E.—4

6

Properly to carry out their duties Boarding-out Officers must be. in a position to satisfy the following conditions, and so far as the staff permits these conditions an; generally observed :— (1.) Proper investigation and analysis of every new case, so that the proper kind of care may be given to each child : (2.) The placing with a view to adoption of such children only as require or deserve permanent home care in foster-families : (3.) The selection of boarding-homes for those children who do not require institutional care, but require temporary care until the parents are able to re-establish themselves and are in a position to provide for them : (4.) Adequate supervision through visitation of all children in foster-homes with a definite limit in the number of children under the control of each Boarding-out Officer. It must not be concluded that all the children committed to the care of the Department are boarded out. Consideration must be given to the family history of each case, the conduct of the child, and the degree of mentality. In all cases it is advisable that a thorough medical examination should be insisted upon not only for the purpose of tracing and combating physical weaknesses, but also for the purpose of testing the degree of mentality as well. A certain percentage of the children are subnormal, and as such are admitted to special schools for the feeble-minded ; others suffer from hereditary disease, and in that condition would prove a menace to the health of an ordinary foster-parent's family ; while others again, through the continued neglect of the parents, require long periods of training in decent habits before they are fit to enter the home of a foster-parent. The number of children boarded out in foster-homes at the end of the year was 1,696, showing an increase of 425 on the numbers for the previous year. The need for extending the boarding system to all the centres of population in the Dominion is pressing, and it is hoped that receiving-homes will shortly be established in such places as Hamilton, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Greymouth, Timaru, and Invercargill for the temj)orary care of children. Industrial Training. Girls. The greater number of children under the Department's control never enter an institution, but remain at board with foster-parents, and from their foster-homes are placed in situations when, their education is completed. As with boys, every case is specially reviewed by the Department at the age of fourteen years for the purpose of deciding whether the child in question should be given the advantage of higher education, or whether it is a case where education at the public school should be continued until the child is old enough to be apprenticed to a trade. It is gratifying to note the great interest taken by foster-parents in the placing of these children on leaving school, and it is not uncommon to find foster-parents offering to keep them without payment, or for small payments, during the first year or so of apprenticeship or while they are attending the secondary school. For girls who require institutional training the school at Caversham has been reserved. Caversham provides for all classes of girls who for various reasons are either unable or unfit to be placed out in the community. Some three years ago there were two other such institutions- -viz., the industrial school at Mount Albert, Auckland, for young girls and older girls who were not too troublesome, and Te Oranga Home for older girls of the incorrigible type. With improved methods of dealing with girls, however, it has been found possible to close both these institutions. The few girls from Te Oranga who were unfit for placing out at the time of the closing of the institution were sent on to Caversham, and the majority have since been successfully placed in situations and are doing well. For the average girl who requires training and protection the school at Caversham is quite suitable, but in order to deal adequately with troublesome young women there should be provision for transfer from Caversham to a reformatory institution under the Prisons Department. For the sake of the respectable girls who are associated with the school at Caversham such a step is essential. The number of troublesome oases is exceedingly small (not more than three or four in twelve months), but, unfortunately, the public judge the work of the school by the conduct of these few young women (some of whom are really mental cases) who sometimes abscond and while at large commit thefts and associate with undesirable characters. The legislation necessary to provide for the transfer has been formulated and now awaits final consideration. Provision for Older Girls who require Institutional Training. —Under the system now abandoned the three residential schools for girls dealt with the following numbers : — Average Number ~. ™ Net Cost of in Residence. ' ' Upkeep. £ Auckland .. .. .. .. ..40 6 1,800 Te Oranga .. .. .. .. ..85 10 2,390 Caversham .. .. .. .. ..50 7 1,950 175 23 £6,140 The annual cost of upkeep at Caversham at present is as follows : — Caversham .. .. .. .. ..15 5 £1,500 Boys. With the revision of the system for dealing with boys the school at Burnham and the trainingfarm at Stoke have been closed, leaving the training-farm at Weraroa to provide for boys of all ages. For the few schoolboys who, because of repeated offences against the law (usually petty thieving), or