BOARDED-OUT CHILDREN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2556, 2 September 1915, Page 2

BOARDED-OUT CHILDREN

INSPECTION DESIRED

EMPIRE BUREAU SUGGESTED A deputation from the Wellington Hospital and Charitable - Aid Board waited on the Minister of Education (the Hon. J. A. Hanan) yesterday, with reference to the question of the board-ing-out of children. Mr. H. Baldwin (chairman of the Hospital Board) said that the boarding-out of-children tva's costing the board about £6000 a year. They were in a Way partners with tlio Education Department ; the board paid the highest share of'the cost, and raised the money byrates. They desired to have power to nominate one or two of their members to' act in conjunction with the inspector, and to visit the children from time to' time. The board wanted to know all- abolit the homes -where the children were boarded, oitt. The Rev. H. Van Staveren said that the wish'of the board was to have two ladies and tbe inspector visit the homes, and report upon the bringing up of the children. • A statement was put in by Mr. A, H. Truebridge, superintendent of the Charitable, Aid Board, in which it was stated that there were from 325 to 340 children at present under committal for whom the board paid maintenance. Detailed reference was made to the negotiations between the board and .tlio Department in tlio- past. Within the last two or three years members had heard What' had caused them disquiet. It was freely admitted that a good deal had befell hearsay, and niore or less intangible ; • proof had generally not been available. But there had been some cases not- quite of this nature, and details of such- cases were supplied; Rightly or wrongly, the board was not | satisfied wholly, and it contended that it had a right and was in duty bound to satisfy itself.- But, bo far, it had not had proper opportunity. In re-' gai'd to aii Upper B-Utt lioiiie, it was stated that this Was not a home in"; the sense implied by"; the boarding-out system; it was an institution, but without the safeguards of a properly constituted; one. - Replying to these statements, Sir E. O." Gibbes, Secretary to the Education Department, said that ho had personally known the lady responsible for the Upper Hutt home, ana lie produced photographs, and one of the children to show that great care was taken of them. The lady iu charge had independent means, but she was devoted, to the work. Tli© Hon. Sir. Hanan read letters from responsible persons,' testifying to the good stato of the Upper Hutt home,' and the boarded-out children at Levin. After further statements by. other members of the deputation,' in the course of .which it was said .that as there was taxation, the people were en-, titled to. some sympathetic touch with : the children, the Minister replied. The Minister's Reply. ■Mr. Hanan said that he thought, after what the members had heard, that they would admit the various statements niado had not had', foundation in fact. He recognised, l howover, that there was room for improvement in the system,, and hoped, if finances would permit a littlo later on,'that something would bo done in the way of appointing lady doctots, in order that somo attention might be given to the inspection of the children. .He .emphasised ' tlio supreme necessity for. taking all possible means to ensure the physical efficiency of children, and said that the child welfare problem was a nationalproblem. Some of the finest manhood, of the race was being depleted by the war, and he hoped to see a live movement set on foot for an Empire bureau' of child welfare. Such a bureau would investigate aiid report to the Departr .raent all questions relating to the health and physical well-being of the children, including'legislation in other parts of the Empire 'affecting children. He recognised the praiseworthy motive animating tho deputation, but for the reasons given ho was not inclined to recogniso the necessity 'of Charitable Aid Board inspectors being appointed. While he was not prepared to grant aiiy right of inspection, he was prepared to consider .the appointment . of suitable women as honorary inspectors.