CARE OF ORPHANS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18180, 28 August 1922, Page 3

CARE OF ORPHANS.

Sir,—l was indeed pleased to sej your article in Saturday's BbsalJ) re "Boarded OuV Children." Attfae tano \ of the great* epidemic ia 191B ; publio' : opinion was aroused Utmost to paaio tern-" perature, but \he orphan wards of the community have not, yet had a. square deal. Betore any Government help would, be given by "the Education Department that dispenses the epidemio vote it was .- ■* decreed that there must first be "formal * * coinmittal to a Stato. Receiving Home'!., and thea boarding out £o a foster home- v." The Protestant orphanages of Auckland / i resolutely «, refused to submit their epidemic orphans to the stigma of a Goust ' committal, and all tbo Auckland Protestant homes still care for epidemic orphans whom- they have saved from Court com- " mittals without receiving any Government or outside aid. Tbo great increase in orphan population due to the epidemio plus the closing of industrial-schools with the consequent boarding oat of the inmates necessarily, under the Government's policy, created a larger number of foster homes in New Zealand- I have no quarrel with the boarding out system. It is ideal in theory. Many oases can easily bo found where lovo for the helpless child and not love of gain are the controlling factors ; but this does not alter the fact that careful selection, supervision and inspection is entailed by such a system. Now, Saturday's article contains unwelcome news, viz. the proposed retrenchment of an officer whose the inspection of foster homes, an officer held in the highest respect and. esteem by all classes of the community for her experienced and sympathetic handling_ of difficult cases. The question is is this officer to bo replaced by a cheaper and less experienced official, or is the work to be handed on to another fully occupied official? Retrenchment in many Government departments was, we all admit, necessary, but not here. It requires strengthening rather than weakening. • How many visits can such an officer in widely scattered districts with indifferent roads pay to each child during the year? A monthly visit which should be the irreducible minimum appears a physical impossibility. The pnblio has a right to know and must know if the supervision of boarded out children is to be curtailed. If' it is exijected that the present members of the local staff are to do the workjjJnen it is making impossible and uhfiHF demands upon them. I have not broached any guch officials and do not know their opinions, but my experience has shown me. that they are loyal and devoted workers, sympathetic and kindly and accomplishing splendid service for the community, Is, the value of this work to be lessened *y overloading and attempting to carry on the work of the retrenched officer? Certainly the community is under deep* obligation to Mias Spieer and Mr. Cupitt for giving their valuable information. While differing from some of Mr. Cupitt's expressed opinions, I heartily concur with the stress he ; lays on the need of speciaJismc and the need of specialised in- * stitutions. Your head master also deserves public thanks for his concise expression of opinion. P. R. Jewbets.