Series III - Reports, 1853-2006 (bulk 1853-1942)

This subseries consists of annual reports of the Children's Aid Society from 1854-2006. The subseries contains annual reports in bound volumes 1854-1961, and unbound copies 1854-2006. The bound volumes are listed first. With some exceptions, the collection holds one bound copy and two unbound copies of each annual report. There are no unbound copies for 1863, 1866, 1889, and 1992, but there are bound copies of the reports from all but the last of these dates. The number of copies of each unbound annual report is noted in parenthesis after the title of the report. The bound annual reports from 1857-1860 (volume 18) are bound together with two other reports/public addresses by Charles Loring Brace produced during those years.

Subseries III.2 contains reports other than the Annual Reports, as well as other types of articles and presentations composed for the public, or for smaller audiences. The materials range in form, from reports bound in larger booklets, to short reports in the form of informational pamphlets, to letters to the editor, to typescripts of papers, public addresses and radio speeches. Some of the material is in draft form. The materials in this subseries were created to inform the public (or particular smaller audiences) about social issues of concern to the Children's Aid Society, to promote the Children's Aid Society's solutions, and indirectly to encourage donations or other support. The subseries spans the years 1857-circa 1942. Arranged chronologically, this subseries provides a good overview of the shifting concerns of the CAS over the years.

See also the published works of Charles Loring Brace (Series IV, volumes 39-42) and the booklets and pamphlets in Series VI.3 (Fund-Raising Materials) for other reports composed for the public. See also Series VII for reports on legal matters, Series IX for reports on facilities, Series X for reports on medical programs, Series XI for reports on the Emigration and Foster Home Programs, and Series XII for reports on other programs.

Note: This subseries contains reports by two people named Charles Loring Brace. Founder Charles Loring Brace is identified by that name in this collection. His son, who followed him as Secretary of CAS in 1890 and went by the same name or by C. Loring Brace or Loring Brace or C.L. Brace, is identified as Charles Loring Brace II for the purposes of this collection.

Subseries III.3 contains reports to supervisory agencies, written in fulfillment of annual requirements, and reports to other organizations. The subseries is divided into 4 sub-subseries, each arranged chronologically.

III.3.A contains Reports to the State Board of Charities 1873-1929 (missing 1874-1876, 1878-1880, 1896, and 1919-1921).

III.3.B contains Reports to the State Department of Social Welfare (the subsequent name for the State Board of Charities, and a continuation of the reports in the previous sub-subseries) 1930-1937. The reports in the first two subseries give a thorough statistical accounting of the work of the Children's Aid Society.

III.3.C contains Reports to the New York City Department of Finance 1920, 1921, and 1926.

III.3.D contains two other reports: a Report to the Council of the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor 1923, and a Report to the Trustees of Mrs. Kane's Estate, "Supervised Playgrounds," requesting allocation of funds for a self-supporting girl's club and apartment (circa 1927).

Subseries 4 consists of 5 reports written presumably for a CAS internal audience (Board of Trustees or other). The reports in this small subseries cover a range of topics, dated 1853-circa 1921. For other internal reports related to individual facilities or programs of the CAS, see materials corresponding to those programs in Series IX-XI, or for legal reports see Series VII.

Subseries III.5 consists of 14 reports and speeches, 1895-1941, produced outside the auspices of CAS, but concerning the CAS mission. Several of these reports were written by people associated with CAS, but not writing as representatives of the agency. Most reports in the series were written by people unconnected to CAS, but the documents were saved and kept by people in the CAS who considered them relevant.

Subseries III.6 contains reports 1898-1906 and one folder of luncheon speeches (1928) from the State Charities Aid Association, a child placing agency originally unconnected to the Children's Aid Society which merged into the CAS Adoption Services Department in 1965. The SCAA items in this subseries were transferred to CAS after the 1965 merger and were kept by CAS. The remaining files of the SCAA may have been lost or discarded. The reports in this subseries reflect the work of an agency similar in mission to the CAS, which later became part of the CAS.