Issue 10 Cover Note

Substitute Mothers Program, c. 1960

Children were often hospitalized for months, and, in some cases, years. Many of the poor and overburdened parents had difficulty visiting their children, and visiting hours were strictly limited (sometimes only twice a week). The Substitute Mothers Program was created so that volunteers could spend recreational time with the children. The Substitute Mothers Program founded the Children of Bellevue program in 1949. Children of Bellevue still exists and currently funds an array of social, developmental, and medical programs for the 87,000 annual child and adolescent visits to Bellevue. This photo was most likely taken by the Saturday Evening Post in the 1950s or 1960s.