E.—4.

Table 5. —Particulars of Children admitted to and removed from Licensed Foster-homes during Year ended 31st December, 1937.

ADOPTIONS. By an arrangement with the Department of Justice, applications for adoption are investigated hy Child Welfare Officers before being dealt with by Magistrates. During the year ended 31st December, 1937, 406 children were adopted (34 of these being State wards), and in 14 of these cases premiums were approved by the Courts. Of the total number of children adopted, 78 were under the age of 6 months, 59 between the age of 6 and 12 months, 135 between the age of 1 and 5 years, 73 between the age of 5 and 10 years, and 61 between the age of 10 and 15 years. CHILDREN IN RESIDENCE IN CHILDREN'S HOMES REGISTERED UNDER PART I, CHILD WELFARE AMENDMENT ACT, 1927. The following information supplied by the authorities gives particulars of the private admissions to such homes during the year : —

Table 6.

The particulars regarding parentage were as follows : 204 children were orphans, 294 had only mother living, and 664 had only father living.

2—E, 4.

9

. - o o.o o 3» Under 6 SsS See E § S=e 8 as Over 6 r r .,. 0 |„ , S^* 1 £8 3a 5® cs<d s» „ iotals. Months. £>h S ®i* Years. So <n « 10 '®^' H On the books at 31st December, 1936 85 75 139 124 114 105 116 72 830 Placed in foster-homes or transferred 228 58 85 57 53 43 25 .. 549 from other districts during 1937 Totals .. ..313 133 224 181 167 148 141 72 1,379 Removed from homes during 1937— By parents or guardians .. 32 26 66 47 48 27 22 10 278 Deaths . . . . .. 2 1 . . . . • • ■ ■ I • • 4 Adopted without premium 37 27 18 20 13 4 4 2 125 In homes to which exemption .. 1 1 1 3.. 1 7 was granted Brought under operation of 4 12 3 2 3 .. 2 26 Child Welfare Act ' For various other reasons 3 3 6 1 5 4 2 73 97 Total withdrawals .. 78 70 94 71 72 35 30 87 537 On the books at 31st December, 1937 105 97 123 123 134 97 95 68 842

„ ,5 Admissions during 1937. Deaths during 1937. " December, 8 1937. 11 r : ~—' Dfenomination. •§ S ® « J'§ ° g ® « J! °j ,3 ST ® jS J 1 °S ® g H II lis g| II its g| II Its s| 33 S3 «N 25 h. 1 Anglican .. 20 14 29 50 227 1 1 3 11 15 103 583 Roman Catholic .. 12 36 9 161 376 1 1 1 6 | IT 18 163 836 Salvation Army .. 13 730 8 75 1,022 13 1 15 | 82 7 116 479 Presbyterian .. 17 .. .. 52 205 .. .. .. .. j .. . • 86 447 Methodist .. .. 4 .. .. 9 73 | • • 9 183 Plymouth Brethren . . 1 I 15 Baptist .. . • 1 • • • • 14 21 .. . 9 46 Masonic .. . . 2 .. 1 .. 2 .. | 6 . . 19 Undenominational .. 16 16 16 397 1,020 .. .. .. j .. ' 7 18 75 381 Totals.. .. 86 796 63 758 2,946 14 3 2 24 117 64 561 2,989