Scots girl to join foster parents

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33095, 9 December 1972, Page 22

Scots girl to join foster parents

(Special Crspdt. N.Z.P.A.) GLASGOW, Dec. 7. A seven-year-old Scots girl who had to be left behind when her foster parents emigrated to New Zealand will be reunited with them for Christmas. The Lanarkshire County Council authorised this at its meeting at Hamilton, near Glasgow, today, to end weeks of waiting for the child. The County Council is taking the unusual step of paying her air fare to New Zealand. Mr James Gregory, Lanarkshire’s director of social work, said: “We are delighted that things have worked out so well for the child. First we had to consult the child’s real parents, for no local authority would disregard their wishes.” The foster parents had cared for the girl for more than a year before emigrating to New Zealand. They wanted to take her with them, but this could not be done for the Lanarkshire County Council had first of all to get authority, not only from the Government but from the girl’s relatives. As this would take some time, and the foster parents were unable to delay their departure, they had to leave with-

out the child. She has since been looked after by friends. An international social services organisation supplied background details of childwelfare services in New Zealand, which would supervise the fostering on behalf of the Lanarkshire County Council. Mr Gregory said: “If things don’t work, we will bring the child back. It is an interesting experience for us — our main aim was to get the child out before Christmas. “We had to get the per-

mission of the Secretary of State for Scotland and we also had to contact her relatives so that they could be consulted as well.’’ The Lankarkshire County Council would not name the girl today, nor the town in New Zealand where she will go. There were humane reasons for this, but a spokesman did say that the girl was very happy when told that she would be spending Christmas in New Zealand.