SICK MOTHERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 204, 29 August 1941, Page 9

SICK MOTHERS

Residential Nursery For Children

The urgency of the need for a residential nursery in Auckland for children of sick mothers, was shown yearly at a meeting of women vesterday when it was decided to form such a n Ursery The mectj called by the Public Health Group or the Registered Nurses' Association to discuss the matter, and was attended by representatives from women's organisations. The Ma3'ores.s. Mrs. J A C Alhim 2T*s ded. and said that she wa\ p" rschenS V ShT m f Ch l ? favour of the seneme. She referred to an offer of a donation already promisedl her by a gentleman if such a nurscrv wore established. nursciy o ¥). ss H- Chapman, representing the Public Health Group, explained that anH UP .misled'of between 40 and 50 registered nurses of various social and welfare services. They look•/?£,? for someonl to look after their children when the mother had to go to hospital. f«?ji net j n ?i eß tUe only solution was for the father to remain at home to care for the children, with a resultant loss of wages. In most case; however, the children were eventuDepartment n ° by the WelfarG Issue of Warrant Miss Chapman then made a disclosure which, judging from the reactions of the women present, will probably appall many people. It was that the Child Welfare officers had to take out a warrant for a child's arrest before the child could be taken to a receiving home. In the same way, when the child left the l\? me, . a d'scharge had to be granted through the Court. "Auckland to-day." went on Miss Chapman, "has 16,600 children under nve years of age. There are only two registered private reeciving homes the charges being respectively £1 15/ and £3 10/ per week. The task of finding suitable foster homes at very short notice is almost impossible at times."

Miss Chapman referred to a residential nursery which had been suc- ; cessfully run in Wellington for 22 years. It was maintained by means of various grants, including one from the Rotary Club, annual subscribers, and a portion of art union funds. The Public Health Group had thought of running the proposed Auckland nursery on similar lines, said M'~-• "'"Oman. Accommodation for about 20 children was needed, and a charge would be made according to parents' ability to pay. It was hoped that a large private home might be obtained. Congested Areas Strong approval of the proposed nursery was given by the Rev. H. Johnson, of the Dock Street Health Centre. He stressed the detrimental effect on a mother's health of worry as to what would happen to her children while she was in hospital. The dreadful conditions under which people were living in the congested areas aggravated the need for a homo such as was proposed. Ten thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight people were living in these areas and 786 condemned houses accommodated over 800 families. "The Government subsidises industries, helps firms to their feet after a disaster. It is no less a national duty to care for the mothers and children, the most important people in the community," said the speaker. An alternate scheme, that of "boarding out" children in foster homes was proposed by Mr. S. Dunkley, manager of the Children's Rest Home Residential Nursery in Dunedin. He said that he had found the "boarding-out" scheme to be the most satisfactory. Both the delegates and other speakers at the meeting, however, felt that this system had definite drawbacks, one being that in many cases the addition to the income would be the main reason for people taking in children, and this was not desired. Also, as Auckland was much larger than Dunedin, the need for a nursery was greater. It was agreed that the "boardingout" system might later be an extension of the work. A temporary committee was set up to go into the ways and means of commencing the project and will submit its findings in about two months' time. The committee comprised:—Miss H. Chapman, Miss E. Melville, Mrs. T. J. G. Neill, Mrs. A. M. Hutchinson, Mrs. J. T. F. Mitchell, Mrs. E. R. Sawer, Dr. Elizabeth Hughes, Mrs. Archie Campbell, Miss Sydney Lusk, Mrs. R. B. Wilson, Mrs. A. D. Campbell and Mrs. Bevan.