The 'Better Baby' Campaign Hits Washington
Public health advocates bypass large gatherings to promote child welfare through a state-wide registration test.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The State Federation of Women’s Clubs has heard the call from the Children’s Bureau for a 'Better Baby Campaign' for 1917. Because of a recent epidemic of anterior poliomyelitis (polio), the committee has decided to avoid large gatherings of children. Instead, the campaign will feature a house-to-house canvass to verify the registration of births. Mrs. N. S. McCready of Snohomish has been appointed as state chairman, and local representatives like Mrs. J. L. Johnson of Kennewick will lead efforts in their respective communities. The campaign slogan remains 'Better Parents, Better Babies, Better State.'
“The mere business of being a baby is classified as an extra-hazardous occupation.”
In 1917, community organizers faced a dilemma we know well: how to maintain public health and civic engagement during a viral epidemic. Their move to pivot from public events to localized, home-based welfare efforts reflects the evolving strategies of early 20th-century public health campaigns.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.