Baby boy rejected by family - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Crawfordsville, Ind Aug 27 – Rejected by his mother and grandfather, a 5-month-old baby boy cooed peacefully in a Fountain County foster home tonight. Born prematurely to a woman near Wallace, Fountain County, the baby had been bounced around among Culver Hospital here, his mother’s home and the Fountain County Welfare Department during his short life.  Two Culver Hospital ambulance attendants deliver the baby to the Fountain County welfare office after the tot had been treated for two months at the hospital and no one came to claim him.  Culver Hospital officials said they could keep the baby no longer under welfare regulations. They notified Fountain County officials last week end to assume responsibility for the child.  But hospital officials said Fountain County declined to take any action.  John B. Newlin, Culver Hospital attorney said he advised Ralph Haas, hospital superintendent today to return the child to the Fountain County Welfare Department.  Newlin said the bay had been deserted by its parents and returning such children to the welfare departments of the counties where they were born is usual procedure.  Fountain County welfare workers said the child was left with them so quickly they didn’t know what to do. But a private home was found for the tot.  The child was brought to Culver Hospital for treatment shortly after birth.  After a month, no one had called for the infant, so hospital officials loaded the baby in an ambulance and sent it to the home of its mother, who had refused to come after the child.  Ambulance drivers said the child’s grandfather met them at the house and refused to let them deliver the baby. The baby was returned to the hospital and Fountain County welfare workers were notified. Hospital officials said Fountain County sent welfare officials here two times to see the baby but did nothing about removing it from the hospital.

Source: Lafayette Journal and Courier Thu 28 Aug 1947 p 8

Covington, Aug 28 – A five-months’ old baby boy, abandoned by his mother after a premature birth near Wallace was in a fountain County foster home today after he had been delivered to the county welfare department here from Culver Hospital, Crawfordsville. Ambulance attendants delivered the bay to the welfare department office after he had been treated for two months at the Crawfordsville Hospital and no one came to claim him.  Hospital officials said they could keep the baby no longer under welfare regulations. They said they notified Fountain County officials last weekend to assume responsibility for the child, but that Fountain County declined to take any action.  John B. Newlin, Culver Hospital attorney, said he advised Ralph Haas, hospital superintendent to return the child to the Fountain County welfare department.  Newlin said the baby had been deserted by its parents and returning such children to the welfare departments of the counties where they were born in usual procedure. Fountain County welfare workers said the child was left with them so quickly they didn’t know what to do. But a private home was found for the tot. The child was brought to Culver Hospital for treatment shortly after birth. After a month, no one had called for the infant, so hospital officials loaded the baby in an ambulance and sent it to the home of its mother who had refused to come after the child. Ambulance drivers said the child’s grandfather met them at the house and refused to let them deliver the baby. The baby was returned to the hospital and Fountain County welfare workers were notified. Hospital officials said Fountain County welfare workers were notified. Hospital officials said Fountain County sent welfare officials here two times to see the baby but did nothing about removing it from the hospital.