DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP ILLEGITIMACY FACTOR

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31330, 29 March 1967, Page 3

DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP ILLEGITIMACY FACTOR

(New Zealand Press Association)

HAMILTON, March 28.

Much could be done to reduce illegitimacy in New Zealand if parents showed more responsibility to their young daughters in the opinion of Mr A. L. Roughthwaite, District Child Welfare Officer in Hamilton.

He does not agree with recent assertions that forcing fathers to take more responsibility would reduce the incidence of illegitimacy.

“It is time that parents watched the relationship of their daughter with Tom, Dick and Harry,” he said. “And they should consider whether their own lives and interests aren’t excluding their young daughters and whether, in their desire to be popular with their children, they are not being too permissive.”

Responsible Fathers

Mr Routhwaite said he had found that some young fathers wanted to take responsibility for their illegitimate child. “Many have wanted custody of their child, but have been denied this by the mother, who has preferred to place the child for adoption,” he said.

Up until now the mother has been given sole legal guardianship. Mr Routhwaite understands that a draft amendment to the Infants Act is designed to give the father more legal rights. There is already provision for a maintenance order to be brought against the father, where fatherhood can be proved.

“If fatherhood is established, then the father is legally bound to financially support the child until it

reaches the age of 16 years,” he explained. The amount contributed is determined by the Court and varies according to circumstances. Need For Limits

Miss M. E. Harris, senior child welfare officer in Hamilton, agred that parents could help reduce illegitimacy by taking greater responsibility for their sons and daughters. “Most modern teen-agers want direction and a goal that’s reasonable, and they want their parents to set limits,” she said. The number of illegitimate children placed for adoption in New Zealand has grown every year for a number of years. In 1950 the number of adoptions totalled 406, but in 1965, it rose to 2837. Miss Harris said all registered illegitimate births were investigated by her department.

“This is done for the good of the child and the mother,” she said. “Very often the mother needs counselling and assistance with her future and that of the child. This is done confidentially.”

In some cases w'here the mother wants to keep her child, assistance is given by finding employment for the mother, and the child is

placed in a foster home. The mother contributes to the child’s upkeep and has the legal right to remove it from the foster home when she wants to.

Adoption Arranged

Where the child is placed for adoption, the department arranges this. “Very few illegitimate children are committed to the care of the superintendent of child welfare,” said Miss Harris.

“This happens only when the mother does not want the child and adoption is difficult.”

There were more illegitimate boys than girls. Of the 5635 illegitimate births in 1965, 149 were eventually legitimised. Another 1324 remained with the mother who was unmarried, but cohabiting with the father, 1098 remained with the mother, 222 were placed with relatives, 2303 were placed with strangers with a view to adoption, and 166 were placed with strangers with no expressed view to adoption. Of the remainder 56 were placed in children’s homes, registered nurseries or hospitals (some could have been defective), 13 were committed to the care of the super-

intendent of Child Welfare, 85 died, and, by the end of the year, 219 had not been fully investigated.

Nineteen to 20-year-olds provide the highest number of illegitimate births, but the incidence among much younger girls is increasing.