In addition to these significant activities, outstanding progress has
been made in reference to the care of mentally ill children since 1950.
At the beginning of this ten year period there were no specialized facili-
ties for the in-patient psychiatric treatment of children in the hospitals
under the authority of the department of mental hygiene. In 1953 one
of the recommendations of the Lemkau Report of the Baltimore Council
of Social Agencies was that an in-patient treatment center for emotion-
ally ill children be established under the auspices of the Department of
Mental Hygiene. This center, known as the Esther Loring Richards
Children's Center, has now been established and is located on the prop-
erty of Rosewood State Training School. It received its first patients in
September 1958 and is now operating as an important adjunct to our
State system. As one treatment center cannot meet the many needs, a
second building was approved by the Legislature in 1958 for the long
term care of emotionally disturbed children. Ground was broken for
this building early in 1959, and it is expected to receive its first patients
sometime during 1960. The department, therefore, has one service for
the relatively short term care of emotionally disturbed children who can
be helped in an open type hospital setting, and will have, in a short
period of time, a treatment facility for the longer term care of emotion-
ally ill children.

Services to the mentally retarded have also been improved. Eleven
new buildings have been erected at Rosewood State Training School
making possible, greatly improved care.

One of the basic needs of all our children, of all people for that matter,
whether they are young or old, is for recreation and relaxation. One
very worthwhile contribution of State government to the recreational
needs of children, is made through the parks and recreation areas oper-
ated by the Department of Forests and Parks. Over the ten years, since
the White House Conference of 1950, such areas have been expanded
greatly and their use has increased spectacularly. Each improvement
has provided more picnic areas, more camp sites and additional beach
and play areas for family use. Young people not only want to play, they
also want to work, and they should have opportunities for doing so. I
am a firm believer in the therapeutic value of hard work, and I am
convinced that wise employment can go far toward helping young people
get a better start in life....

There is much that the public through state and local services, can
and is doing to assist with the employment of young people. Basic to
this effort is the good work being done in our educational system to
prepare young people for work experience. Of importance, too, are

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