PROVISION FOR MIGRANT CHILDREN IN NEW ZEALAND

Grey River Argus, 13 November 1948, Page 7

PROVISION FOR MIGRANT CHILDREN IN NEW ZEALAND

WELLINGTON, Nov. 12. Two hundred and fifty children_of an available total of about 1500 would be coming to New Zealand shortly from Central Europe, through the Internatoinal Refugee Organisation, said the Minister 01 Health, the Hon. Miss Howard, m the House of Representatives this morning, when moving the second I reading of the Child Welfare Amendment Bill. The nationality of the children was not known. They were just “poor little drifters and orphans,” aged between five and 12 years. The Bill would make provision for their control and the Child Welfare Division would accept the responsibility of guardianship and care. Parents who sent children from England to New Zealand would have the opportunity of choosing the type of home they desired for their children, the Minister said. These children ,however, would not be available for adoption. The Minister said that the refugee children would later on be available for adoption, when it was proved that their foster-parents were worthy of such trust. Those people who would look after English children would be able to obtain the background*of those children. ENGLISH CHILDREN Rev. E. P. Aderman (Nat., New 'Plymouth) said the Minister could rest assured that the Opposition would support the general principles of the Bill. The Opposition welcomed the coming of refugee children to New Zealand and hoped that the number announced by the._Minisf.er would be increased. He asked the Minister t 0 indicate the number of English children it was* expected would come to New Zealand. Miss Howard replied that at present the number was indefinite, but she hoped it would be about 20 a month if sailings could be arranged. Mr Aderman said he was satisfied there were thousands of homes in New Zealand which would be happy Ito absorb these children into their family life. They would be the most desirable of immigrants and were the finest investment we could make in our immigration programme. He said one of the best provisions in the Bill was the extension of the authority whereby the superintendent of the devision could initiate maintenance proceedings on behalf of an unmarried woman with a child It was the woman who suffered socially and financially and in many cases the circumstances were such that the woman found it most difficult to reorientate herself. He had always been against exploitation, and the exploitation of life was one of the worst forms. EARLY ADOPTION URGED Mr W. T. Anderson( Govt. Auckland Central) said the Bill was really written because children were oeing brought to the country and they would be given protection. He was glad the Government was bringing children here and he would much prefer the Government, through the Child Welfare Division, to create conditions so that the children <.mt’d be adopted as early as possible. The younger the qhild, the easier adoption ,because the child quickly became attached to the home. He recognised the psychological condition which was created in children who realised that they had no parents and were living in a home with people who were being paid to ma’mam them. He made a plea that the Minister should arrange that the children be adopted in the earliest pos- , sible time. He believed that there were hundreds of people in New Zea- ’ land who were desirous of adopting 1 children, but he would prefer that the institution, known as the Child Welfare Branch, be kept in the background. ( INFERIORITY COMPLEX Mrs G. H. Ross (Nat. Hamilton) '< said there was a stigma attached to * the child Welfare Branch which was 1 not deserved and which gave child- . ren an inferiority complex. _ They ■ were given an unfair burden arN she did not quite know how it cotrd bo ' removed. In the minds of the public child welfare was connected with de- ( linquent children. ‘ Mrs Ross said she would prefer a 5 Bill which referred to giving refugee ( children the opportunity for religious , training to be rather more specific ] and mandatory on this point. We , owed it to these children to see that they received a thorough religious f training in their faith. , “I only wish t 0 goodness we could ( make the parents of this country feel that they owe a little more to their ( own children in regard to religious 1 training,” said Mrs Ross. “We have j become too lax.” Toward the immigrant children there was a double - duty to see that they were given ade . quate religious training. IN POLICE GAZETTE? Discussing the section of the Bill which amends the px’ipcipal Child , Welfare Act, Mrs Ross said, she had been told, on good authority, tnat children who appeared in the Children’s Court for some act of mischief which was really no crime had their names entered in the Police Gazette. If this were correct, it was most unfair and might count against the child later in life. Mrs Ross quoted an instance that came within her knowledge, of two children aged 10 and 12, who decreed to play fire brigades. One put some shavings in a building. The other was to turn a hose on the shavings and put the fire out. Unfortunately the child with the hose was not quick enough and the building caught fire. The Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones: It isnt’ only the children who do that. Mrs Ross said it was most, unfair if the names of children reprimanded. for such nranks were recorded in the .Police Gazette. she .. asked J* 1 * Minister to investigate the ; The Bill was an excellent one in all ways “I wish the Minister joy in this Bill,”’ said Mrs Ross. Mr M. PI. Oram (Nat. Manawatu) said he had been amazed at the number of people anxious to adopt child ren. It was far greater than g-ric. ally realised and the early ad ?P“° a of refugee children was the best way to make them happy citizens.

Mr F. Langstone (Govt., Roskill), during the committee stages of the Bill, asked if the word “illegitimate" as applied to' a child, could not be eliminated. He said it was a harsh, cruel and vicious word. All children were horn in a natural way, whether in or out of wedlock, but to apply the term “illegitimate” to a child because all phases of the law were not complied with by a mother, was very harsh. “No laws should be framed so that the use of these harsh term* will be continued”, he said. the word ‘illegitimate’ should be expunged from the law”. Though he did not want to move an amendment, he hoped the question would be raised and discussed later in “another place Mr Harker said that this question had to be looked at from a realistic viewpoint. Difficulties might be caused if this word was dropped floui the clause, and if the word was taken out, it would defeat the purpose 01 that section of law, and would make it entirely useless. Miss Howard said the question would be looked into, and she would see what could be done. The Bill was passed.