THIRD EDITION. THE DERELICT CHILD.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 251, 22 October 1926, Page 11

THIRD EDITION. THE DERELICT CHILD.

TIES THAT DO NOT BIND.

PROBLEM FOB SOCIAL

WORKERS.

TEMPORARY HOME SUGGESTED.

"You;would need to roof the Albert Park- over to house the children that parents want to get rid of. There are. gqnietwomen who will move heaven and earth; to get' rid of their children, and you wpuld. next see them going about, beautifully: dressed." This cynical comment', was made. by a prominent Auckland,, social worker this morning in referring to an obvious trend on the part of some parents to shelve their family responsibilities in regard to their children.

"One, of the great problems is the derelict!' child,"- said. the City Miseioner (R,ev.. Jasper Calder), "and it has made apparent the'need of .the establishment of a, temporary home where children in unfortunate circumstances can be placed until:final arrangements are made, in connection with- them."

Mr..Calder said that the only homes at present'available for the purpose were those controlled ;by different religious bodies,,, and - although they were doing splendid.-work,,there was still need for something. more. These homes were, howeVer, not strictly, insistent in regard to , the "denominational basis, and gave help irrespective of creed. Mr. Calder 6iiid that the new home that he had in mind was- one that would shelter under its wing all classes and creeds, until the children could'be drafted to a more permanent: abode. ' '

Callous Parents. "Now -and again we -come across cases where parents are. absolutely callous, and my-experience-has been thai women are no better than the men," proceeded ilrv Calder. "It may be in the first cases that a man and a.woman were unBuit'ed' for one another, but I cannot understand how any parent could leave little children to fend for themselves. No. doubt, much of family troubles arises out of sheer fdree of. circumstances, and often unemployment, or insufficient employment for the breadwinner has a great deal, to do with it."

Mr.* Caliler said that it' was necessary to strike, one, note of warning from the social.- workers' viewpoint in connection with. the. '-. proposed home that he had alluded to. No encouragement should be offered to callousness, and it should, nor be made, easy for a drunken husband or a lazy wife to place a child in the care of somebody else without' financial obligations. !. !i ; '' .

Continuing, jhe said that he was saddened /to think that. there was a drift from the tradibnal British home with its beauties, and joint responsibility, and he was afraid that much of it was due to the modern trend on the part of parents to'be:eternally seeking pleasures' for themselves. . ■

" YeV>:apAft from* the derelict child, we have our difficulties in connection with/ (children who ..do. jjpjfc. come under thatt/category,"- added Mr. Calder. "There are many cases where parents issiierarily are unable to take care of thefr cfiilrfje, ani one of the difficulties' that we hare is to know what to do with them, seeing that a* ye* tkere is no insti-tution,-that-could be solely used for the particular purpose." .

Sister Esther'? Views. ' Sister Esther, .■ on being approached, agrfeed that a home on the lines that Mr. Caldcr ; had' rhentlonod would have much to commend it, although she stated that there Were at present different ways for dealing with the derelict child. She considered that the. whole thing came under; a troad heading. For instance, a mother 'iWjha-! was .deyqted, to her children? ntight be sent.,to a hospital, and ofte"n ■ there t immediately. rose the question.- of.• caring 'for, the children. " Then we ha<;e*£(M6ok] round for somebody to tajskcharge of them,";said Sister Esther, "aiid! vre'-Save : never had'a case of a chUd-be]ng v . left .without a shelter."

,siMgr; Esther,considered that modem; family JJf c, often in rooms, a flat or a shared" house, had an undermining influenefe in" regard to parents, and during the .jftßt*'iew-^eaTS.-there had been an extraordinary number of applications from parehte who; wished to have their children .adopted. . Her opinion was that women,as >a rule, had more love for , children :than. men, and she had known oi V.cases; of \ mothers who had made extraordinary sacrifices in order to have their children with them,

'"-. "S&me °of= the women of Auckland seem tovb^'3aiz<fmS,d," said another Auckland social: worker "in discussing the subject of family responsibilities, adding that they}' seemed -to regard children as a nuisance':;. The same speaker referred to ahofjier aspect, and - pointing to a fourrodrijed^house'nearby, said: "Ten years ago W&t- place let' for 11/G a week. the rent- is £2 a week." and there aje stwoj-families living in it." The speaker ;■ addeil i as"' : a > considered opinion tnat , much* of the present-day trouble was due fact tnatl people in poor circumstances could- not get a proper home tojiye in. ■ :'",'.' .

Waif6"From Whangarei,

.' One-partjcrilarly. sad. case came under notice during the present" weefc A man "Mft bis. wife at Whangarei, and the latt«r~ l <found: herself with five young cfiiWren: on her. hands. Although ill and unable' to ;do miicfr works she- bravely took cMrge of the two youngest children, one tieirig a ba"by in: arms. The three elder children, whose ages ranged from eight ;to : were -up.to Auckland arrangements having c been made in advance: to Shelter them at the Children VHome at Richmond Road. This rhome, controlled by' the' Church of England authorities, is devoted to girls, aad:'they ,ar«i taken irrespective of religioue denomination. At- present there are 66 -inmates there, but if the number at any. Time 1 reached 74 the accommodation;. 1 would ,be - taxed 'to- its utmost, the present margin being, therefore, a somewhat slender one. ' . .. ■

.: Throughout the city the social workers pay; a'warm ( tribute to. various organisations who assist them, apart from the police, the Education Department, and the j Auckland Hospital- Board.. Particularly warm appreciation is expressed by the work that is being carried on by the "Big Sister", movement.