Calvin Coolidge Says, February 25, 1931

Date: February 25, 1931

Location: Northampton, MA

(Original document available here)

The movement sponsored at Washington for enlarging public activity for child welfare holds a promise of much good. For many years some of the states have had charitable organizations for the prevention of cruelty to children which have maintained offices and agents that work in conjunction with public officials. They have been chiefly concerned with delinquencies and have not extended their activities broadly into the constructive field of general improvement of hygienic and educational conditions.

While there is no complete substitute for the right kind of parental influence and supervision, health and education are so much questions of public policy that both the government and organized social effort may well intervene to supplement the home in increasing the physical and mental powers of the young.

The unification and extension of the disconnected and sporadic efforts already in existence for child welfare will have an elevating influence over the whole country. The door of opportunity will be opened wider, the race will be improved, the social order will be stabilized, and the foundation of citizenship will be strengthened. The progress of a nation requires its children to be well born, well nourished and well educated.

Citation: Calvin Coolidge Says: Dispatches Written by Former-President Coolidge and Syndicated to Newspapers in 1930-1931 (Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation)

The Coolidge Foundation gratefully acknowledges the volunteer efforts of Pamela Mett who prepared this document for digital publication.