HAPPY HOMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27091, 27 May 1949, Page 4

HAPPY HOMES

ADOPTION OF CHILDREN CONTINUAL WAITING LIST The adoption of children has become more popular each year through-out New Zealand and in Otago there are about 100 persons waiting to adopt a child. An officer of the Child Welfare Department told the Daily Times yesterday that the waiting list of about 100 had remained fairly constant over the last few years, and that each person had to wait about two years before being able to adopt a child. . Girls seemed to have a wider appeal than boys, and a longer waiting period usually resulted when a girl child was wanted. When it was found that it was necessary to wait so long for a girl, parents often took a boy and found them very satisfactory. Most of the adoptions were babies, although there were occasions when older children were taken. . , . No special reason had been found for the increase in the demand for children for adoption, the officer said. He emphasised that the Family Benefit of 10s a week did not have anything to do with it. Parents were found in many different walks of life and the officer agreed that there might be something in the suggestion that the increased wages might have some bearing on the increases during recent years. The fact remains, however, that the children found happy homes. The main reasons set out by the Education Department for the adoption of children were that the people usually did not and sometimes could not, have any family of their own; sometimes they had a single child and wanted a companion for him; and there were occasions when an illegitimate child was adopted by its mother. Certain qualifications were needed before a person could adopt a child, the officer said. The Child Welfare Department visited the prospective home, and had to be satisfied that the people were capable of bringing the child up properly and giving him a good education and start in life. The department was always ready to advise after adoption, and many parents took the opportunity of seeking its advice. Although no figures were available for the number of adoptions up to March of this year, there were 1285 to the same time in 1948. That figure was lower than the 1947 adoptions by 98, but in the preceding 10 years the figures had risen from 406 to 1383.