Chap. 238.—An ACT to amend Chapter 105, as heretofore amended, of the Acts
of the General Assembly of 1922, approved February 27, 1922, relating to the
powers and duties of the State Board of Public Welfare and of local boards of
public welfare, by adding thereto a new section, numbered 14-a, authorizing
local boards of public welfare to engage in certain child welfare activities, and
to amend and re-enact Section 15 thereof, as heretofore amended, relative to the
powers and duties of local superintendents of public welfare. [H B 27]

Approved March 18, 1942

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That chapter
one hundred and five of the Acts of the General Assembly of nineteen
hundred and twenty-two, approved February twenty-seventh, nineteen
hundred and twenty-two, as heretofore amended, be amended by adding
thereto a new section, numbered fourteen-a, and that section fifteen
thereof, as heretofore amended, be amended and re-enacted, as follows:

Section 14-a. Local boards certified as public child welfare agen-
cies —Any county or city board of public welfare shall have the right
to accept for placement in suitable family homes or institutions, subject
to the supervision of the Commissioner of Public Welfare and in accord-
ance with rules prescribed by the State Board of Public Welfare, such
persons under eighteen years of age as may be entrusted to it by the
parent, guardian, or other person having legal custody thereof, or com-
mitted by any court of competent jurisdiction. Such county or city board
of public welfare shall, in accordance with the rules prescribed by the
State Board of Public Welfare and in accordance with the parental
agreement or court order by which such person is entrusted or committed
to its care, have custody and control of the person so entrusted or com-
mitted and accepted until he is lawfully discharged, has been adopted, or
has attained his majority.

Section 15. Powers and duties of local superintendents.—Each
county and city superintendent of public welfare shall be the executive
officer of the board appointing him. Before entering upon the discharge
of his duties, every such superintendent shall take the usual oath of office
before the circuit court of the county or the corporation, hustings or other
court having criminal jurisdiction of the city, for which he was appointed,
or the judge thereof in vacation, and shall also enter into bond with
surety to be approved by the court or judge, in such sum as the court or
judge may fix, conditioned upon the faithful discharge of his duties.
Every such superintendent is hereby vested with the powers of a police
officer or constable. Under the supervision, control and direction of such
local board, and in cooperation with other public and private agencies,
he shall have power, and it shall be his duty:

(a) To have the care and supervision of the poor and to administer
the funds heretofore administered by the overseers of the poor.

(b) To supervise the placement in suitable homes of children
entrusted or committed to the local board pursuant to section fourteen-a.

(c) Under the direction of the State Board of Public Welfare, to
look after and supervise the conditions of persons paroled from hospitals
for the insane and colonies for the epileptic and feeble-minded, and from
other State institutions. |

(d) To act as the agent of the State board in relation to any work
to be done by said board within the county or city.

(e) To have oversight of persons in the county or city released
from the industrial schools.

(f) Under direction of the State board to have supervision of
dependent children placed in the county or city by the State board.

, (g) To assist the State board in finding employment for the unem-
ployed.

(h) To investigate the causes of distress, under the direction of
the State board, and to make such other investigations as the State board
may direct.

(i) To perform those services required of probation officers with
respect to juvenile and domestic relations courts established by Chapter
four hundred eighty-three, Acts of Assembly, nineteen hundred and
twenty-two.

(j) To foster cooperation and intelligent division of work between
all public and private charitable and social agencies in the county or city
to the end that public resources and charitable donations may be con-
served and the needs of the county or city be adequately cared for.

The records of the cases handled and business transacted by the
local superintendent shall be kept in such manner and form as may be
prescribed by the State Board of Public Welfare. He shall each year
prepare and keep on file a full report of his work and proceedings Curing’
the year, and shall file one copy of such report with the county clerk, or
the clerk of his corporation or hustings court, and another with the State
Board of Public Welfare.