Special Scheme To Protect Children

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31348, 19 April 1967, Page 3

Special Scheme To Protect Children

(New Zealand Frets Association)

AUCKLAND, April 18.

Lady Fergusson had consented to give her name to a special scheme aimed at the prevention of parental cruelty toward children, it was announced at the official opening of the national conference of the Federation of the New Zealand Societies for the Protection of Home and Family today.

The conference was opened by the GovernorGeneral (Sir Bernard Fergusson) and the announcement of the Lady Fergusson scheme was made by the federation president the Rev. Father L. V. Downey).

Father Downey said there would be a home-visiting scheme with trained volunteers advising parents on family problems which could result in the conviction of parents on the grounds of cruelty to children. Investigation Made

Lady Fergusson was alarm-, ed with the growth in incidents of child cruelty and seven months ago asked the Justice Department to investigate the problem. A steering committee headed by a senior magistrate, Mr L. G. H. Sinclair, was set up with representatives from most of Auckland's social services.

The project had been granted £l5OO from the Golden Kiwi lottery, but the committee expected to have to call on the public for support in the near future, said Father Downey. Marital Problems “By visiting homes -we expect to avert the problem,” he said. “By helping to solve marital problems and other disturbances within the home we hope to get to the root of the problem.” The committee expected to call another meeting soon involving a wider cross-section

of the community and at this meeting is it hoped to elect an advisory board to administer the work through its initial stages. “This is a long-term project and considerable thought is going into finding not only the right trainees but also the tutors,” said Father Downey. “We will be looking for people with some sort of medical qualifications for trainees but friendliness and understanding will be two other major considerations," he said.