The ward, a disadvantaged child : a study of 100 wards of the Children's Aid Society of Colchester County

Abstract

This thesis forms part of a group research project on wards undertaken by the second year students of the Maritime School of Social Work. It is based on the study of 100 wards of the Children’s Aid Society of Colchester County in care as of December 31, 1962. A schedule was used by the group to collect the primary data from case records at the Children’s Aid Society of Colchester County. Secondary data consisted of bibliographical and census material. It was found that in the areas school adjustment, referrals to mental health clinics and intelligence quotients the wards were disadvantaged. The admission rate to mental institutions was significantly larger than for the general population. However, the sample of the study was too small to be taken as conclusive evidence supporting the hypothesis. It was found that a lower percentage of the group had appeared before the juvenile court as compared to the general population. A suggestion was made that those agencies engaged in protection services continue to recognize the undue amount of stress created in the child who must be separated from his family for any great length of time.