WAIFS AND STRAYS.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14379, 12 June 1912, Page 4

WAIFS AND STRAYS.

SAVING THE CHILDREN* "Committed to the Receiving Home." The newspapers inform the public that somo children have appeared before the Magistrate, and that the problem of their maintenance and upbringing has been solved in those few words. What is the fate of children sent to the Receiving Home.' The public has a vague* idea that they are boiii'. sent to some institution where they will be "looked after."' and instructed in the way they should go. The rublic does not know whero the Receiving Home is, or what it is like, but it does know that it is a placo for the reception of poor children, many <.f whom have been more sinned against than sinning. Their only sin is that of being born into this world. They are the tender unfortunates who have been left without parents or friends, or whose parents have -shown themselves unfit to have in their hands the care and keeping of children. Now, the Receivin*. Homo, structurally, has not yet attained to the dii-nitV of an institution. Imagination u-riv con Hire up a. fine brick and stone edifice, but the sober fact remains that the Home consists of two oroinary dwellings. They are situated in 1*1t7.----"■orald avenue, and there is nothing to distinguish them externally from the neighbouring buildin..s. But inside there is a collection of small humanity, to whom the Government of the Dominion stands iv loco parentis. Thenare at present only fourteen children in residence, but the Home has the actual oversij-ht of a small army of boys and girts "201 boys and 175 girls, to get down to statistics. There aro _o boys and .1G girls out at service, and 14.1 boys and 108 _irls are "hoarded out. Somo children are allowed to go to friends for a time, on licence, and if they do well they .ire discharged. At present -6 children are licensed out in this way. Then there .are ten boys under the ijuardianship of foster narents. and ' other institutions for vomig people are taking care of 16. " The Homo has no rule as to the age of children which may come under its protecting shadow. Quite recently a babe which had just opened its eyes on the world w.-.- 'vam.Tnittcd" there, and a foster, mother was found for it. Foster -'-treats are discovered for quite a lot of little ones. Experience has shown that thc-e foster parents become quite attached to tho little strangers, and lc--.il adoption is not infrequently the i upshot. The mnnii'-er (M.ss, Cox) has ' received onite a budget of photographs from fester parents depicting their | little .-har<-es" in conventional photo-f-ronhic attitudes, hut with the look of lienlth and the -.mile of happiness about , them. Boys nnd girls under fourteen i are sent to school, hut after that they | are Trained, the boys to some trado, | and the girls to service. I Romance occasional!*- visits oven tho Receiving Homo. Boys and girls have a habit of growing up. and they assume i tho res**i,n*-ibilities of manhood and l womanhood. It sometimes happens j that when a girl who has once been ! in tho Home wishes to get married, sho ! expresses r wish to he married ' from I the Homo.'' On those occasions M"- c s I Cox attends the ceremony, "gives the bride nn-av," and wishes her every happiness. Miss Cox has officiated in this wav no fewer than eight times, and she and the matron have occupied scats oi honour in many bridal groups. When boys and _irls are sent out to situations, the manager collects a cer-t-v'n proportion of their earnings every nun iter, and banks the money in the Savings Bank. It is deposited to tho credit of the boy or gi'l. and is allowed to aecumhlato until the control of the Home over the inmate censes, at tho nire of 21. The money need not nccess.irily he paid over then, but it ii held until it can be used by tho owner for pome special and approved purpose. For instanco. a z'rl about to get married will receive enough to purchase her trousseau, and the balance will lie handed over to her to commence her housekeeping with. It has happened i that yon ns: people have received from £<30 to £70" in* earnings and interest which had accumulated to their credit. The children in the Home look well and happy. It is wonderful what a difference even a few days of kindly treatment and proper feeding Avill make in .1 child. The man.i-.er and matron are both-br-lievors in the boarding-out sysi t'*m. They judge it by results, a-nd they say the results aro good. There are a few failures, but these cases aro ■ rruickly detected, and changes made, i The Receiving Home itiself is rather . small for the big work it has to peri form. Tiie present premises are "tern; porary," hut they havo been in use for - ..even years—a period which has an . r-tmosphere of permanency aliout it. l There is rather a multiplicity of chil- ■ dr'en's homes in Christchurch, but ■ among thorn all the Receiving Home < takes a high place for tho work it per- - forms and the aims it has in view.