Study On National Child Welfare Association(1928-1938)

The history of child welfare is glorious in China. Government open foundling home for deserted infants in Sung Dynasty, after that ,such institution spread , especially in Qing Dynasty. Since the beginning of modern times ,west missionaries considered benevolent work as a tool to preach Gospel. They set up child welfare institution in many areas, which stimulated our traditional philanthropism. The National Christian Council started an organization for the general well—being of Chinese children, whose name is National Child Welfare Association. By studying its establishment, organization, economic, and common work, the paper tries to reveal the general situation of child welfare work in the period of the Republic of China.This paper includes four chapters. In the exordium, it tries to illuminate the significance and extent of this study, also review the former studies on this theme. In the first chapter, it reveals the reason why N.C.W.A appeared in the period. According to the writer, ancient benevolence tradition, rising thoughts—"children first", the government and Protestantism church all should be responsible for that. In the second chapter, it analyzes the internal organization and administration method of N.C.W.A. Also we can learn the relations between N.C.W.A and its collaborators, including the Children Welfare Association in New York, the government, Protestantism church and other groups from this part. In addition, you can see the Association's economic situation through the statistics. In the third chapter, it introduces five kinds of child welfare work which N.C.W.A was engaged in from 1928—1938. They were child protection, child relief, child health, child study and citizen education. Besides that, N.C.W.A payed more attention on relief work during the war and disaster. The most important is N.C.W.A promoted the children's status as the leader of national child welfare movement and encouraged everyone do something for the well—being of Chinese children. In the fourth chapter, it expounds the contribution and effect of N.C.W.A. This association made the traditional philanthropism to be more institutional, more scientic and more secular. In the last chapter, after summarizing and reviewing the whole paper, it further illuminated the topic of it.