ADOPTION OF CHILDREN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20450, 3 July 1928, Page 10

ADOPTION OF CHILDREN.

PRECAUTIONS FOR THEIR WELFARE. “ BABY FARMING ” VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, July 2. When discussing the problems of child welfare Mr J. Beck, superintendent of the child welfare branch of the Education Department, denied that the payment of foster parents led to what is generally known as “ baby farming.” Mr Beck said that naturally the majority of foster parents could not afford to take children without some remuneration. Neither was it desirable that they should, as the child might thereby suffer. Those who could afford to do so adopted children, but in many cases the magistrate fixed a weekly sum to be paid for the support of the child. This averaged 15s a week, more or less, according to circumstances. “In addition,” said Mr Beck, ‘we provide medical attendance and school books and the initial outfit. The sum is adequate, but not enough to tempt the cupidity of a person not fond of children. We have framed laws in every wav to protect the children and prevent any traffic in babies. For instance, a mother cannot leave her child under six years for any period longer than seven days even with a friend without registering the home with the child welfare branch. That may seem unnecessarily stringent, but the law was framed in the interests of children in general and not to meet isolated cases. If a premium is paid when a child is adopted the lunip sum is left with .the department and paid out by weekly instalments. Should the child die before the sum is exhausted the surplus is returned to the giver. Occasionally advertisements appear in newspapers offering infants for adoption, showing that there is still some traffic in babies. We would like to make such advertisements illegal, as they have done in some of the Australian States. Tbe advertisements, usually refer to unwanted illegitimate children.”