E.—4

36

NUMISERS.

The number of infants that have been dealt with in one- way or another during the year is 1.017. and at the end of ! he year there were bIS on the books, being 173 more than there were at the beginning of the year. Thi i increase is partly the effect of the exten ion of the Act to children of six years instead of four years. and partly, no doubt, becau i' of lie- publicity given to the subject during the-' of the Bill through the Legislature. Tin- following table summarises the t ransactibns of the j ear : —

Particulars of Admissions to and Removals from Licensed Foster-homes during 1908.

Considering the number of children born out of wedlock, and the certainly that there must be many others of legitimate birth who by force of circumstances have to be placed in the care of strangers, it is not to be supposed that the figures here given represent all the children who are legally subject to the provisions of the Act. But people do not like supervision and subjection to rules, even those with the best possible intention towards the children, and, for thi.'. as well as for other reasons, it is to be feared that many risk the penalties imposed by the Act upon those who place children in unlicensed homes equally with the keepers of them. Foster-homes. The 648 infants on the books at the end of the year wen- in foster-homes as follows :— In 317 homes each having one .. .. .. .. .. .. 347 111 87 homes each having two .. .. .. .. ..171 lii 25 homes each having three .. .. .. .. ..75 In 9 homes each having four .. .. . . .. .. 36 In 2 homes each having five .. .. ..10 In 1 home having six . . . . . . . . . . . , (i 471 CIS Eighteen of the homes were those in which children under six were boarded out by Charitable Aid Boards The total number of licensed homes was 615, so that at the end of tin- year there were- Ml licensed homes in which, for the- time, no infants were boarded. Although as a general rule it is recognised that, as regards the number of infants in one home, the fewer the better, it has not been found necessary, in view of tile varying conditions of the- homes, to prescribe any absolute limitation. Every home is. of course, limited to a slated number, but whet hei that number is one or more depends upon the circumstances. In every case in which the- license is for more thin one infant can- is taken, if the limitation appears necessary, to prescribe how many of tin- number may be under the age of twelve months,

/ I Ji I « « - 10 - a js 8 § S 5 9 9 3 ■= I a '> - e eN(3 n e -* i » e |5S} ■« - =- S« B 8 g* gz g 8 • "« --. £ e E i s E E ;c r o-5 S I I « a * 5 ; I Entered on the Bunk-:. On the- books at the beginning of the year Placed in licensed bomea during the ve-ar adopted with premium (exclusive of those already on tliebooks) Total . . I 46 62 124 104 (58 50 20 1 175 I'll 90 '90 lo 30 12 14 .. 520 .17 2 1 2 22 1,017 i Withd Removed from foster-homes by parents eir guardians Deaths Adoptions from licensed homes without premiums In homes to which exemption was granted Brought under operation of the Industrial Schools Act Written off the books for various causes On the books at 31st December, 1908 Total .. .. i drawn from and remaining on the Books. .'50 17 67 10 32 II 10 2 239 17 5 1 26 3 8 11 7 1 1 2 .. 33 2 I 2 6 7 3 11 35 3 3 6 5 5 22 2 .. I 3 2 1 .. 2 II 97 103 l I'.i 103 78 66 36 16 648 1,017