Collection consists of two reports related to public welfare issues in
the City of Dallas, Texas. Included in the collection is volume VII, no. 4
of the Public Welfare News (1938 - 39), published monthly by the American Public
Welfare Association.
The Dallas Welfare Survey was
undertaken by the American Public Welfare Association of Chicago,
Illinois, at the request of the Dallas Citizens Committee and
authorities of the City and County of Dallas, Texas. The survey examines
the characteristics of groups seeking aid, public assistance
standards, as well as community relief organizations, and includes a
summary of recommendations based on survey findings. Founded in
1930 as the American Association of Public Welfare Officials, the
organization changed its name in 1932 to the American Public Welfare
Association (APWA). The Association is an independent
professional organization of public welfare officials. The APWA
was a strong supporter of the passage of Social Security legislation in
1935, as well as other legislative initiatives such as medical care and
aid to dependent dhildren.
The Dallas City-County Department of Public Welfare was a joint effort
between the City and County of Dallas to offer a variety of welfare
programs to the citizens of Dallas. The department was
administered by the City-County Public Welfare Board, which was
intended to
streamline the programs offered through the county, the city, and
private agencies. The intergovernmental arrangement was never
clearly defined or funded, and the Dallas City Council dissolved the
board in 1960.
The purpose of the annual report by
the Dallas City-County Department of Public Welfare was to explain what
the social workers job was and how they performed their duties.
In
addition to statistical data on case loads and expenditures, the report
explains the caseworkers responsibilities by examining the details of
four cases handled by the department.
