Home Economist’s Function

(Miss Adelson in her paper yesterday discussed the address by Virginia C. Frank, which is printed above.)

Miss Frank is amazed at our “startling lack of uniformity” and the “lack of unanimity of opinion on the subject of food standards.” It is true that some of us are recommending a pint, others a pint and a half, and still others a quart of milk per day for each child. All are right. The pint of milk is minimum, the quart is optimum as well as maximum, and the pint and a half is a safe midpoint. We have been trained in different schools. We have had varied experiences. We therefore interpret minimum needs differently. We are really more uniform in our teachings than we appear to be to the lay public. A boy of seven needs 1,500 calories per day. The 1,500 calories must be divided so that there is sufficient protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals to adequately balance the diet. His diet can be adequately balanced whether he is given a pint, a pint and a half, or a quart of milk per day. If he is given a pint of milk per day he will need more other food rich in protein and calcium than he would need if he were given a quart per day. Two doctors treating two different patients for an identical disease and each effecting a cure for their patient have not necessarily used the same prescription and routine in treatment. They too may have been taught in different schools and certainly have had different experiences. They are guided by their educational and practical experience. We trust the doctor’s judgment. We must ask you to trust ours.

The home economist’s teaching reaches the client family by either the direct or the indirect method according to the organization of the family agency. In some agencies the home economist visits in the homes referred to her by the case workers, and either carries the cases in joint responsibility with the case workers or else in sole responsibility attending to both the case work and home economics problems. In other agencies, the Home Economist is a consultant for the case worker. The case worker, through her conferences with this specialist and the educational material supplied by her, treats the home economics problems of her cients. The latter is the method we pursue in the Jewish Welfare Society. A few years ago, when our department was larger, we used the direct method.