Record Adoptions In N.Z. Last Year

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30561, 2 October 1964, Page 10

Record Adoptions In N.Z. Last Year

(Hew Zealand Preet Association)

WELLINGTON, October 1. There were 2336 orders for adoption of children in New Zealand last year. This was a record and 240 more than in the previous year, the Superintendent of Child Welfare (Mr L. G. Anderson) said today.

It was wrong to suggest that there were thousands of babies available for adoption in Auckland, but no-one wanted to adopt them, Mr Anderson said. There was no evidence either that because of a shortage of adoptive parents many babies were becoming State wards. “Not even one baby in the whole of New Zealand has

become a State ward because of a shortage of applicants for adoption,” said Mr Anderson. The increase in adoptions last year was partly accounted for by an increase in the number of illegitimate babies, though not all the children adopted were illegitimate. There was also an increase in the number of people adopting children, a fact which did not support the contention that adoptions were losing their attraction. A recent survey of the Child Welfare Division showed there were waiting lists of applicants in every one of its 29 district offices. Fluctuations Because of fluctuations in the birth rate over the years there were not more women in the 15-29 age group which produced 80 per cent of the illegitimate babies, but there were fewer women in the 2539 age group in which 80 per cent of adoptions took place. This meant that there was a greater number of babies available for adoption but not a greater number of people in the group from which applicants would normally be drawn, said Mr Anderson. The most striking aspect of recent statistics was that, proportionately. the number of applicants was rising. In 1960, 8.6 in every 1000 women aged between 25-39 adopted a child. In 1962 the figure had risen to 10.1. In the 1950’5, when babies for adoption were scarce, the older group of women, who would want to adopt them, was greater than the younger group, in which the mothers of illegitimate babies would likely to be found. Since 1959 the position had been reversed and the present trend seemed likely to con-

tinue till 1970, said Mr Anderson. The proportion of unmarried mothers in the community had also been rising since 1951 when there were eight illegitimate births in every 1000 European women aged between 15 and 29. By 1961 that figure had risen to 11.9, with the greatest rise among women in the 17-18 age group. Among those aged 17 there had been 7.7 illegitimate births in every 1000 in 1951, but 17 in every 1000 in 1961. In the 18-year-old group the figures were 9.8 in 1951 and 20.5 in 1961.