CHILD WELFARE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 July 1925, Page 3

CHILD WELFARE.

OVER SUOQ UNDER CARE QF STATE. JIRST LEGISLATION FOR FORT'i THREE YEARS. WELLINGTON. Last Nigh'. The first, child welfare legislation since 1882 was introduced 1m the House to-day by Sir C. J. Parr, who moved the first reading of a measure on the lines indicated in the title. Sir James said the Bill’s prime object was to put what is known as the special schools branch of the Education Department on a proper footing - legislatively and to give it an efficient status. There had been no legislation since ,1882 on this matter, when the Industrial Schools Act was passed and all the' functions .of the present special schools branch had been carried out under that Statute. It was time that the legislature gave the activities of this branch some attention. In the first place, it was sought to change the name of the branch from that of the Special Schools branch to that of the Child Welfare Department, which would be a sub-department of the Mducation Department. The term "special schools” was singularly inappropriate for the work as it was to-day and it related to special institutions such as the school for the deaf at Sumner and institutions for the mentally sub-normal. In the special schools, the department had charge of about 370 boys and girls, but the department’s activities were not confined to the special schools which give it its name. The branch had supervision of over live hundred, apart from the 37U he had mentioned. When one spoke of the Education Department, the public thought that the reference was to the ordinary schools, but here they had a branch which was properly under the control of the Education Department, which had to deal with orphans, neglected and destitute children and children with anti-sociai tendencies —those children who ha.i got beyond parental control and reel aired the intervention of some authority. This sub-department of the Education Department was one of great interest and importance to the State, and it was wise that the legislature this session should devote some attention to putting it on a proper footing and; giving it increased power and authority. Foster Homes Preferred. There were about one thousand children ufider twelve months of age who were in the care of the State and many of these were unfortunately illegitimate, deserted, or else had been handed over to the care of the State. Then there ' were two thousand children of all ages, from babyhood up to sixteen years of age. These were boarded out in foster homes selected by the Department, the foster parents receiving 15/ to 17/6 per week for each child whom they clothed, fed and sent to school. The old type of semi-military industrial homes, such as Burnham, were institutions of a most undesirable type, but the number of boys in these disciplinary institutions had been reduced by 85 per cent. There were about 10 to 15 boys in those places where a few years ago they had 100. His opinion was the boardinghouse system was the right one when satisfactory foster parents could be found. The child had a better ehaiice in life and no child was boarded out unless ihe home was first inspected by the department’s boardinghouse officer (a man of experience) and by a trained nurse in the department’s employ. Every year surprise visits were paid to these foster homes to ascertain how the children were being cared for and reports were also received from headmasters as to their progress at school. Sir James said that he was indebted to the headmasters for the care and attention they had given to these orphan children. In adidtion to the two thousand children boarded out, there were one thousand in employment, mostly apprenticed. , Lastly there were about 1200 delinquent children, who had actually come before the Courts and were sent to places like Weraroa to be trained in farm work, and where their education was also attended to. “The Department,” added the Minister, "is seeking to get proper legislative authority to deal with children of this class. The expend!-, ture is about £105,000 a year on these children and against this there is recovered from parents £28,000 to £BO,OOO a year." No additional expenditure was contemplated ' under the Bill, which created a Superintendent of Child Welfare and a Deputy-Superintend-ent. This was merely giving a new name to the existing officers, but the emoluments would not be Increased. Children's Magistrate. The principal provision in the Dili was the creation of Children’s Court ;, which was rather an important matter. Up to the present, there had been no provision for dealing with children who had committed offences against the law. They were dealt with in the same manner as adults. The Bill proposed that these Children’s Courts should deal *with children on the principle that they required pro-i tection and guidance, rather than disciplinary punishment. For this purpose, a special Magistrate and welfare workers would be appointed. This did not necessarily mean increased expenditure. There were in the present Magistracy, gentlemen who were eminently suitable to take charge of Children’s Courts, which would probably be held away from • the ordinary Courts of Justice and where the whole atmosphere ot Police Courts would be absent. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr, T. M. Wilford): “They are doing tha? in America.” - In reply to a further question from Mr Wilford as to whether Women's Courts or a City Mother was to be provided for, as in America, the Minister ' replied that a Children's Magistrate would have the assistance of a skilled and qualified lady of experience, who would sit with him on the Bench to give advice from the woman’s point of view. Mr Wilford remarked that in Wellington there was one such woman, Mrs Glover. The Minister added, in reply to Mr D. G. Sullivan (Avon) that the woman would have a status equal to a Magistrate. Tire Bill provided for the Superintendent of the Child Welfare Department becoming the guardian of the children remitted to the care of the branch, but it was intended to continue the present satisfactory arrangement regarding Roman Catholic and industrial homes. Neglect and Street Trading. Births of illegitimate children would have to be notified to the Chilli Welfare Department. He confessed to some doubt as to this provision, but he had been, impressed by the figures regarding the high mortality amongst illegitimate children. There was double the mortality of illegitimate children under two to 12 montlm of age than of those born in wedlock. Me hesitated to interfere in such a delicate matter, but long experience had shown that it was necessary to have power to deal with cases of

neglect. Street trading was a matter also dealt with in the Bill. A departmental report stated that experience had shown the unrestricted attendance of children at public entertainments and the indiscriminate employment of children in various forms of street trading were the source in many instances of juvenile delinquency. Tt was proposed, therefore, to take power to deal by regulation with cases of this sort on their merits. In conclusion, the Minister intimated that it was proposed to bring feebleminded children under the control of the Eugenics Board to be set up under the control of the Minister of Health.