CHILDREN’S REST HOME

Evening Star, Issue 23832, 12 March 1941, Page 9

CHILDREN’S REST HOME

22 YEARS OF WORK COMMITTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT The .annual report of tho Children’s Rest Home Residential Nurseries Incorporated for the year ending 1940, is as follows: It is now 22 years (November, 1918, to November, 1940) since the Children’s Rest Homo was started to provide a temporary homo for children of mothers in poor circumstances, and during that time some thousands of children have been provided for, while hundreds of mothers bave derived great benefit by knowing that their children are well cared for when they are in hospital, sanatorium, maternity honie, or in tho James Powell Rest Horae at Warrington.

A total of 42 children were provided for in the home at Highgato, Roslyn, from January 1 to June 30, 1940. Ono hundred and twenty-six children were boarded out in private homes during the 12 months ending December 31, T 940, making a total of 168 children. Tho year just closed has seen some rather important changes in connection with tho work. During the early part of the year tho ■actual number of children whom wo were asked to care for fell to a rather low figure compared with previous years. There were only 42 children provided for in the home during tho first six months. The principal-reason for this was that with the Social Security Act coming into force, every man with a family is getting not less than £4 10s per week, and no hospital or maternity fees to pay, and many mothers were able to make provision for their children themselves. Another feature is that many wives whose husbands are in war service are helping by taking charge of their relatives’ children when tho mother has to go to hospital, etc. It was obvious that if this low number of admissions to tho home continued it was not desirable to maintain such a largo establishment, and whilst the committee was considering tho best policy to adopt the Otago Hospital Board approached us as to whether the home could be made available for hospital purposes. Tho board has to make provision in its main blocks at King street for a ward for wounded and invalided soldiers from overseas.

It wished to use oar home as an auxiliary establishment. We were unable to give or lease them the home for the reason that by the deed of gift under the will , of the late Mr and Mrs A. Hill Jack it cannot be sold, mortgaged, or.otherwise disposed of. The manager assured the committee that our work could he, for the duration of the war at least, carried on without the home, and after further discussion with the Hospital Board that body decided to take the home under War Emergency Regulations. The board took possession on July Ist, 1940, for the duration of the war and until such time afterwards as will enable it to make provision to transfer the patients then there. . A satisfactory agreement was entered into whereby the buildings would be maintained in good order and restored* to us in their original good condition when finished with. Some minor alterations have been made to suit the requirements of the hoard, and everything is ready for hospital work. Tlae manager has been able to hoard out all children offering with private people. This procedure is proving satisfactory, and no deserving cases have been turned away. When we gave up the home to the Hospital Board wo had to make provision for two or three children in case of emergency until suitable homes could be found for them. The committee lias taken a five years’ lease of the promises in Moray Place above the office for this purpose. To make the premises suitable, some alterations had to bo carried out, and at the same time the premises were renovated. Being so central, the premises have proved a great convenience. Mrs Tate, the matron, is in charge, and also acts as office attendant, and is quite capable of handling cases when the manager is not available. The work is carried on just as efficiently as it has been for the last 22 years. All children under six years of age who are boarded out must he boarded in private homes licensed and supervised by the Child Welfare Department. The boarding-out system is, in the opinion of the manager after 22 years’ experience, the best possible and better for. the children than institution life. By the constitution the work is open to children of all denominations. Whore application is made for admission no question is asked as to the creed of the applicant; all children are admitted on equal terms. This is a work the Government or a public body cannot do, for if they took tho children in temporarily, and the parents did not take them when the mother recovered, they could not put them on the streets, so they would have to keep them for good. The only children the Child Welfare Department takes are those committed to the care of the Stato through the Children’s Court.. This work has been able to overcome all those difficulties for V»yer 22 years, and it is the only institution of its kind in New Zealand. The health of the children during the year has been good. In this. connection tho committee is indebted to the capabe management of the matron and staff, the foster-parents who look after the children, and to the evor-ready and generous attention of the honorary medical adviser, Dr W. H. Borric. The committee also thanks Dr D. G. M'Millan, M.P., for assisting with medical examination of children .entering the home. Lane’s emulsion and Wilson’s malt extract, which are supplied free, are very valuable donations, and have been so for 22 years. Full details of how the funds entrusted to the committee's care arc administered are sot out in the. statement of accounts, and our thanks arc due to all who have assisted during the year, to tho honorary auditor, Mr W. A. Mitson, A.P.A.N.Z., for auditing the books, and to the honorary secretary and. treasurer, Mr 11. Crooks. Reference must bo made to the memorandum in the auditor’s certificate regarding running expenses of the car. The manager has for some years been able to arrange for the adoption of children into good homes. This is not strictly Rest Home work, and is no charge on the Rest Home funds. The persons concerned make donations to show their appreciation, and these amounts meet most of the running expenses of our car. With the passing of Sir Percy Sargood this institution has lost one of its most sympathetic supporters in not only monetary gifts, which wore generous, but his sound advice and kindly interest. The manager feels he, has lost a true friend, who will be hard to replace. , , Tho public of Dunedin and the country districts have always been generous in support of this w.ork, and the com-

mittce looks forward with pleasure and conlidonco to the continuance ol this help. , , , i Tlio help of all is needed,as tho work is a good one and must be'appreciated by those in need. Tho committee commends to everybody interested in helping parents and their families when mothers have to go into hospital, sanatorium, or maternity homo this work of the Children’s Rest Home (Residential Nurseries) Incorporated. '