No hospital, nor any person connected with any hospital, shall place children for adoption or for care in foster family homes, or shall place children anywhere other than in the custody of their mothers, unless the hospital shall also be licensed as a child welfare agency, pursuant to the “Child Care Act”, approved July 10, 1957, as amended, or unless the written consent of the State Department of Children and Family Services be first had and obtained; provided, that any hospital may release children therefrom to a licensed child welfare agency.