ORPHANAGES AND ORPHANS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 482, 17 September 1948, Page 5

ORPHANAGES AND ORPHANS

Sir-D.M.M. says "It is what they (the inmates) think that matters. May I, as an old boy, say what I think of my Home. First, I do not resent having lived in a Home; in fact, I am ‘just a little bit proud of it. At a twentyfirst birthday party given recently at the Home, of the 20 boys there I do not think any of them resented being a "Homer." Never did I feel. socially inferior; the people of our parish were very good. Brothers and sisters were kept in a Cottage Home until the age of 12, after which the boys lived at the Home next door: only one or two were separated by a.mile or so, and this — only when absolutely unavoidable. They were allowed to see-each other frequently. When in hospital boys were visited regularly on visiting days, either by staff or boys. One old boy permanently ill in hospital, though over the age of guardianship, is visited regularly by the superintendent and old boys. May I say how much I appreciate the splendid work done by the superintendent

'matron, and staff.

F. E.

GANT

(Christchurch).

Sir-I have been most interested in D.M.M.’s article "Orphanages Without Orphans," ‘but unlike some writers, am not perturbed about it. A. E. Campbell in his introducticn to Hamish Mathew’'s book The Care of Dependent Children in New Zealand, says: "The picture that emerges from this exacting scrutiny is by no means without its bright patches. A careful reading of the report will show that few of the practices recommended. are not found in at least some of the Homes and that few of the criti--cisms apply to all of them. .. . If there could be a levelling up of conditions and services to the standard already reached in these (most progressive) Homes, that in itself would be a great step forward." This summarises my attitude to D:M.M.’s article.

Many years ago my committee reviewed its policy in the light of modern principles governing the care of dependent children, and many of the reforms advocated by D.M.M. have been, and are, our established practice. Our Presbyterian system is to have our Children’s Homes controlled by a committee that is concerned with many aspects of social work; for then the admission of children is seen in its proper perspective. Very often by conciliation, counsel, and advice widows and deserted wives can keep their homes together. This is our constructive approach to the problem.

Certainly the attitude of the public towards children in Children’s Homes needs to be educated. We have reached the stage where our ‘children are "welcome guests in the homes of our churclr people, and, what is miore important, other people’s children are welcqme guests in our Homes. Hospitality must not be one-sided. One quotation has been misunderstood by D.M.M. David Wills says, "We must never forget that the child who enters an institution is a casualty." The child is a casualty before it is admitted. Given an understanding staff and an interested community that child, within the Home, can become an integrated personality. We do know, however, the very great

need for suitable staff to help the superintendents and matrons in their work. Not all matrons and _ superintendents need to be specialists. They should, however, be wise general practitioners ready to see the need for specialist advice and unprejudiced in carrying any specialists’ instructions. Our own Association owes a debt to specialists in medicine, religion, psychology and education, Finally the special "Follow up" of boys and girls who go to work should

be most thorough, for it is at this stage that a "break down" is liable to occur, By the time the children go to work, if they have been brought up in the right type of Home, they will voluritatity continue to seek-advice and help. If the training has been rigid and regimented rather than elastic and co-operative those children who are casualties on admission are likely to be casualties in -adult life-A:; J. McELDOWNEY (Superintendent, Christchurch Presbyterian Social Service Association).