E.—4.

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 15.

The particulars regarding parentage were as follows : 221 children were orphans, 267 had only mother living, and 716 had only father living. BLIND CHILDREN. The education of blind children is compulsory, and, where necessary, the Department arranges for the admission of pupils to the New Zealand Institute for the Blind, a private institution situated at Auckland. There were 21 Government pupils in residence at the 31st March, 1939, but many parents arrange privately with the Institute for the admission of their children. Particulars regarding the working of this institution are contained in the annual report issued by the Institute. ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN. Provision is made in section 41 of the Child Welfare Amendment Act, 1927, for Registrars of Births to notify nominated Child Welfare Officers of all illegitimate births. It is the duty of these officers to make confidential inquiry into each case with a view to ensuring that the infant is adequately provided for, and also to assist the mother, where necessary, in the way of advice as to affiliation proceedings, securing employment when fit, advice as to the infant's placement, or other relevant matter. The Superintendent of Child Welfare may on the written application of the mother help her to establish paternity and secure a maintenance order. In this matter it may be of interest to mention that in Denmark, under an enactment which came into force on the Ist January, 1938, it was provided that children born out of wedlock shall enjoy the same legal position in relation to their parents as legitimate children. They may bear the name of either parent and have a right of option in this respect between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two years. The mother's husband may also give them his name. Provision is also made for affiliation proceedings. The following table shows the position regarding cases notified and investigated during the year. It' will be noted that there is a discrepancy in the total number of cases and the actual number reported by Registrars, but this is due to different year-ends adopted by this Department and the RegistrarGeneral's Office in compiling statistics.

18

| .... . . tv ,, , . ir ,„„ I In the Homes at 31st ! a Admissions dnnng 1938. Deaths during 1938. December, 1938. I Sw ; -r _ Denomination. »„ g | & g | fjt tf ®E J J, 31 I," E°a || I- |(S ehs II l.~ &£ E2~ H c3 CO ® r ~< c3 CO Anglican .. 19 16 19 87 143 '265 1 .. 2 j .. 3 11 12 100 472 595 Roman Catholic 12 40 22 170 371 603 2 3 2 7 14 18 179 695 906 Salvation Army 14 206 | 3 41 86 336 1 .. 1 I 2 29 .. 74 344 447 Presbvterian " 16 .. 1 .. 49 118 167 82 407 489 Methodist . . 4 . . . . 6 41 47 11 160 171 Plymouth Brethren 1 .... . . 2 2 ! 1 1 .. .. 1 14 15 Baptist .. 1 .. .. 13 9 22 10 35 45 Masonic .. 2 7 7 2 21 23 Undenominational 15 14 22 339 672 1,047 1 6 70 277 354 Totals.. 84 276 66 705 1,449 2,496 2 2 6 3 ; 13 55 36 529 2,425 3,045