Handicapped Trusteeship

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32076, 26 August 1969, Page 20

Handicapped Trusteeship

Seventy-one children had entered the Intellectually Handicapped Children’s Society’s trusteeship scheme since it began a year ago, the gen-eral-secretary of the society (Mr R. G. Mathews, of Weilington) told about 40 persons in Christchurch last evening. He was speaking at a meeting organised by the Canterbury branch of the society. “This is more than we expected and it is most encouraging,” he said. “More children are now being entered regularly.” Mr Mathews said that the scheme, which would ensure ithat care was taken of the intellectually handicapped child after the death of the parents, was similar to a scheme in the United Kingdom run by the National Society for Mentally Handicapped. The entry fee of $lOOO would provide for the welfare visitors who would supervise the child’s well-being after the parents’ death and other benefits and services as the trustees saw fit.

Mr Mathews said that it was expected that all the children would be visited in the next six - to eight months and that this would be gradually built up to regular visits. It was also hoped to hold a course for the social workers in Wellington within the next six to eight months.