MARRIAGE COUNSELLING 221 



five years ago. It opened its doors on February 3, 1930, as a non-profit un- 

 dertaking which attempted to bring together in one place, and give to the 

 public, the existing information that would make for success in marriage and 

 parenthood. It helped 595 clients in its first year, 2275 in its second. 



As has been indicated above, the Institute is organized on a professional 

 basis, not on a case work basis; that is, it does not in most cases attempt 

 to follow up clients and persuade them to action if they are unwilling to act 

 for themselves, any more than a physician sends his nurse into a patient's 

 home three times a day to see that the pills he prescribed are duly taken. 

 The Institute's client, in general, is given such information as is appropriate; 

 and if he is not enough interested in his own welfare to cooperate, he will 

 have to seek elsewhere for the help he needs. Since clients come voluntarily 

 because they want help, they are usually in a frame of mind to make use of 

 the assistance given them. 



It is easy to see how the same results might be gained in various other ways, 

 with different types of staff, of budget, of affiliation (the Institute has no 

 affiliations, but is wholly independent). 



There is naturally a tendency for existing agencies of many different sorts 

 to say, in effect, "This job belongs to us. We are the ones to do it. All 

 we need is more money." 



It is highly desirable to encourage as many existing agencies (and indi- 

 viduals) as possible to strengthen their facilities for work along the lines of 

 family conservation. But our experience justifies the belief with which we 

 started, that none of these, alone, is likely to cover the field adequately, 

 and that there is a real place for an institution which will be neither a 

 magnified family welfare organization, nor a glorified mental hygiene clinic, 

 nor a modified home economics class, but a thing apart, — a clearing house 

 and educational center for as much as possible of the existing scientific infor- 

 mation that will make for success in marriage and parenthood. 



So long as prevention is better than cure, the improvement of education 

 for marriage and parenthood will be the main concern of those interested in 

 this phase of racial welfare. So long as education is inadequate, there will 

 be a need for palliative and remedial work, by individuals or organized 

 agencies. The need will long be so much greater than any possible facilities 

 for meeting it, that there is no occasion to spend much time debating whether 

 it can best be done by this one or that one. Everyone who can possibly 

 contribute toward providing young people with the necessary help to make 

 a success of marriage and family life should be encouraged to do so in every 

 possible way. Meanwhile, the incorporators of the Institute of Family 

 Relations derive a good deal of satisfaction from the very favorable recep- 

 tion which their efforts have met. 



