 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| The New York Foundling Hospital |
Sister Mary Irene, of St. Peter's Convent called the attention of Mother Mary Jerome, the Superior of the Sisters of
Charity, to the need of rescuing these children. When the matter was as placed before Archbishop (afterwards
Cardinal) McCloskey, he not only sanctioned the plan of providing an asylum for the care of abandoned children,
but urged the Sisters to put this plan into execution. Accordingly Mother Mary Jerome directed Sister Irene to
make a beginning. With only $5.00 as capital, but with undaunted courage and unlimited faith and confidence in
God, Sister Irene undertook the work.
On October 8, 1869 the New York Foundling Asylum of the Sisters of Charity, in the City of New York was
incorporated. Three days later on October 11th, the Feast of the Maternity of Our Lady, Sister Irene and her two
companions, Sister Teresa Vincent and Sister Ann Aloysia, moved into a small house at 17 East 12th Street.
Although they expected to spend three months in preparing for the opening of the institutions, an infant was laid
on the door -step that very first night. Before January 1, 1870, the proposed opening date, they had received 123
babies.
Within a year, a larger house at 3 Washington Square was secured. Soon this also proved to be inadequate. In
1870, the State Legislature authorized the City to grant a site for a new building, and appropriated $100,000
toward its erection on condition that a similar amount be raised for the same purpose by private contributions.
Sister Irene at once set to work to take advantage of this help and organized a committee amongst some of the
leading financiers and business men of the time. The construction of the buildings on the property bounded by
68th and 69th Streets and by Lexington and Third Avenues was begun in 1872. In November 1873, the main
building was completed and occupied. Through the years other buildings were added until the Foundling Hospital
was completed.
While the building was in progress the services of the institution were expanding. Shortly after its establishment,
the Foundling became a refuge not only for abandoned babies but also for unmarried mothers.
Another important development was the inauguration of the Boarding Department. Because of the lack of room in
the late house on 12th Street, the Sisters asked their neighbors to care for some of the infants in their own
homes. Thus was inaugurated, on November 15, 1869, the Boarding department of the Foundling.
As soon as Sister Irene was settled in the new building on 68th Street, she established the Adoption Department
to find suitable permanent homes for those children who were legally free for adoption. Every care was taken to
ensure proper guardianship for each child. The date of the first recorded placement of a child in a free home, with
a view to adoption, was May 1873.
In 1880, one of Sister Irene’s dreams was realized when St. Anne’s Maternity Pavilion was erected, in order to
shelter friendless, expectant mothers, whether married or unmarried, and to provide proper confinement care for
them. Although originally planned only for mother’s care by the Sisters, St. Anne’s was opened in 1915 to outside
physicians who wished to send private patients for confinement. In 1946, St. Anne’s Maternity Pavilion was closed
to private cases in order to expand and improve services to the unmarried mothers who were the original objects
of Sister Irene’s concern.
In 1881 St. John’s Hospital for Children, and Pediatric Service of the New York Foundling Hospital was erected. In
1944, the Hospital service of St. John’s was discontinued in order to expand and improve services to well children
in need of care away from their own homes and thus meet an urgent need in this community.
In 1910, St. Joseph By The Sea, at Huguenot, Staten Island, was opened as an annex to the New York foundling
Hospital.
In 1930, a Social Service Department was established in order to provide casework services for unmarried
mothers cared for in the Shelter. It was about the same time that professionally trained workers were added to the
staff of the Boarding and Adoption Departments.
The Foundling Hospital also has a training school for the training of young ladies as Infant Care Technicians, a
Pediatric Clinic for foster children, a Prenatal Clinic, a Development clinic for children being considered for
adoptive placement, and –its newest service—a Child Guidance Clinic.
In 1958 in order to carry on the work of the New York foundling Hospital and to give adequate coverage to the
number of dependent and neglected children in need of care away from their own homes, the buildings on 68th
Street were replaced by the modern fire-proof building equipped with all the facilities necessary to carry out a
program according to the highest standards of child care.
As the New York Foundling Hospital enters its 100th year of service, it may be described as a mult-ifunctional
social agency providing the following services:
Nursery care on an emergency basis to abandoned and neglected children regardless of creed or color;
Casework services to families requesting placement of children;
Placement and supervision of Catholic children in boarding and adoption homes;
After-Care supervision of children discharged from foster care;
Shelter care and casework services to unmarried mothers.
The unwavering faith, hope, and Christ-like charity with which Sister Irene opened the first Foundling on East 12th
Street have characterized the unique dedication of the Sisters of Charity, staff and volunteers who have carried
on her work to the present day. It is our prayer that -that unique spirit—the spirit of Christ—will continue to guide
those who have dedicated themselves to the work of the New York Foundling Hospital in the years to come.
Charity, to the need of rescuing these children. When the matter was as placed before Archbishop (afterwards
Cardinal) McCloskey, he not only sanctioned the plan of providing an asylum for the care of abandoned children,
but urged the Sisters to put this plan into execution. Accordingly Mother Mary Jerome directed Sister Irene to
make a beginning. With only $5.00 as capital, but with undaunted courage and unlimited faith and confidence in
God, Sister Irene undertook the work.
On October 8, 1869 the New York Foundling Asylum of the Sisters of Charity, in the City of New York was
incorporated. Three days later on October 11th, the Feast of the Maternity of Our Lady, Sister Irene and her two
companions, Sister Teresa Vincent and Sister Ann Aloysia, moved into a small house at 17 East 12th Street.
Although they expected to spend three months in preparing for the opening of the institutions, an infant was laid
on the door -step that very first night. Before January 1, 1870, the proposed opening date, they had received 123
babies.
Within a year, a larger house at 3 Washington Square was secured. Soon this also proved to be inadequate. In
1870, the State Legislature authorized the City to grant a site for a new building, and appropriated $100,000
toward its erection on condition that a similar amount be raised for the same purpose by private contributions.
Sister Irene at once set to work to take advantage of this help and organized a committee amongst some of the
leading financiers and business men of the time. The construction of the buildings on the property bounded by
68th and 69th Streets and by Lexington and Third Avenues was begun in 1872. In November 1873, the main
building was completed and occupied. Through the years other buildings were added until the Foundling Hospital
was completed.
While the building was in progress the services of the institution were expanding. Shortly after its establishment,
the Foundling became a refuge not only for abandoned babies but also for unmarried mothers.
Another important development was the inauguration of the Boarding Department. Because of the lack of room in
the late house on 12th Street, the Sisters asked their neighbors to care for some of the infants in their own
homes. Thus was inaugurated, on November 15, 1869, the Boarding department of the Foundling.
As soon as Sister Irene was settled in the new building on 68th Street, she established the Adoption Department
to find suitable permanent homes for those children who were legally free for adoption. Every care was taken to
ensure proper guardianship for each child. The date of the first recorded placement of a child in a free home, with
a view to adoption, was May 1873.
In 1880, one of Sister Irene’s dreams was realized when St. Anne’s Maternity Pavilion was erected, in order to
shelter friendless, expectant mothers, whether married or unmarried, and to provide proper confinement care for
them. Although originally planned only for mother’s care by the Sisters, St. Anne’s was opened in 1915 to outside
physicians who wished to send private patients for confinement. In 1946, St. Anne’s Maternity Pavilion was closed
to private cases in order to expand and improve services to the unmarried mothers who were the original objects
of Sister Irene’s concern.
In 1881 St. John’s Hospital for Children, and Pediatric Service of the New York Foundling Hospital was erected. In
1944, the Hospital service of St. John’s was discontinued in order to expand and improve services to well children
in need of care away from their own homes and thus meet an urgent need in this community.
In 1910, St. Joseph By The Sea, at Huguenot, Staten Island, was opened as an annex to the New York foundling
Hospital.
In 1930, a Social Service Department was established in order to provide casework services for unmarried
mothers cared for in the Shelter. It was about the same time that professionally trained workers were added to the
staff of the Boarding and Adoption Departments.
The Foundling Hospital also has a training school for the training of young ladies as Infant Care Technicians, a
Pediatric Clinic for foster children, a Prenatal Clinic, a Development clinic for children being considered for
adoptive placement, and –its newest service—a Child Guidance Clinic.
In 1958 in order to carry on the work of the New York foundling Hospital and to give adequate coverage to the
number of dependent and neglected children in need of care away from their own homes, the buildings on 68th
Street were replaced by the modern fire-proof building equipped with all the facilities necessary to carry out a
program according to the highest standards of child care.
As the New York Foundling Hospital enters its 100th year of service, it may be described as a mult-ifunctional
social agency providing the following services:
Nursery care on an emergency basis to abandoned and neglected children regardless of creed or color;
Casework services to families requesting placement of children;
Placement and supervision of Catholic children in boarding and adoption homes;
After-Care supervision of children discharged from foster care;
Shelter care and casework services to unmarried mothers.
The unwavering faith, hope, and Christ-like charity with which Sister Irene opened the first Foundling on East 12th
Street have characterized the unique dedication of the Sisters of Charity, staff and volunteers who have carried
on her work to the present day. It is our prayer that -that unique spirit—the spirit of Christ—will continue to guide
those who have dedicated themselves to the work of the New York Foundling Hospital in the years to come.
How the Program Worked
Priests in towns along the railroad routes were notified that the Foundling had children in need of homes. The
priest would make an announcement to his congregation and ask for volunteers to take the children. At that
point, adults could sign up for a child, specifying hair color and the color of eyes they preferred. Of course,
specifying a boy or girl was respected.
The Priest would notify the Foundling that they could take a specific number of children with blond hair and blue
eyes; brown hair and brown eyes; black hair and blue eyes; or a certain darkness of skin. One such request was
for a boy with red hair because the farmer had 5 red haired daughters and no sons. He was not only delivered
the requested red haired boy, but the boy later inherited the family farm.
The Foundling selected the requested children believing if a family got a child that "fit in" everyone would be
better served.
An "Indenture" form was used to place the children. It was a legal document that gave the Foundling legal
recourse without going to court, should the placement not be satisfactory and the child had to be removed.
Often called an early form of adoption, it was not adoption as we know it today, because with adoption a child is
legally a parent’s natural child. Indentured children that were not legally adopted were ineligible to inherit unless
the adults left a will specifying the indentured child was to be given an inheritance.
Priests in towns along the railroad routes were notified that the Foundling had children in need of homes. The
priest would make an announcement to his congregation and ask for volunteers to take the children. At that
point, adults could sign up for a child, specifying hair color and the color of eyes they preferred. Of course,
specifying a boy or girl was respected.
The Priest would notify the Foundling that they could take a specific number of children with blond hair and blue
eyes; brown hair and brown eyes; black hair and blue eyes; or a certain darkness of skin. One such request was
for a boy with red hair because the farmer had 5 red haired daughters and no sons. He was not only delivered
the requested red haired boy, but the boy later inherited the family farm.
The Foundling selected the requested children believing if a family got a child that "fit in" everyone would be
better served.
An "Indenture" form was used to place the children. It was a legal document that gave the Foundling legal
recourse without going to court, should the placement not be satisfactory and the child had to be removed.
Often called an early form of adoption, it was not adoption as we know it today, because with adoption a child is
legally a parent’s natural child. Indentured children that were not legally adopted were ineligible to inherit unless
the adults left a will specifying the indentured child was to be given an inheritance.
| New York Foundling Hospital (Photo from unknown source) |
After the Civil War one of the most gripping of New York's social problems was the
abandonment of infants in the streets of the City. Poverty, immigration, inadequate
housing, and a financial depression were the factors which made abandonment in
ever present evil.
In 1869, it had no longer become an item of news, or even of interest, to find an
abandoned infant on the doorsteps of a rich family, in the hallway of a tenement, or
at the entrance to a convent. St. Peter's Convent on Barclay Street was a favorite
refuge of distraught mothers and very often the Sisters on opening their door in the
morning, would find a tiny waif deposited on the doorstep.
abandonment of infants in the streets of the City. Poverty, immigration, inadequate
housing, and a financial depression were the factors which made abandonment in
ever present evil.
In 1869, it had no longer become an item of news, or even of interest, to find an
abandoned infant on the doorsteps of a rich family, in the hallway of a tenement, or
at the entrance to a convent. St. Peter's Convent on Barclay Street was a favorite
refuge of distraught mothers and very often the Sisters on opening their door in the
morning, would find a tiny waif deposited on the doorstep.