POSSIBLE INCREASE IN DELINQUENCY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23913, 3 April 1943, Page 6

POSSIBLE INCREASE IN DELINQUENCY

MINISTER ADDRESSES CHILD WELFARE CONFERENCE ( P.A:) WELLINGTON, April 2. A regional conference of officers of the child welfare branch of the Education Department was held in Wellington this week. Opening the conference the Minister of Education (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason) paid a tribute to the excellent work done by The child welfare. officers during the war years. The fact that in spite of many public statements to the contrary the latest published figures showed no increase in juvenile delinquency in New Zealand, was attributable in no stpall part, he said, to the good work- done by the child welfare branch and related social services. However, ifmust be admitted that conditions existed would make for an increase ‘in juvenile delinquency, and it would not be surprising to see something of an increase here, as there had been in both Great Britain and America. He hoped the conference would formulate measures to deal with the new problems arising. One sessiod of - the conference was devoted to a joint meeting, convened by the Minister,’df officers'of the child welfare branch’.hh(P representatives of various organisations concerned directly in child Welfare, including churches. The main purpose of the meeting was to secure grea.ter’go-ordlnation of work of all agencies dealing with children. There was general agreement on the need for improved methods of recruiting and training social workrs, ;and it is expected that the various organisations concerned will co-operdt’c in plans to meet the:prdsent urgent-needs in the field of child welfare.