Surviving the Great Depression: Orphanages and Orphans in Cleveland
Author(s)
Morton, Marian J.
Abstract
An exploration of the crucial role played by US orphanages during the Depression centers on Cleveland, OH, where orphanages maintained their historic role as caretakers of poor children in spite of changing social work goals focused on keeping families together. An overview of Cleveland orphanages since the first was built in 1854 shows a dramatic increase in both occupants and institutions by 1910, reflecting the city’s economic realities and increasing ethnic diversity. Reports/studies generated by the 1930s crisis indicate that, although the greatest concern was how to care for more children with less money, struggles emerged over professional guidelines regarding which children needed care. A shift toward institutionalizing difficult or troubled children, rather than the poor, occurred during the 1920s. At the same time, orphanage design moved toward smaller, more homelike, environments. Although no Cleveland orphanage shut its doors during the 1930s, the Depression placed enormous demands on homes already filled to capacity. How some managed to survive better than others is examined, along with the implications for current child care policies.
