NEWS FOR WOMEN COUNCIL OF WOMEN

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25677, 14 December 1948, Page 2

NEWS FOR WOMEN

COUNCIL OF WOMEN

CORRESPONDING SECTION TO BE FORMED A decision to form a corresponding section of its organisation was made by the Christchurch branch of the National Council of Women at a short business meeting which preceded its Christmas party last evening. The decision was the result of inquiries about the National Council of Women from Mrs Hoskins, president of the Picton branch of the Women’s Division of Federated Farmers, and Mrs Hoskins will be the first member of the section. Child Welfare Work In a letter to the branch, the Dominion secretary of the New Zealand National Council of Women brought to the attention of members several matters that were referred to at the Dominion conference in Auckland, including child welfare and foster homes. It had been agreed by the conference, she said, that the National Council should sponsor a campaign throughout New Zealand for foster homes, and submit to the Child Welfare Department the names of persons willing to take a child, or children. This would be a local work, and names would be submitted by the different branches of the National Council to their local child welfare authorities. The letter added that this was a magnificent opportunity to help some of New Zealand’s own unhappily placed children to restore them to mental and physical health. Although this would be local work, the Dominion executive would like to hear from branches how the campaign was working. Information on child welfare and foster homes in New Zeaalnd was attached to the agendas given to members. It was stated that many private institutions registered under the Child Welfare Act were handicapped at present by lack of staff, and many had had to curtail admissions and even close down part of their premises. Therg were three systems of boarding out children under the Infants Act, 1908, including the private placement of children in foster homes, which was sometimes done temporarily when parents were ill, away, or forced to work, or when the children were born out of marriage. In 1946-47 there were about 2000 children placed in 826 licensed homes in this way. In the same period the Child Welfare Department had guardianship of 2444 children who were State wards boarded out in foster homes, and a total of 2685 children were cared for in 80 private institutions registered under the Child Welfare Act. 1925 (including Anglican, Presbyterian, etc.).