E.—4

PREVENTIVE WORK. An important part of the work of the Child Welfare Officers is that of adjusting conditions in homes and in connection with families in order to prevent the committal of children to the care of the State, or of coming before the Courts at all. In many cases parents whose children are difficult to manage avail themselves of the services of Child Welfare Officers for the purpose of supervision and friendly guidance. At the end of the year there was a total number of 1,273 being dealt with in this connection. Table 4 shows the number of cases notified during the year.

Table 4.—Preventive Cases. The following table shows the number of cases notified by Child Welfare Officers during the year ended 31st March, 1938 : —

CHILDREN UNDER THE GUARDIANSHIP OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE CHILD WELFARE BRANCH. At the 31st March, 1938, there were 4,213 children under control (excluding those mentioned under separate headings below), and of these 235 were in residence at Government receiving-homes (many of these only temporarily), training-farms, and training institutions ; 221 in special schools for mentally backward children ; 61 in the four Roman Catholic schools recognized under the Child Welfare Act; 2,041 were boarded-out in foster-homes ; 841 were in licensed situations ; and 579 residing under license with relatives and friends. The remainder were in various private institutions. YOUNG PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT. Young persons over school age in employment numbered 763 males and 458 females (a number of whom are residing at friends); these are included in the total of 4,213. Of the males, 462 were farm-workers (171 skilled in dairy-work and cheesemaking, and 291 competent to milk and carry out general farm-work), 84 factory employees, 42 shop-assistants, 35 labourers, 11 messengers, 9 clerks, 9 coachbuilders, 7 pressers, 7 carpenters, 6 painters, 6 Railway employees, 6 bakers, 6 butchers, 5 bootmakers, 5 garage assistants, 4 school-teachers, 4 seamen, 4 bowser attendants, 4 storemen, 4 cabinetmakers, 3 motor mechanics, 3 jockeys, 3 electricians, 3 gardeners, 3 freezing-works employees, 3 warehousemen, 2 machinists, 2 engineers, 2 panel-beaters, 2 mill hands, 2 plasterers, 2 grocers' assistants, 1 glass-beveller, 1 nurseryman, 1 tailor, 1 carrier, 1 signwriter, 1 basket-weaver, 1 milkman, I locksmith, 1 plumber, 1 journalist, 1 foundry-hand, 1 upholsterer, and 1 bookbinder. Of the girls, 282 were domestic workers, 91 factory employees, 20 shop-assistants, 16 tailoresses, 11 clerks, 8 dressmakers, 7 waitresses, 4 bookbinders, 4 typistes, 3 machinists, 3 office assistants, 2 milliners, 2 school-teachers, 1 nursemaid, 1 nurse, 1 laundry assistant, 1 fur machinist, and 1 usher. Of the above, 168 (111 boys and 57 girls, including some apprentices) were being partly maintained by the State. INFANT-LIFE PROTECTION (INFANTS ACT, 1908). At the end of the year 842 infants were supervised in 777 licensed foster-homes. Of these homes, 721 had 1 child each, 48 had 2 children each, 7 had 3 children each, ami 1 had 4 children. Payments for maintenance, which were made by the relatives, ranged from 2s. to £2 2s. per week for each child. There were 1,379 infants residing in licensed homes throughout the year, and of these 4 died.

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L t . . _ i Number of District. I Number of Families, j childrenNorth Auckland . . . • ■ • • • • • 26 90 Auckland . . • • • • • ■ • • '* Hamilton . . ■ • ■ • • ■ • ■ 20 Gisborne .. ■ ■ • • • • • • 26 61 Hawke's Bay .. • • ■ ■ • • • • ? Hawera . . • • • • • • • • 23 86 Wanganui . . • • • • • • • • Palmerston North ■ • • • • • • • 1® 27 Wellington . . .. • • • ■ • • 24 34 Nelson and Marlborough . . . . • • • • 4 5 West Coast (South Island) . . . . • ■ • • ' 4 North Canterbury .. ■ ■ • • ■ • 19 41 South Canterbury .. • • • • • • 25 58 Otago .. ■ • • • •• ■ ■ 91 Southland .. • • 18 29 Totals .. • • ■ • • • 277 661