EVACUEE CHILDREN

Grey River Argus, 11 September 1940, Page 6

EVACUEE CHILDREN

N.Z. Offers FOR ADOPTION. WELLINGTON September ID. Included in several thousand offers received by the Government to provide homes for unspecified British children who are to be evacuated to New Zealand, there are inquiries as to whether some of the children, being probably orphans, could be adopted by foster parents in the Dominion. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. W. E. Parry, stated to-night that, though there seemed to be much in favour of adoption in the case of orphans, it was not the wish of the British Government that any of the children coming to New Zealand under the scheme should remain in the Dominion permanently, but rather that they should return to England on the termination of the war. The names of the persons who had indicated a desire to adopt children given to their care had been specially listed. The Government, at present, could not give an assurance that any children would bo available for adoption. If it was subsequently possible to conclude an arrangement for adoption, then, in the event of a child being suitable, and the foster parents satisfactory in all respects, adoption might be allowed, subject to the safeguards which were already provided in the case of adoption ot New Zealand orphan children, and anv additional safeguards which might be deemed necessary with iegard to British children. The M'nister praised the feeling displayed by New Zealand mothers wishing to adopt children who had been bereft of their parents through the war.