Children's Aid Society
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In 1853, Charles Loring Brace founded the Children's Aid Society (CAS) in New York City. Originally, their goal was to get the children off of the streets. They also wanted to change the habits of the children so they were more positive examples in society. They later changed their goal to helping the abandoned and orphaned children find new homes. The only solution the CAS could think of was to take the children from their homes and surround them with Anglo-Protestant families.
Brace couldn't help but notice the 3,000 children living on the streets. Some were orphans, a few had parents who didn't take the responsibility to care for their own kids, and others were homeless. Seeing this, CAS changed their goal. In 1854, the first orphan train set out towards Dowagiac, Michigan. The goal: to find all the "street urchins" new homes in rural America.
One of the Children's Aids Society's precautions, were visiting agents. There was a group referred to as "The Society" in each town that housed orphan train riders. The Society sent out visiting agents once a year to visit the homes of the children to determine whether or not the children were in good homes, but that didn't always happen. Some children got abused; others were worked harder than originally suggested. Many were treated well and had found safe homes; this is the greatest percentage of the riders.
Brace couldn't help but notice the 3,000 children living on the streets. Some were orphans, a few had parents who didn't take the responsibility to care for their own kids, and others were homeless. Seeing this, CAS changed their goal. In 1854, the first orphan train set out towards Dowagiac, Michigan. The goal: to find all the "street urchins" new homes in rural America.
One of the Children's Aids Society's precautions, were visiting agents. There was a group referred to as "The Society" in each town that housed orphan train riders. The Society sent out visiting agents once a year to visit the homes of the children to determine whether or not the children were in good homes, but that didn't always happen. Some children got abused; others were worked harder than originally suggested. Many were treated well and had found safe homes; this is the greatest percentage of the riders.
Mrs. McClain's mother, Viola, was an Orphan Train Rider. Making Mrs. McClain a descendant of an Orphan Train Rider.
"Mother was placed out in a good home, but her sister Julia wasn't," she states. Click to see pictures of Viola and her mother's dresses |
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