EPIDEMIC ORPHANS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9478, 16 December 1918, Page 5

EPIDEMIC ORPHANS.

PROVISION. MADE FOR ADOPTION

The Hon. -G. W. Russell/ Minister of Internal Affairs, referring •on Sunday to what was to be done in regard-to the:orphans left aa a result of the epidemic, - stated that proposals- made- by him-had .been fully accepted by the Caliinet last Friday. Mr Russell first mentioned that .tlecisions in regard torelief, moneys had been- telegraphed on Saturday, and the proposals in regard to orphans had been briefly stated. Amplifying these, the Minister said that' orphans and children Jeft in circumstances, of distress by the. death of the fiather or mother-would practically become, wards of the: State. The organisation of tin? scheme \\-ould be in the 1 hands of the Education Department. . which, under the Act, had the necessary machinery and staff to carry out the scheme. The Public Health-

■ wtrald provide the. whole of the funds. . -

Talcing fir.sb the- case,, of orphans -or children who are not adopted by relatives. Mr Russell .indicated that these would, through the Education Department, be licensed for a- probationary period to suitable people, bearing in mind the parentage.of children, so that! the slfiill be ..located.in a.rank.of life .'similar to or better' than.that; to which they were born. The objectof the Government was to give the m'phans a home life rather than an institutionu.l one. Already a number of applications' had been received from people ' who wished to adopt children under the scheme. It is a rule of the. Education; 'Department that .persons shall not be allowed to 1 adopt a child' until the*'close, of what is termed a probationary period, during which the lady inspectors' department exercised | supervision. When the adoption takes place it is not usual for payment to be' made to, the foster parents. The policy will be., where payment may be made for main ten a nee or otherwise, for the claim, to be tinder the War Pensions Act, at the rate of 10s 6d a week for a child. In the case of a child who has lost its father in the epidemic the same principle shall apply, except that the mother will be entitled .to the widow's pension, and the difference between the widow's pension and the 10s 6d will.be paid, by the State. In the case of deathl of the mother" and the father requiring assistance in his home for bringing up his children,, assistance would be on the same lines, in order that the children .might not suffer through - the . loss of, their mother. It had been laid down, that boys should be assisted until they, were 16 years of age, and girls until they were 18, the idea being that boys should continue at school till they.: were of an. age when they could earn money, while girls were not expected to make provision for themselves . until they were 18. Oases would be reviewed annually, and considerations would" be adjusted in the ; event of a father or mother re-marry-. ing. Tho . Minister, remarked that the ; scheme would be sympathetically, ad\ministered by his colleague, the Hon. ;.T. A. Hana-n,,and.his staff, .which wasi | specially qualified to undertake the iwork. \ •■-■'■';

', All hospital boards and mayors of cities and towns of the Dominion had ;been invited to submit lists of cases j under .the scheme, by consent also of the Public Health Department. By new machinery in ' Parliament the cases. would •be handed" over to the Public Health Department.. The country would no doubt approve of the principle by which the children would not be dealt with under the ordinary law regarding charitable aid. , Mr E.ussell added that he could not close his eyes to the fact that in the adoption principle the Government was opening ■the' door to what seemed *tlie proper treatment of orphans: and destitute; children. The policy laid down for sufferers by the epidemic shoixldbe regarded. as ' applicable to all children who suffered through accident and death, and he hoped" it would become the policy of the future in New Zealand. Orphan children should certainly not be, dealt with ort;the lines of.-'chant-, .able aid. •■••.-'-;.■''.•'*-;-''"' "■/-. '■-■■•::■'''■ ->-;