charge of the new child-saving mission which in later
years became the New York Foundling Hospital (NYFH).
In 1872, "Baby Trains" were sent out with infants and
small children to be placed with families who agreed to
raise them in the Catholic faith.
The Foundling used an indenture form when placing
children. This gave them legal authority to remove the
child from a household at any time (otherwise the child
was released from the indenture at age 18). Many families
looked upon this document as a form of adoption and did
not proceed with legal adoption.
The Foundling sent large groups of children west in
leased railroad cars with agents and nurses to care for
them until their destination was reached.
Tags sewn onto the child’s clothing gave a name, birth
date and the name of the pre-selected family who had
been sent a matching card. A number was assigned to
each child.
When the train arrived, a match was made, papers were
signed and the child delivered.
The New England Home For Little Wanderers
(NEHFLW) in Boston also sent children west to be placed
out. They placed children as early as 1865 but stopped
the practice in 1903.
Other societies such as the Chicago Home Society and
the Minnesota Home Society also placed children in
other states.
Between 1854 and 1929 an estimated 200,000 plus
orphaned, abandoned, homeless children and poor
families were placed out in what we today know as the
ORPHANS TRAINS ERA.
This period of mass relocation of children in the United
States is widely recognized as the beginning of
documented foster care in America.
1854, the number rose to over 250,000 with the Port of New
York being the main arrival point.
New York City became a 'boiling pot' of chaotic living
conditions with widespread disease, crime, breakdown of
family life, and innocent children suffering.
The NYC Chief of Police estimated 10,000 children in the
city in 1853 were uncared for.
Charles Loring Brace, a young minister, saw a dire need and
felt a strong desire to help. He turned from a 'well-to-do',
secure lifestyle to that of a poorly-paid social worker by
becoming the first secretary to the newly formed
CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY (CAS).
In 1854, the first organized CAS group went west. Forty
children of 'workable age' were sent to Michigan. The
placing was successful, thus the Free Home Placing Out
began and did not stop until the late 1920s or early 1930s.
Western agents visited towns asking volunteers to form local
committees to screen prospective homes for the
soon-to-arrive children.
Back in NYC children chosen for the trip would be placed in
the care of an agent, or agents, who saw to their needs.
Stopping at designated towns along the way people met the
group and agent, to choose a child. A contract was signed
and the child placed. [Copies of contracts may be obtained
from OTHSA, Inc. by members]
Agents followed up on the placements with visits. In the
event the placing was not a good choice, the Society
removed the child and placed it again.
In 1865, the New York Foundling Asylum was founded by
the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul with $5.00
and an empty building.
In the beginning, a basket placed in the entryway received
unwanted (foundling) infants with no questions asked. A
nun, on duty near by, would quickly retrieve the child and
take it to be cared for.
