WILLARD HOME FOR CHILDREN

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 145, 15 March 1920, Page 2

WILLARD HOME FOR CHILDREN

, W.C.T.U. EPFORT. In connection with the : report of this rest and'refreshment'departmental see.tion at the W.C.T.U.-Convention on Saturday morning,' ' Mrs." Crabbe : (actingpresident) made an appeal for idle cooperation of the union in the establishment of a children's home in Palmerston North. For some time she had had this project in mind, and such a thing was most urgently needed. Her idea was that it should take in children whoso mothers were ill or who were unable for any other reason to look after them, and help them there until they could bo r«ceivod into their own homes aeain. It would really be a kind of boarding establishment. She also wanted to provide for those children who,' under the present system were usually "boarded out." From what she had seen of this system she did not consider that it worked satisfactorily, although the Government saw to it that these homps where the children were taken in wiero registered and inspected/ As a rule -the people who took ■tho children in' were poverty-stricken, arid tried to keep body and soul together by means of tho 12*. a week they received for each child. Mrs. Crabbe thought -that these women did wonderful work—they were often very fend of the children, and did everything thev could for'them—but they had so little to live upon: so little mon?y out of which to provide, for sickatss or for food and clothing, -Nor did the Government reimburse them for fiimnoial loss. Mrs. Crnbbo told her hearers 'there were 27 of these homes in Palmerston North* also an orphanage under-tho Anglican Church, containing from 25 to *30 children. The latter home did not take in children under school ago, and it was for them J she was.anxious to make provision. Tho 1 name she proposed to give this institution was "Tho Willard Home for Children,",and she would ..lilts it to be a W.C.T.U. effort from all over the Dominion, She thought it possible that tho Goveruraont and local bodies might subsidise it, once fairly started. Mrs.■ Crabbs referred to the Children's Homo which the W.N.R. in. Wellington was establishing, and said the one she had in mind would work somewhat on (hose lines, with, in addition, the provision of; a permanent homo for'children who were in need- of it; i ■ • Mrs, Atkinson mored:—"That this convention desires to place on record its great appreciation of the effort of tho Palmerston North union to establish a home for young children, and wishes it' every success.'" Mrs. Atkinson remarked npon the difficulty of providing for very young children. She knew of no other institution that did so excent the home of the Eev. Mother Auberf"that saint of God." The'motion was carried