E—4

1946 NEW ZEALAND

EDUCATION: CHILD WELFARE, STATE CARE OF CHILDREN, SPECIAL SCHOOLS, AND INFANT-LIFE PROTECTION [In continuation of E.-4, 1945]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency

Sir, — sth July, 1946. I have the honour to present my report on the work of the Child Welfare Branch for the year ended 31st March, 1946. The main activities of the Branch are briefly as follows : (1) Supervision and general placement and care of all children committed to the care of the Department through the Children's Courts : (2) Administration of State institutions for children and young people who cannot be placed in the community, including institutions for handicapped children : (3) Visiting and oversight of all children placed by the Courts under the legal supervision of Child Welfare Officers : (4) Investigation and reporting on all cases coming before Children's Courts : (5) Preventive work—that is, the inquiry in the early stages into cases of difficulty with children or of bad adjustment in the home, with a view to applying remedial measures or to arranging for assistance in cases of need: (6) Inquiries into cases of illegitimate births to ensure that proper provision is being made for each child, and for the mother where necessary: (7) Administration of the Infants Act (Part V), licensing of foster-parents, and supervision of infants placed in their homes : (8) Inquiry into and reporting to Courts on applications for adoption of children: (9) Registration and inspection of private institutions and children's homes. Staffing Although the retirement of the Superintendent, Mr. J. R. McClune, did not take effect until after the close of the year under review, yet, as he actually ceased duty at the end of December last, it would hardly be appropriate to omit any reference to the matter from this report. Mr. McClune completed nearly forty-two years' service with the Department, following two years' teaching service with the Auckland Education Board, and had been Superintendent since early in 1938, when he succeeded Mr. John Beck, the first holder of that office under the Child Welfare Act. His long and close association with the work enabled Mr. McClune to bring to the position a trained mind, administrative ability, and a sympathetic insight into the problems of children needing care and attention. He placed particular emphasis on the preventive aspects of the work and endeavoured, with considerable success, to enlist the co-operation of all interested private persons and organizations. During the year there were more than the usual number of retirements, due, no doubt, to the fact that the cessation of hostilities enabled officers to be released who would normally have retired earlier. Among these were Mr. Gr. B. Young, Child Welfare Officer