CHILD WELFARE ACT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19717, 17 August 1927, Page 14

CHILD WELFARE ACT.

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.

IMPROVING THE SYSTEM.

VENUE OF CHILDREN'S COURTS

During his recent visit to Wellington Mr. C. J. Tunks specially interested himself in the bill now before Parliament to amend the Child Welfare Act, 1025. lie believes the bill, which has not yet passed its second reading, will result in some very desirable improvements being introduced into the present system of dealing with children requiring special care. The whole matter was very carefully considered by the Auckland Community Welfare Council, which was revived last month after having been allowed to lapse for a time. At a conference of representatives of some 20 Church and social organisations, the following were appointed officers of the Welfare Council:— President, Mr. Tunks; vice-presidents, Mrs. Ferner and Mr. H. Dearsly; secretary, Miss Dash; treasurer, Mr. V. T. Drew; committee, Rev. C. G. Cruicksliank, Father Holbrook, Mrs. Armitage, Miss Begg and Miss Jackson. The amendments proposed in the lull will affect the methods of conducting Children's Courts and concern all orphanages and private homes for children. Mr Tunks believes it will remove certain difficulties that have been found in the working of the Act. One proposal to which the conference referred to took exception concerns the place of holding Children's-Courts. The present Act, requires that' wherever possible such Courts are to be held elsewhere than in Court buildings. This has been found inconvenient in practice tor officials concerned, and the bill poses to allow the Children's Court to be held in a Court, although the children are to lie kept as far as possible from association with other people there. The conference recorded its judgment that this was a retrograde step and earnestly urged the Minister to retain the original provision. The conference held that to have the Children's Court in any ordinary Court would be to destroy a large part of its character and influenceTwo points emphasised by the confer enco were that no policeman in uniform should attend the Children's Court, and that there should, be no report of any kind published in the press. Mr lunks understands that no police in uniform attend the Children's Court in Duncdin. and that the press there records nothing of its proceedings. Ho is hopeful the.ie two points will receive favourable con sideration. As far as private institutions tor children are concerned, there is provision in the bill for inspection and for the approval of the Minister to be given to the plans of anv such institution about to be built. In Mr Tunks' opinion that is a step in the right direction provided right of appeal to a Supreme Court Judge is given in case of a refusal by the Minister to sanction plans. Several provisions of the bill are directly for the benefit of private institutions by giving them a certain authority over the children in their care that thev do not have at present Where a child is placed in a private institution by agreement with the parents the manager under whose control it is will have the same power and rights as a superintendent of child welfare would have, apart from actual guardianship. In the bill agreements for maintenance of children in registered homes may be enforced in the same way as an order under the Destitute Persons Act. This provides a sininle and easy procedure. The Minister of Education, the Hon. R. A. Wright, informed Mr. Tunks that when the bill had passed the second reading it wruld bo referred to the Education Committee, and then there would be full opportunity for consideration of proposed amendments.