The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956)(about) |
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Friday 4 September 1953
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Children must have haines
Don't let Miss
X miss out!
in life
--'MiiiMiiiimmim
iiiS/jf nye iHiiMMimiiiiiiii>£
lawrenceI
KERR
bUjOT so long ago ?^ Veronica X, a pretty, apparently self-possessed girl of 20, landed a stenographer's job at a city solicitor's
office.
She settled down io work with six other girls
from homes around Mel- bourne.
But, somehow, no matter how much she tried she couldn't be- come "one of the girls."
She had an Achilles heel NO PARENTS. Veronica had never known her mother or father, or a home, like
the other office girls. She spoke a different language.
One of Melbourne's insti- tutions had taken great pains Lo train her to be a stenographer. They just wouldn't be satisfied with any lesser job.
Too late, a distressed Veronica asked the Chil- dren's Welfare Department for a factory job. . . .
She was last heard of earn- ing her living on the back streets of Brisbane.
This delicate task of fit- ting a bright, unwanted child or State ward into society is one of the hundreds of day to-day problems facing Mel- bourne's social welfare" workers.
.
HPWO men who shoul
der most of the res- ponsibility are \ Chief Secretary Galvin a.nd Mr. E. J. Pittard, secretary of
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the Children's Welfare De- partment since 1938.
Both dream of streamlin , ing the neglected Children's ! Welfare Department up to
the best overseas standards.
Mr. Pittard, World War I Digger, and one ol the foun- ders of Legacy, says: "One million pounds and a 10 year master plan for child welfare reform would be a wonderful start.
"We need a chain of new (raining centres, better ad- ministrative headquarters, a truant home, and a delin- quent girls' home.
"Outside organisations arc doing magnificent work, but they can't be expected to carry all the State's respon- sibility."
.
AT present, the de
partment controls only one institution - "the Royal Park Receiving Depot, which houses a maxi- mum of 300 boys and girls up to l8 years of age.
Seventy-odd outside insti tutipns. run by Churches and philanthropic organisations, care for at least 1,600 State wards-and '»about 4,000 other children under their direct supervision.
Almost daily, departmental officers have lo go, cap in hand, to the outside insti- tutions, appealing for robb
for children.
And sometimes, when the institutions are themselves overtaxed, the 'department is
refused.
Then the child must wait at Royal Park (once de- scribed as a dirty, medieval prison), which promises nothing more than to keep body and soul together.
"We're moulding little human beings," Mr. Pittard says. "Many of them are mentally and physically ill. They need the best treat
This Berry st. foundling looks out to thcAfufurc. What
have we in store for her?"
ment if they are lo become good citizens." -
Popularly known as father of State wards, Mr. Pittard is legal guardian of every child admitted to the depart- ment's care.
If a ward wants to get married under age, or dispose of his estate, he must get Mr. Pittard's consent.
The great number of for- mer State wards who return to visit their "father" years
after they have ceased lo be subject to him is a tribut« to Mr. Pittard's tact and knowledge of human ways.
T>EFORE Victoria can
get far -with Its children's welfare re- form it must amend and modernise its antiquated legislation.
Mr. Pittard has to admin- ister one complete act. and sections of four others - three State and one Com- monwealth.
On Monday Mr. Galvin, whose mother was a chili welfare worker, appealed for foster-parents to care for some of the hundreds of State wards.
The response so far te negligible. People said they didn't want a child unless they could adopt him. They also said that the new State allowance of 27/6 was still insufficient.
Others refused to take a child unless he was "well be- haved."
If the community cannot, or will not, take them in, the State, Churches, and philan- thropic organisations must be given every help to do the work instead.
Our unwanted children must have homes.