Appeal day to aid children

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33649, 26 September 1974, Page 6

Appeal day to aid children

Last year, 1900 children were cared for by the Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic children’s homes in Canterbury.

, On October 5, the Christchurch Children’s Homes ’ ■ Appeal Trust Board will hold I its house-to-house appeal to raise funds to be distributed ( to the social service depart[lments of the four churches. J These funds are needed for maintenance of the homes and to supply the material ’ needs of the children who ! are being cared for outside ’ their own homes when their families cannot afford this. The children helped by the service are those of solo parents, deserted parents, : where parents have died or are ill, or in cases of hardship. Last year 1275 children ifrom 498 families were .1 helped to remain in their ;(own family setting, and 628 i; children were catered for in (selected foster homes or admitted to family units in one or other of the church : i homes. ■ . Children are only admitted i (to the foster or church homes ; if the social worker attached sito the child’s family feels it f | would not be in the child’s jjbest interests to stay at II home. ■i Social workers go into the i . :

, child’s home to try to sort out the problems which are causing unhappiness. They hold family conferences and therapy sessions to bring the problems out in the open. Sometimes a temporary separation is necessary and if this is not successful children are placed in the foster homes or church homes. Before October 5 hundreds of children will distribute envelopes to homes in Christchurch, the outskirts of the city and the Lyttelton area. On the collection day, October 5, about 100 churches will send teams to collect the envelopes. The country areas will ( receive their envelopes by j post and people from their i local churches will collect them.