This book is a full-scale historical portrait of the Jewish Child Care Association of New York, a voluntary agency begun in 1822 as the Hebrew Benevolent Society. The Association's history reveals patterns of development which are almost identical with the history of child welfare services in the United States; it is, today, one of the largest and most diversified voluntary child welfare agencies in the country. The 11 chapters of the book are as follows: I. "By Their Own Nation"--the history of the founding of the Hebrew Benevolent Society in New York City; II. The Great Orphanages; III. The Changing of the Guard--in 1899 when new administration entered the Jewish orphanages; IV. Exploring New Territory--the Pleasantville institution and its cottage program and academic curriculum; V. Institution or Foster Home?--the Home Bureau program; VI. What Kind of Institution?; VII. The Battling Thirties--problems during the depression, which spurred the development of the social work profession and led toward a merger of the New York Jewish community's services to its dependent children; VIII. The Rights of Infants; IX. One from Many--the forming of a single child care agency from five; X. Opening Doors--changes in types of facilities and services available to children; and XI. Where Have All the Orphans Gone?--Jewish orphanages have vanished to be replaced by family-like settings. An outline of Child Care Services Merged into the Jewish Child Care Association of New York, 1822-1970, is provided, as is a bibliography and a subject index. (DB)