CHILD WELFARE

Hokitika Guardian, 14 July 1927, Page 4

CHILD WELFARE

DEI’AFITMENT’S WORK. COMING t HANG KM. WELLINGTON. July 10. important changes arc about to he made by the Child Welfare branch of the Education Department in the matter of dealing with the older girls who require institutional training. it is proposal to ci’ose the girl’s school at CauTs.ham as an institution for girls and to remove the present inmates to a ■ nimble p’:ue in < hristrhurch, which will he thoroughly modern in its equipment. and more central. In announcing this decision to-day the .Minister of Education, the Mon. It. A. Wright, stated that his attention hail been drawn lo certain proposals for 1 lit* establishment of a central village, consisting of cottage homes, rmi-nded hy gardens and orchards, am! administrative buildings, such as schools, gymnasia, chapels, etc. and for an adequate staff ot experts capable of teaching home nursing, personal hygiene, home science, dressmaking, physical exercises, organised games, etc. “ First and foremost.” added the Minister, “ it is desirable to deseriticthe present system that is followed by tlie Child Welfare branch in dealing with the different phases of child welfare. Perhaps the most important part of the work is not the curative, hut the preventive. The branch aims at (becking dependency and delinquency by studying the causes and hy effectively remedying or eradicating them where possible. This is work that should and does appeal to all agencies for social betterment and calls for close co-operation between all Government and private organisations carrying on social service work. The policy

of the department is to leave children in their own homes wherever possible, but if for any reason the child has to be removed from his own home it is the aim of the department to place him. where lie will have an opportunity of living under normal conditions. For the temporary shelter oi children who are bereft of their parents or have to he taken away from undesirable homes, nr who cannot be controlled properly or have committed offences against the law, there are twelve small receiving homes or ei’earing houses in the various centres of population throughout Nov Zealand. After varying periods in residence in these small homes for observation, correction of undesirable habits or remedial treatment the children arc placed out in foster homes selected by tlie staff of Child Welfare Officers, whose duty it is to safeguard the welfare of the children hy frequent visits to the homes and hy obtaining the cooperation ol the local school teachcis and private persons interested in social work connected with children. By being placed in the community these children enioy the benefits that are accorded the ordinary cliii’d and suffer none of the disadvantages of the child brought up in the atmosphere of an institution. As a rule State wards who are worthy of it are given further schooling on reaching the age of lourteen years, and for those whose mental capacity is well above the average special provision is made tor secondary and technical education. At the end of the school period places are found for those who are fitted lor employment. A large number are apprenticed in trades, while others are employed in offices, shops, factories, warehouses or on farms.

“ In the case of girls, domestic service offers the best avenue of employment, but for those girls who desire to learn trades or seek employment in shops, etc. the Department provides a hostel in Wellington, where a girl can he kept for ilio first year or so of her apprenticeship until she is able to support herself in the community. “Of the total number of children and young persons controlled hy the Department, at least 92 per cent are brought up ill the community. The remainder represent those who are defective mentally or morally require specially training or who are anti-social to such a degree that a period in an iuM itutinn is desiral !>. Apart from the . improved fceli!’minded, who are provided for in spe:i;l school's, the number of other cases requiring periods of dr cipline, etc., ill an institution are comparatively small. Tlie number of girls is approximately thirty and hoys seventy-live. For the hoys, there is a training farm in the Norik Island am! for the girls the school at Onversliam has been utilised for years past. Competent authorities now agree that it is almost impossible to provide adequate classification for lifferent types in the one institution. 'I he Department has long fait the need for a separate place for the older girls rquiring instructional training and

s. iii he enabled to carry out this scheme as soon as the now homo in Christchurch is completed. Adequate provision will ho made, hearing in mind ti e capabilities and the particular bent each individual inmate, for the lire uml training of the girls with Die object of fitting them to take their places in the community as clean, honest, hard-working, self-respoci lug women. It has ilea r been the practice to require the inmates to wear uniforms.

*• As the iimiihei- to he provided for is so verv small, there is really no scone for an elaborate and costly scheme of cottage home buildings. The course of instruction and training, iho provision for recreation and the scheme for. placing and for after-care, as prepared by the Department, will, however, include all that is necessary for the welfare of the children.”