B.—it.

Exj»i ptkd Institutions . From the provision that " it shall not be lawful for any person in consideration of any payment or reward to receive or retain in his care or charge any infant for the purpose of nursing or maintaining it apart from its parents or guardians for a longer period than seven consecutive days unless such person is licensed as a foster-parent " the Minister may grant certain exemptions, and under this authority exemption has been granted to the institutions set forth in the following list, which shows also the numbers dealt with and the deaths. The conditions of the exemptions provide for inspection, and for removal of the infants only with due formality.

Deaths in Fosteb-hqmes. Of the 1,250 infants that were at one time or another on the books as being in foster-homes during 1.915, 17 died. Of these, 9 died in the foster-homes and Bin hospitals or nursing-homes to which they had been removed for treatment, so that the deaths in foster-homes represented (V 72 per cent, of the total number dealt with. Nine of the 14 were under the age of twelve months, and 13 were of illegitimate birth. The following is a statement of the number of deaths during the time that the infant-life-protectkm system has been in the Department's charge:— 1908 .. .. .. .. 26 deaths out of 1,017 infants = 2-56 per cent. 1909 .. .. .. ..25 „ 1,181 „ =2-11 1910 .... .. .. ..26 „ 1,183 ~ =2-19 1911 .. .. .. ..13 „ 1,183 „ =1-09 1912 .. .. ■■ -.12 „ 1,228 „ =0-98 1913 .. .. .. ..13 „ 1,330 ~ =0-98 1914 .. .. .. ..20 „ 1,423 „ =140 1915 .. .. .. ..14 „ 1,440 ~ ==0-98 1916 .. .. .. ..17 ~ 1,250 „ =1-36 This continued low death-rate refleots great credit on the district agents, their assistants, the local visitors, and the foster-parents. Generally speaking, the Department has reason to be well satisfied with the homes in which these infants are placed.

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Admissit 1916. »ns, Deaths, On t: 81st D< ie Bor seem b< >ks at er,lM6. Name of Institution. 4a "« &C o ai s g Of to o «° H « (lj (a.) 0 en ill (3.) S ■ S^ <o< a » a -go (4) (5.) in (6.) Iα So ■a a l= (7.) to o (8.) W3 . ill (9.) Mission House of the Order of the Good Shepherd, Auckland .. The MethodiBt Orphanage, Mount Albert, Auckland The Orphan Home, Papatoetoe, Auckland St. Mary's Orphanage, Epsom, Auckland St. Vincent's Home of Compassion, Epsom, Auckland St. Joseph's Orphanage, Takapuna, Auckland The Manurewa Children's Home, Auckland Children's Home, Ponsonliy. Auckland Leslie Presbyterian Orphanage, Remuera, Auckland St. Mary's Home, Otahuhu, Auckland Salvation Army Home, Kusaell Salvation Army Samaritan Home, Gisborne.. Cook County Women's Guild Creche, Gisborne Salvation Army Bethany Home, Napier Waneanui Orphanagi', Wanganui .. Children's Home, Palinereton North Salvation Army Children's Home, Wellington The Levin Memorial Home, Wellington Presbyterian Orphanage, Wellington Home of Compassion, Island Bay, Wellington St. Joseph's Orphanage, Upper Hutt, Wellington St. Mary's Orphanage, Nelson Salvation Army Maternity Home, Christchuroh Sacred Heart Orphanage, Mount Magdala, Christchurcli Nazareth House, Christohurch Methodist Orphanage and Children's Home, Papanui, Christohurch Presbyterian Orphanage, Papanui, Christohuroh St. Saviour's Home, Shirley, Christchurch Children's Convalescent Cottage, New Brighton Children's Creche, Timaru.. St. Mary's Orphanage, Mornington, Dunedin Salvation Army Home, Bishopscourt, Dunedin St. Vincent de Paul's Orphanage, South Dunedin Glendining Home, Anderson's Ba,y, Dunedin Salvation Army Home, Middlemarch Viotoria Memorial Home, Inveroargill 38 4 9 1 1 9 60 18 9 8 13 5 11 3 39 7 17 21 8 3 6 5 72 2i 9 1 11 11 4 'a i ;; .. i i i i 4 i 2 13 i 4 6 1 3 36 29 14 26 28 12 12 6 42 5 3 10 2 3 5 2 6 71 30 14 1 21 36 6 i i i 1 i 7 15 41 7 21 1 "i i 7 1 4 15 i .. I 15 5 11 9 0 Totals for 1916 54 14 453 3 3 1 9 18 Jl 489 Totals for 1915 93 28 458 7 7 1 i 1 11 26 22 486