| Creator | Boston Children's Aid Society |
| Title | The Boston Children's Aid Society records |
| Dates | 1863-1953 |
| Identification | CC 12 |
| Quantity | 1.2 linear feet (3 manuscript boxes) |
| Collection Abstract | The BCAS collection contains annual reports from 1863-1953, with occasional gaps. Through the years 1863-1919 the reports are in bound volumes kept at the end of all the annual reports in folders. In addition, there is an article by Charles Birtwellon the home libraries of the BCAS, as well as a pamphlet promoting the BCAS, both dating circa 1893. |
| Historical Abstract | The Boston Children's Aid Society (BCAS) was established in 1861 to provide homes for children just released from jail. Soon after its establishment, the BCAS expanded its care to homeless and destitute children in and around Boston. The BCAS provided aid in the form of temporary housing, investigating childrens' situations, running a probation agency, and establishing neighborhood libraries for children, which later became Neighborhood Clubs. In 1947, after having been part of a federation for 25 years, the BCAS and the Boston Society for the Care of Girls (formerly the Female Asylum) merged legally to form the Children's Aid Association (CAA). |
| Language | Material in English. |
| Location | Collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Archives staff for more information. |
Unrestricted.
Copyright for materials resides with the creators of the items in question, unless otherwise designated.
Please contact the College Archivist with requests to publish any material from the collection.
[Identification of item: description and date], The Boston Children's Society Records, 1863-1953, CC 12, Simmons College Archives, Boston, MA, USA.
Transferred from the Simmons College School of Social Work Library, 1991
Accession number: 96.010
Processed by Stephanie Ward, February 1996.
Supervised by Claire Goodwin and Joan Gearin.
This collection guide was encoded as part of the LEADS project by Rebecca L. Meyer, August 19, 2012.
The Boston Children's Aid Society (BCAS) was established in 1861 and incorporated in 1865. The BCAS was initially founded to provide homes for children just released from jail. To aid in this purpose, the Pine Farm in West Newton was established as a place of transition from jail to placement in a home (1). BCAS later made its aim to help "any destitute, homeless, wayward, defective or exposed child in Boston or vicinity" (2)
The society provided help through investigation of a child's situation, a probation agency to serve as a bondsman for juveniles on probation and the prevention of such further behavior. In addition, home libraries were established in the homes of children, usually one per neighborhood. At these libraries, children could exchange books and participate in other activities. These later became Neighborhood Clubs. The BCAS also arranged for supervised board or home placement for boys and girls (3).
In 1915, the Massachusetts Infant Hospital combined with BCAS. Then, in 1922, the BCAS and the Boston Society for the Care of Girls (formerly the Female Asylum) voted to form a federation, the Children's Aid Association (CAA), though they retained their corporate identities for 25 years. In 1947, they legally merged as the CAA (4).
In 1951, 1,255 children were served by CAA through their Foster Care Department, referral to other agencies, temporary care, and the Department of Neighborhood Clubs. In addition, social workers gave special therapeutic services to groups of handicapped children, and the CAA also maintained a summer camp in Cohasset for the children (5).
The BCAS collection contains annual reports from 1863-1953 with occasional gaps. Through the years 1863-1919 the reports are in bound volumes kept at the end of all the annual reports in folders. In addition, there is an article by Charles Birtwell on the home libraries of the BCAS, as well as a pamphlet promoting the BCAS, both dating circa 1893.
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.
Arranged into two series. Series I's individual annual reports from 1891-1950 are arranged chronologically. Bound reports from 1863-1919 are kept together at the end of the individual annual reports.
Part of the School of Social Work Library Charities Collection.
Box 1
Box 2
Box 3
Box 3
