Physical Facilities for Group Care of Children Project records
Scope and Content
The Physical Facilities for Group Care of Children Project records consist of administrative or operational files and agency files. The administrative section (boxes 1-5) contains material related to the overall project, including correspondence, drafts, and reports. A handful of sites were visited simply to gather normative and other data to help develop the survey forms and practices. They were mostly in the Chicago area, and the files are not generally as complete as the rest. For this reason, they are placed in the administrative files.
The larger agency file section (boxes 6-33) consists of individual records for each of the sites that were surveyed. The agency files are arranged alphabetically, first by state, then by city, and then by agency name. A typical agency file contains:
- An area data sheet, with estimated costs for proposed remodeling;
- Drawings of existing or proposed floor plans, including a site plan if the institution had more than one building;
- A packet of field survey worksheets, which the survey team filled out to detail how well the institution's physical space served its needs (sufficient lighting, windows, storage space, etc.);
- Photographs and/or photographic negatives of the institutions' exteriors and interiors.
Each site was given a four digit case number. Not all of the sites that were assigned case numbers were actually surveyed. As a result, some files contain only very basic information pertaining to a site, little more than a name and location in some cases.
These records are not all in perfect condition. Apparently, at some point they were kept in a basement closet with moisture seeping in, so many of the sheets are discolored, and the edges are damaged on one side. However, there are none that are completely illegible.
Note: The records relate to the institutional facilities and do not include case files or other information on residents.
Dates
- Creation: 1964-1971
Language of Materials
English
Use of Materials
Open for use in Social Welfare History Archives reading room.
Copyright
Please contact the Archivesfor copyright information.
Historical Note
The Center for Urban Studies at the University of Chicago carried out the Physical Facilities for Group Care of Children Project from 1965 to1968 under a grant from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The project surveyed about 200 child care facilities, located in 46 states (none from Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon or South Dakota), to diagnose physical conditions in existing child care facilities with an eye toward remodeling and rebuilding them as needed. George Hinds and Donnell Pappenfort were the principal staff members of the project.
The 200 sites were selected out of the 2300 residential children's facilities then present in the United States. All were group care homes, some with a therapeutic or rehabilitative component. For the most part, facilities that were exclusively rehabilitative, such as juvenile detention centers, were avoided. Overall, these institutions were mostly privately operated by charities or religious groups, particularly the Roman Catholic Church. Most had been constructed earlier in the century and a few still used buildings from the early 1900s or 1890s. Some of the rural sites were government-run youth work camps.
Extent
13 Linear Feet
Abstract
The Physical Facilities for Group Care of Children project, conducted by the University of Chicago's Center for Urban Studies in 1965-1968, surveyed and analyzed 200 institutional child care facilities throughout the U.S. The records of the project include administrative files and files on each of the facilities included in the survey. Note: The records relate to the institutional facilities and do not include case files or other information on residents.
Arrangement
The Physical Facilities for Group Care of Children Project records are arranged into 2 series:
- Series 1. Administrative Files
- Series 2. Institutions
Other Finding Aid
Unpublished inventory available. Please contact the Archivesfor more information.
Acquisition Information
The Physical Facilities for Group Care of Children Project records were received in June, 1984. They were a gift from George Hinds, an architect who had been involved in the study. The initial contact with the Social Welfare History Archives came from Professor Donnell Pappenfort of the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, who had been referred by the librarian at the School of Social Service Administration. George Hinds and Donnell Pappenfort were the principal staff members of the project.
Processing Information
The inventory of the Physical Facilities for Group Care of Children Project records was prepared by Shawn Cassity in April of 1997.
- Title
- Physical Facilities for Group Care of Children Project records
- Author
- Shawn Cassity
- Date
- April 1997
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Collecting Area Details
Contact The Social Welfare History Archives Collecting Area
