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E.—4

INFANT-LIFE PROTECTION.—FOSTER-PARENT'S RECORD-BOOK. Directions to Foster-parents. (The license should be kept in this book.) 1. Foster-parents are urged in their own interests to make themselves thoroughly familiar with the Act, the regulations, and these directions. The District Agents will be pleased to give all necessary information to foster-parents. 2. If any child under six years of age is received for the purpose of being maintained for payment or reward apart from its parents, the person who takes care of the child must apply to the District Agent at once for a license unless she has the written authority of the Minister of Education to maintain it without a license. 3. The license remains in force until it is cancelled. 4. No greater number of infants than the license allows may be maintained in the home at any one time for payment or reward, and any condition entered on the license as to the ages of the children to be maintained must be strictly complied with. 5. Whenever a licensed foster-parent receives a child into her home she must at once give notice to the District Agent, using the form headed " Particulars of an Infant received into a Foster-home." 6. The record-book and account-book must be carefully and accurately kept. 7. In every case an agreement, approved by the Secretary for Education, for the maintenance of the infant in the foster-home must be entered into between the foster-parent and the person who places the infant with her. It is most important for the foster-parent to have this agreement signed and completed before she takes charge of the child. The agreement should state clearly whether the foster-parent or the person who places the child with her is to provide necessary clothing. 8. If the agreement provides for a foster-parent to receive one or more lump sums to cover the cost of maintaining a child, instead of smaller payments at short intervals, these lump sums must on no account be kept by the foster-parent, but must be paid over by her to the District Agent, and regular monthly payments may be made to the foster-parent from this sum. 9. If at any time payment is not made by the parents or friends of the infant as agreed upon, the foster-parent should at once make application for payment to the person who made the agreement with her, and the District Agent should be informed immediately. 10. Any officer appointed under the Act may at any time enter and inspect a foster-home and the infants maintained in it, and refer to the record-book. He or ehe may lie accompanied by i medical practitioner, and may remove any infant wit limit any notice whatever if it appears necessary to do so. Such an officer must not lie hindered or obstructed in the performance of his or her duties. No one except a Government officer, a lady Local Visitor, or some one who holds authority from the Education Department or the District Agent is authorized to visit, enter, or inspect a foster-home or examine the foster-parent's hooks. 11. Foster-parents must comply with the directions given by the District Agent or her representative. 12. No child, whether under or over six years of age. may lie removed from a foster-home without the authority of some person appointed under the Act, and the foster-parent must not permit any such child to be removed without obtaining authority. The person removing a child must sign the foster-parent's record-book, giving the date of removal and stating the condition of the child at that time. 13. A foster-parent may not remove a child from one place of residence to another without obtaining consent beforehand from the District Agent. 14. If an infant require medical attendance the foster-parent shall, if possible, communicate with the parent or guardian immediately, but if the matter l>e urgent, she must, upon her own responsibility, obtain medical aid. The occurrence of illness must at once he reported to the District Agent. 10. If an infant dies the foster-parent must, within twenty-four hours, give notice to the District Agent and to the constable in charge 'if the nearest police-station, ami must not permit the body to be buried without the authority of the Coroner. 16. It is most important that no information received by a foster-parent concerning a child or its relatives be repeated to any one but the District Agent or her authorized representative. 17. Heavy penalties are provided by law for breaches of the Act: for most breaches the tine may be as high as £50, or the offender may be sentenced to imprisonment for six months. The District Agents and their addresses are as follows :— Auckland and Taranaki Districts : Miss S. E. Jackson, Industrial School, Mount Albert, Auckland. Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Marlborough, and Nelson Districts: Mrs. E. S. Dick, 117 Tinakori Road, Wellington. Canterbury and Westland Districts: Miss A. B. Cox, 39 Fitzgerald Avenue, Christchurch. Otago and Southland Districts : Miss M. Kempton, Caversham Industrial School, Dunedin. [The above directions are an epitome of the Infants Act and Regulations.]