how far fol

lowed?

7. Whether the system of classification meets the needs

of the children.

V. SUPERVISION.

Note: 1. The number and method of choosing members of the

governing body.

2. The frequency and regularity of meetings of the gov

erning body.

3. The character and frequency of visits by officials and members of the governing body.

*Differentiation of the ages between 2 and 12 is left to the judgment of the inspector.

Note: 4. Other evidences of managers' interest.

Note:

5. The work of the important supervisory committees, executive, finance, visiting, house, admissions and discharges, etc.; when they meet, how frequently they visit, etc.

VI. ADMINISTRATION.

1. The names of the superintendent, steward, housekeeper (matron), head teacher, and other officers, their previous experience elsewhere and length of service in this institution.

2. The number of employes in each department, and if sufficient.

3. The oversight of and personal care given the children,

particularly the older girls.

4. Any defects in management, such as failure to perform

Note: 1. The condition and suitability of the buildings and

Note:

grounds.

2. The suitability, condition and adequacy of the dining rooms and furniture.

3. The suitability, condition and adequacy of the schoolrooms and furniture.

4. Suitability, condition and adequacy of the playrooms
and furniture.

5. Suitability, condition and adequacy of dormitories.
6. The kind and condition of beds.

7. The condition, suitability and adequacy of the quarters
of officers and employes.

8. The condition and adequacy of the heating, lighting,
ventilating, water supply and sewerage systems.
9. The location, condition, equipment, adequacy and
methods of work of the laundry. Examine the linen
of the institution with this in mind.

VIII. FIRE PROTECTION.

1. Height, material and construction of buildings and whether fireproof or not.

2. Number and location of interior stairways and whether

fireproof.

Note: 3. Number, location and construction of outside stairways and fire-escapes, and if same can be reached easily.

4. Fire alarm connection. Date of last inspection of the

home by local fire department.

5. Number and location of standpipes; length and condition of hose and how often tested.

6. Number and location of portable fire-extinguishers, hand grenades, fire-pails, etc.

7. Organization and practice of fire drills.

8. Whether night patrol service is established with use of watchman's clock.

9. Protection given swinging gas jets and other heating or lighting fixtures in proximity to woodwork, etc. 10. Presence of rubbish, particularly in attics, cellars, etc., or of oils, inflammable liquids, etc., and care given

same.

IX. EDUCATION.

(Insert information required by special educational blank if not already secured.)

Note:

1. Whether the children attend the public school, the parochial school, the institution school or have no common school work.

2. If the school is in the institution, the number of classes, the number of teachers, the number of pupils

and the number of hours' work given in each of the following departments:

a. Kindergarten.

b. Primary.

c. Grammar.

d. Manual training (girls, boys).

e. Industrial training (girls, boys).

3. The studies taught and lines of work pursued in each department.

4. The number of licensed teachers.

5. The number of unlicensed teachers.

6. Number of teachers with previous experience.

7. Number of teachers without previous experience.