"78418b7c-f0b9-429c-a259-48a096f172e7"@en . "CONTENTdm"@en . "REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH"@en . "http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=1198198"@en . "Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia"@en . "British Columbia. Legislative Assembly"@en . "2017-09-06"@en . "[1960]"@en . "https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcsessional/items/1.0355697/source.json"@en . "application/pdf"@en . " PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA\nAnnual Report of the\nDepartment of Social Welfare\nfor the\nYEAR ENDED MARCH 31st\n1959\nPrimed by Don McDiarmid, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty\nIn right of the Province of British Columbia.\nI960 Victoria, B.C., November 6th, 1959.\nTo His Honour Frank Mackenzie Ross, C.M.G., M.C., LL.D.,\nLieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia.\nMay it please Your Honour:\nThe Annual Report of the Department of Social Welfare for the year ended\nMarch 31st, 1959, is herewith respectfully submitted.\nW. D. BLACK,\nMinister of Social Welfare.\nOffice of the Minister of Social Welfare,\nParliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C. Department of Social Welfare,\nVictoria, B.C., November 6th, 1959.\nThe Honourable W. D. Black,\nMinister of Social Welfare, Victoria, B.C.\nSir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to submit the Annual Report of the Department of\nSocial Welfare for the year ended March 31st, 1959.\nE. R. RICKINSON,\nDeputy Minister of Social Welfare.\nDepartment of Social Welfare,\nVictoria, B.C., November 6th, 1959.\nE. R. Rickinson, Esq.,\nDeputy Minister of Social Welfare.\nSir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I submit herewith the Report of the Department of Social Welfare for\nthe year ended March 31st, 1959.\nJ. A. SADLER,\nDirector of Social Welfare. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE\nApril 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959\nHon. W. D. Black.\nMinister of Social Welfare.\nE. R. Rickinson\nJ. A. Sadler\t\nSENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF\n Deputy Minister.\n Director of Social Welfare.\nMiss Marie Riddell.\nJ. McDiarmid\t\nMrs. Jean Scott.\nMiss Ruby McKay.\nE. W. Berry\t\nDr. G. E. Wakefield.\nMrs. E. L. Page\t\nMiss M. MacInnis.\nF. G. Hassard\t\nMiss W. M. Urquhart.\nG. P. Willie\t\nE. L. RlMMER.\nH. E. Blanchard..\nR. I. Stringer\t\nR. J. Burnham.\nV. H. Dallamore.\nA. E. Bingham\t\nW. H. Crossley.\nAssistant Director of Social Welfare.\nDepartmental Comptroller.\nSupervisor, Family Division.\nSuperintendent of Child Welfare.\n. Chairman, Old-age Assistance and Blind Persons' and Disabled Persons' Allowances\nBoard, and Supplementary Assistance.\nDirector of Medical Services.\n^Chief Inspector of Welfare Institutions.\nSupervisor, Social Service Department, Division of Tuberculosis Control.\n.Superintendent, Brannen Lake School for\nBoys.\n. Superintendent, Willingdon School for Girls.\nSuperintendent, Provincial Home.\n..Administrator, Region I.\n.Administrator, Region II.\n..Administrator, Region III.\n..Administrator, Region IV.\n..Administrator, Region V.\n..Administrator, Region VI.\n.Administrator, Region VII. TABLE OF CONTENTS\nPage\nDirector of Social Welfare \t\n 9\nAssistant Director of Social Welfare\n 11\nPart II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Regional Administration\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nRegion I . \t\n 14\nRegion II. .... - -\n 16\nRegion III ... \t\n 18\nRegion IV _ - \t\n_ 20\nRegion V. - - '\n 22\nRegion VI. _ - _ \t\n24\nRegion VII \t\n 26\nPart III.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Divisional Administration \u00E2\u0080\u0094\nFamily Division\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nSocial Allowances\t\nMothers' Allowances\t\nFamily Service\t\nChild Welfare Division\t\n 29\n 34\n 38\n 43\nOld-age Assistance, Blind Persons' Allowances, Disabled Persons' Allowances, and Supplementary Assistance 53\nMedical Services Division 74\nPart IV.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Institutions\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nIndustrial School for Boys\nIndustrial School for Girls __\nProvincial Home, Kamloops\nWelfare Institutions Board...\n76\n81\n85\n88\nPart V.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Medical Social Work Services\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nSocial Service Department, Division of Tuberculosis Control\n92\nPart VI.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Accounting Division Report of the Department of Social Welfare\nPART I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094GENERAL ADMINISTRATION\nDIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE\nIn the fiscal year under review, welfare services were the responsibility of the\nSocial Welfare Branch, Department of Health and Welfare, until March 20th, 1959,\nwhen the Department of Social Welfare Act was proclaimed by Order in Council\nNo. 558. The Social Welfare Branch, Department of Health and Welfare, then\nceased to exist, and welfare services fell within the jurisdiction of the Department\nof Social Welfare.\nOn September 1st, 1958, by agreement with the municipalities, a new equalization of Social Allowance costs was introduced. The plan was developed to equalize\ncosts on a per capita basis throughout the Province, and the Provincial Government\nagreed to share Social Allowance costs with the municipalities on the formula of\n90 per cent Provincial payment and 10 per cent municipal payment. It has been\na major step forward, with details of residence and responsibility within the Province\neliminated and intermunicipal-Provincial billing is simplified. Also on that date\nMothers' Allowance cases were transferred to Social Allowance for administrative\npurposes.\nSteps were taken to decentralize authority under the Children's Protection Act,\nwith responsibility placed in the field offices for action to be taken without prior\nreferral to the Child Welfare Division. Due to certain amendments to the Municipal\nAct, some municipalities were relieved of their responsibility for the costs and\nadministration of welfare services. A change was made in the charge for services by\nthe Province to municipalities purchasing social welfare services in their areas. The\nper capita payment was increased April 1st, 1958, from 15 cents to 30 cents,\nThroughout the year the Research and Office Consultants, in addition to activities in their respective fields of research and office procedures, have been revising\nthe Departmental policy manuals. The Civil Defence Liaison Officer has continued\nhis lecture programme to local groups throughout the Province and has been\nengaged in the preparation of material in connection with civil defence welfare\nservices.\nThe following tables show, on a comparative basis, case loads and changes in\ncase loads:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major Categories\nas at March 31st for the Years 1958 and 1959\nCategory\n1958\nNumber\nPer Cent\n1959\nNumber\nPer Cent\nTotals for Province..\nFamily Service\t\nSocial Allowance\t\nBlind Persons' Allowance1..\nOld-age Assistances-\nOld Age Security supplementary assistances-\nDisabled Persons' Allowance1\t\nChild Welfare \t\nHealth and Institutional \t\n61,783\n1,296\n10,658\n671\n8,385\n32,761\n1,453\n5,896\n663\n100.0\n2.1\n17.3\n1.1\n13.6\n53.0\n2.4\n9.5\n1.1\n69,046\n1,317\n17,578\n660\n8,544\n32,239\n1,666\n6,379\n663\n100.0\n1.9\n25.5\n1.0\n12.4\n46.7\n2.4\n9.2\n1.0\n1 Includes Old-age Assistance Board figures which are not shown in regional reports.\n9 O 10 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Movement in Case Load during Fiscal Year 1958/59\nMajor Category of Service\nCases Opened during Year\nNumber\nPer Cent\nCases Closed during Year\nNumber\nPer Cent\nFamily Service... \t\nSocial Allowance \t\nBlind Persons' Allowance\t\nDisabled Persons' Allowance..\nOld-age Assistance\nOld Age Security supplementary assistance.\nChild Welfare _ \t\nHealth and Institutional.\nTotals for Province..\n2,084\n30,495\n338\n929\n5,997\n12,427\n6,379\n486\n59,135\n3.5\n51.6\n0.6\n1.6\n10.1\n21.0\n10.8\n0.8\n100.0\n2,063\n24,078\n349\n716\n5,838\n12,949\n5,897\n485\n52,375\n3.9\n46.0\n0.7\n1.4\n11.1\n24.7\n11.3\n0.9\n100.0\nTable III,\n-Number of Cases by Category and as a Percentage of Population\nas at March 31st for the Years 1958 and 1959\n1958\n1959\nCategory\nNumber\nPer Cent of\nPopulation\n(1,487,000)\nNumber\nPer Cent of\nPopulation\n(1,544,000)\n61,783\n1,296\n10.658\n671\n8,385\n32,761\n1,453\n5,896\n663\n4.15\n0.09\n0.72\n0.05\n0.56\n2.20\n0.10\n0.40\n0.04\n69,046\n1,317\n17,578\n660\n8,544\n32,239\n1,666\n6,379\n663\n4.47\n0.09\n1.14\nBlind Persons' Allowance1 \t\n0.04\n0.55\nOld Age Security supplementary assistance1\t\nDisabled Persons' Allowance1 \t\nChild Welfare -\t\n2.09\n0.11\n0.41\nHealth and Institutional -\t\n0.04\n1 Includes Old-age Assistance Board figures which are not shown in regional reports.\nThe above tables show a marked increase in the Social Allowance case load in\nthe Province. This increase in case load and the increase in activity in the case load\nis due to the unemployment situation which has developed this year.\nAs the report will show, there has been an increased demand for services not\nonly in the field of Social Allowance where, due to pressures from many unemployed\npersons asking for temporary help, the work programme has changed somewhat,\nwith emphasis being placed on the meeting of immediate need, but also in connection\nwith the boys' and girls' schools with increased populations in both schools, and in\nfamily and children's services.\nMunicipal officials, together with officials of private agencies and many other\norganizations, have continued their kind co-operation as in the past and this cooperation is appreciated by the staff of this Department.\nRespectfully submitted.\nJ. A. Sadler,\nDirector of Social Welfare. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 11\nASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE\nI wish to submit the report of the Assistant Director of Social Welfare for the\nfiscal year April, 1958, to March, 1959.\nThe Assistant Director of Social Welfare shares in part in the planning of the\nover-all administration of the Department; is responsible for certain duties delegated\nby the Director of Social Welfare; and is primarily responsible for maintaining\nsocial work and clerical staff for the field service and divisions, of the Department.\nIn so far as the social-work staff is concerned the major portion of responsibility for\nrecruitment, and in-service training and placement of staff, is delegated to the Provincial Supervisor of Training and her assistant. Office management is the responsibility of the Office Consultant, also a member of the staff of the Assistant Director\nof Social Welfare.\nLegislatively the responsibility of the Department is defined as \" all matters\nrelating to social and public welfare and social assistance.\" This, then, does not\nmean solely the administration or granting of financial assistance, which is only a\npart of a social-welfare programme. It also means a casework service for individuals and families who come to us for help, in order to alleviate or resolve problems\nof personality or relationship, apart from economic problems, so that they may live\nhappier and more satisfying lives and fulfil their maximum potential as citizens.\nTo do this demands special skill and knowledge which social workers must\nlearn and continue to develop through experience. The social workers, too, must\nfind happiness and satisfaction in their work, for without these, frustration and a lack\nof sense of achievement are inevitable, which even loyalty to social work cannot\ndispel.\nThe skill and knowledge required of a social worker are learned in professional\ntraining at a school of social work, and it is the goal of the Department to employ\nas many professionally trained staff as possible. There is, however, a continuing\nshortage of professionaUy trained social workers and many agencies have had to\nplan other means to fill staff vacancies.\nThis Department has had for many years an in-service training programme for\nappointees lacking professional qualifications. At this time a tribute should be paid\nto the in-service trainees, for they have formed a dependable portion of our staff\ncomplement and without them the Department could not have achieved the enviable\nreputation for service which it has had in the past. It should be pointed out, however, that in-service training is training only for work in the Department and cannot\nbe considered as a substitute for professional training.\nTherefore each In-Service Trainee is encouraged to make plans for educational\nleave to attend the School of Social Work at U.B.C. at the earliest possible opportunity. To assist in such plans the Department has provision for a few bursaries.\nDuring the year under review six staff members were on educational leave, of which\nfour were awarded bursaries toward the full costs of an academic year.\nIn addition to in-service training and educational leave, other means of professional development are encouraged. District staff meetings, held with reasonable\nregularity, help social-work staff to increase their knowledge and develop their skills.\nOther devices are regular District Supervisors' and regional staff meetings. The\nlatter are held annually, in so far as possible, with institute leaders brought in from\noutside the Department or leadership provided by senior Department personnel, to\nconcentrate on some particular aspect of social work or the social-welfare programme of the Department. O 12\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nStill another device for staff development is the arranging, whenever possible,\nfor attendance of selected members of staff to attend national social-work conferences or regional conferences of national and international organizations.\nSuch devices are essential and their benefits beyond measure if a progressive\nand competent social-work staff is to be maintained.\nFor the clerical staff of the service the need for training and encouragement is\nequally important, and the services of the Office Consultant are always available by\ncorrespondence or by frequent visits to the various district offices to share her\nknowledge of and experience in office management.\nCompetence and skill alone are not enough for the social worker unless conditions of work give opportunities for using the knowledge and skill he has; otherwise the quality and quantity of the service of the Department is affected. The\nmanner in which the staff has met the challenge of a total case load which rose from\n61,783 to 69,046 in this fiscal year, with a monthly average active case load of\n14,572, is beyond all praise.\nNeither could the social workers meet this challenge without the able support\nof the clerical staff, for their responsibilities are many, too. Not to be excluded\nfrom any expression of appreciation are the staffs of the two correctional schools and\nall divisions of the Department. Each staff member, whatever his role or responsibility, contributes immeasurably by his efforts and loyalty to the work of the\nDepartment in the alleviation of human need and suffering.\nThe following table shows the total number of staff (clerical, professional, and\ntechnical) that were employed and their location in the Department as at March\n31st, 1959:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nOffice of Deputy Minister\t\nDirector of Welfare\t\n2\n.__ 4\nField Service _ _ _ ------ \t\n- 290\nMedical Services Division ___ ___ _ _ \t\n___ 12\nChild Welfare Division \u00E2\u0096\u00A0\u00E2\u0080\u00A2 _\n-. 18\nProvincial Home _\n34\nBrannen Lake School for Boys._ _ - .. _ __\nGirls' Industrial School \t\n62\n- 50\nOld-age Assistance Board _ __ _\n__- 74\nFamily Division ____ __ - __ _ \t\n5\nTotal\t\n_ 551\nThe following table gives the total social-work stafl\nyears ending March 31st, 1958, and March 31st, 1959:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nemployed for the fiscal\nUniversity\nTrained\nIn-service\nTrained\nTotal\nTotal staff, March 31st, 1958\t\nCompleted formal training during fiscal year \t\n93\n+6\n121\n-6\n214\nStaff appointed April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959\t\n99\n6\n115\n50\n214\n56\nResignations, April lst,1958, to March 31st, 1959\t\n105\n28\n165\n33\n270\n61\nTotals as at March 31st, 1959 \t\n77\n132\n209\nDuring the year under review there were 149 resignations and an equal number of replacements to fill them. So that, in all, responsibility for appointment,\npromotion, reclassification, and processing of resignations covered a total of 363\nstaff members. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 13\nDuring the course of the year seventy-six persons were given in-service training\nin six introductory and four final group sessions.\nThe Department was represented at three conferences and institutes related to\nsocial welfare and seven delegates attended. In addition, other members attended\non their own time and at their own expense.\nDuring this fiscal year two combined District Supervisors' meetings were held.\nThe District Supervisors of Regions V and VII met at Prince George and of Regions\nIII and IV at Kelowna. The Assistant Director of Social Welfare attended both,\nthus also permitting a visit to various district offices in the four regions.\nThis fiscal year saw the long-awaited opening of the new correctional school,\nWillingdon School for Girls, with adequate and well appointed facilities for a treatment programme, which was the goal of the Girls' Industrial School Advisory Committee chaired by the previous Assistant Director of Welfare.\nIn conclusion, I wish to express my sincerest thanks for the co-operation shown\nadministration by the staff, and a special word of appreciation to the staff for their\ndevotion and untiring efforts to maintain the programme of the Department.\nMy personal thanks go to the staff, professional and clerical, of my own office,\non whose support and willingness I can depend at all times.\nRespectfully submitted.\n(Miss) Marie Riddell,\nAssistant Director of Social Welfare. O 14 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nPART IL\u00E2\u0080\u0094REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION\nREGION I\nI submit herewith the annual report for the fiscal year 1958/59, which outlines statistical information, and, briefly, a resume of the activities of welfare services in this region, designated for administrative purposes as Region I. This\nregion comprises Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and a small section of the\nMainland contiguous to the Johnstone and Queen Charlotte Straits. According to\nestimated figures, the population for the region approximates 245,000 persons, with\na land area of roughly 13,000 square miles. About half of the population live in\nthe southerly part\u00E2\u0080\u0094Greater Victoria area, Gulf Islands, Duncan, Nanaimo, etc.\nBecause of migratory population these figures might be slightly over or under last\nyear's quoted census population figure.\nThe welfare field staff, servicing the people in the area, consists of thirty-two\nsocial workers, with four supervisors, two municipal administrators, and one Regional Administrator.\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Administrative Offices with Distribution of Case Load by\nCategory of Services\nCategory\nAlberni\nCourtenay\nDuncan\nNanaimo\nSaanich\nVictoria\nCity\nVictoria\nDistrict\nTotal\n14\n297\n3\n115\n314\n15\n146\n13\n36\n269\n7\n142\n527\n33\n222\n11\n36\n213\n9\n104\n472\n16\n156\n19\n44\n610\n13\n227\n965\n43\n192\n22\n127\n6\n96\n835\n30\n28\n6\n1,053\n37\n464\n2,148\n76\n43\n40\n269\n12\n179\n1,053\n47\n126\n46\n176\n2,838\nBlind Persons' Allowance....\nOld-age Assistance\t\nSupplementary assistance to\nOld Age Security\t\nDisabled Persons' Allowance\nChild Welfare \t\n87\n1,327\n6,314\n260\n842\nHealth and Institutional\t\n182\nTotals\t\n917\n1,247\n1,025\n2,116\n1,122 1 3,827\n1,772\n12,026\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major\nCategories in Region I for the Fiscal Years 1957/58 and 1958/59\nCategory\n1957/58\n1958/59\nNumber\nPer Cent\nNumber\nPer Cent\n165\n1,588\n90\n1,317\n6,417\n235\n794\n187-\n1.5\n14.7\n0.8\n12.2\n59.5\n2.2\n7.4\n1.7\n176\n2,838\n87\n1,327\n6,314\n260\n842\n182\n1.5\n23.6\n0.7\n11.0\nSupplementary assistance to Old Age Security\nDisabled Persons* Allowance -\t\nChild Welfare -\t\n52.5\n2.2\n7.0\n1.5\nTota!s \t\n10,788 | 100.0\n1\n12,026\n100.0 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 15\nTable III.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Analysis of Case Load and Population in Each Municipality of Region\nI at March 31st, 1959, as Related to The Administrative Plan (Section 6 of\nthe Regulations under the Social Assistance Act).\nPopulation\n1956 Census\nWelfare Services\nArea\nPer Capita\nPlan\nAmalgamated\nPlan\nWelfare\nCase Load\nCity of Alberni \t\n3,947\n10,373\n3,069\n2,477\n1,039\n3,025\n3,247\n10,384\n2,107\n12,705\n1,949\n7,781\n726\n14,857\n38,358\n54,584\n895\n1,151\n1,112\n1,371\n389\n520\n154\nX\nX\n(?)\nX\n(!)\nX\nX\nX\nC1)\nX\n(!)\nx\nO)\nX\n0)\n(!)\n0)\nC1)\nC1)\nC1)\nX\nX\n148\n429\n103\n121\n188\n271\nCity of Nanaimo _ ..\nVillage of Lake Cowichan\t\n949\n305\n254\n1,122\n3,827\nVillage of Alert Bay.....\t\nVillage of Tofino\t\nVillage of Zeballos\t\n(1) Organized villages not liable for welfare costs (subsection 2 of section 639 of the Municipal Act).\nTotal case load in organized territory\nTotal case load in unorganized territory\nTotal case load for region\nSocial welfare case load \t\nTotal number of individuals, including dependents \t\nApproximate percentage, case load to population (245,000)\nApproximate percentage, total individuals to population \t\n7,717\n4,309\n12,026\n12,026\n14,954\n4.9%\n6%\nIn this region there is accommodation in private hospitals for approximately\n600 persons and accommodation in licensed boarding homes for 700 persons. The\nmonthly rates paid for maintenance of welfare cases in these establishments ranged\nfrom $75 to $165. Overtures have been made repeatedly for the rates to be increased, but the degree of care offered by the individual establishment is a governing factor and this is being watched closely.\nThe Family Service and Child Welfare case load was relatively high and within\nthis group were found most complex and time-consuming problems. Coupled with\nthe work required in the above two categories, the processing of applications for\nold-age assistance and proving eligibility for public aid for employable and unemployable persons, the field staff have experienced a very trying year.\nIn conclusion, I report that the turmoil of industrial labour disputes again\ntook its toll, with its immediate disruptory effects and aftermath of readjustments\nin the economy of this area which, of course, placed heavier burdens on the social\nwelfare staff. Grateful acknowledgment is given to all who participated.\nRespectfully submitted.\nE. L. RlMMER,\nRegional Administrator. O 16\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nREGION II\nI beg to submit the following report of the activities of the Department of\nSocial Welfare in Region II for the fiscal year 1958/59:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nThere have been no changes in the boundaries of the administrative unit known\nas Region II since March 31st, 1958. The municipal administrative units within\nthe region have likewise remained the same.\nThe existing offices, as of March 31st, 1959, therefore, are again as follows:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nAmalgamated offices (municipal offices under the charge of municipal administrators): Burnaby, District of Coquitlam, New Westminster City, City\nand District of North Vancouver, Richmond, Vancouver City, and West\nVancouver.\nDistrict offices (Department of Social Welfare offices under the charge of\ndistrict supervisors, serving unorganized areas and per capita municipalities) : New Westminster district office, serving unorganized areas and\nthe muncipalities of Delta, Fraser Mills, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody;\nVancouver district office, serving unorganized areas of University of\nBritish Columbia Endowment Lands, North Arm of Burrard Inlet, Howe\nSound, Cheakamus Valley, Sechelt Peninsula, Ocean Falls, and surrounding coast; Westview district office, serving the District of Powell River\nand surrounding area.\nThe following tables show the distribution of case load in the various categories, Table I for the years 1957/58 and 1958/59 (April 1st to March 31st) for\nthe whole of Region II, while Table II shows the breakdown of cases carried by\nDistrict and Municipal offices. It should be pointed out that the City Social Service\nDepartment in Vancouver does not carry child and family welfare cases, this work\nbeing done by children's aid societies.\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major\nCategories in Region II for the Fiscal Years 1957/58 and 1958/59\nCategory\n1957/58\nNumber\nPer Cent\n1958/59\nNumber\nPer Cent\nFamily Service. \t\nSocial Allowance \t\nBlind Persons' Allowance-\nOld-age Assistance .\nSupplementary assistance to Old Age Security-\nDisabled Persons' Allowance \t\nChild Welfare -\nHealth and Institutional \t\nTotals \u00E2\u0080\u0094\n306\n3,918\n279\n3,565\n15,300\n591\n1,457\n173\n25,589\n1.2\n15.3\n1.1\n13.9\n59.8\n2.3\n5.7\n0.7\n100.0\n220\n7,183\n275\n3,739\n14,697\n681\n1,472\n177\n28,444\n0.8\n25.3\n1.0\n13.1\n51.6\n2.4\n5.2\n0.6\n100.0 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 17\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Case Load by Major Categories in the District Administrative\nOffices of Region II as at March 31st, 1959\nCategory\nSi\nrt\n-\n3\n\u00C2\u00AB\n\u00C2\u00A7\nrt\n\"3\nO\nu\n_\n|\n1\n-ft*\n-\n-\n!\u00E2\u0096\u00A0_\nz\u00C2\u00A3fl\nu\n>\nX\n68\n- a\no rt\nZ>\n-\no\n6\nJq\n_\ns\nVancouver\nCity\nIh\n0)\n>\nS3\nu -\n9-3\n>Q\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n_\n>\na\no\n'B\nTotal\n25\n518\n34\n456\n2,264\n76\n380\n50\n17\n123\n7\n80\n286\n24\n133\n1\n56\n467\n20\n208\n773\n35\n134\n16\n1,709\n18\n199\n2\n102\n449\n21\n123\n8\n28\n198\n10\n129\n848\n33\n135\n31\n22\n138\n2\n93\n414\n34\n123\n12\n20\n103\n4\n88\n419\n18\n317\n30\n8\n36\n3\n73\n317\n14\n37\n16\n26\n98\n1\n40\n170\n3\n90\n13\n220\n5,303\n192\n2,470\n8,757\n423\n7,183\nBlind Persons' Allowance\n275\n3,739\nSupplementary assistance to\nOld Age Security ,\t\nDisabled Persons' Allowance\nChild Welfare\n14,697\n681\n1,472\nHealth and Institutional\t\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094.,\t\n177\nTotals.\t\n3,803\n671\n922\n1,412\n838\n17,145\n999\n504\n441\n28,444\nUnemployment continued to be an important factor during this year. The\ntrend, started last year, continued at an accelerated rate. The Vancouver and New\nWestminster offices took the brunt of it due to location. Vancouver, being a large\ncentre with the possibility of securing aid from voluntary agencies if work was not\navailable, was attractive to transients. New Westminster is the gateway to Region\nII and tends to receive requests for assistance from transients moving in and out\nof the region.\nTable III compares these two centres and their activities relating to unemployed\npersons requiring assistance. This table represents cases which include heads of\nfamilies and their dependents, as well as single persons.\nTable III.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Unemployed Employables\nVancouver\nNumber of\nCases\nCost\nNew Westminster\nNumber of\nCases\nCost\n1958\nMay\nJulv \t\nOctober- \t\n1959\nMarch\t\n565\n686\n744\n799\n1,348\n1,728\n1,831\n1,951\n2,276\n2,504\n2,175\n2,327\n2,393\n$27,925\n34,797\n41,182\n43,838\n59,817\n98,420\n107,323\n110,980\n129,025\n142,083\n121,294\n131,832\n138,485\n15\n19\n12\n15\n26\n67\n74\n73\n152\n199\n221\n216\n201\n$615\n807\n595\n750\n1,176\n3,210\n4,912\n5,441\n6,910\n8,948\n9,984\n10,295\n10,391\nHowever, figures on straight unemployment, as it relates to employable persons,\ndo not show the complete picture. When able-bodied persons are out of work,\nthose partially able to support themselves have little chance of getting employment.\nTable IV therefore shows a comparison between the same two centres, Vancouver\nand New Westminster, as regards total numbers and expenditures for social assistance. The figures shown are inclusive of those in Table III.\n2 O 18\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nThe totals for Region II on the same basis as in Table IV were at March 31st,\n1959, for that month as follows:\u00E2\u0080\u0094Number of persons in families, 7,876, $214,767;\nsingle persons, 4,461, $222,061.\nTable IV.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Social Allowance Cases\nVancouver\no -\nill\nIII\nUS\nuS\nNew Westminster\nIP\nI Eft\nZ&S\nUS\nZ\u00C2\u00ABB<\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094 _\nUS\n1958\nMarch \t\nApril \t\nMay \t\nJune\t\nJuly-\t\nAugust ...\nSeptember\nOctober\nNovember\nDecember .\n1959\nJanuary\t\nFebruary-\nMarch \t\n2,228\n2,378\n2,425\n2,428\n3,098\n3,404\n3,887\n4,121\n4,378\n4,563\n4,291\n4,383\n4,505\n$54,874\n64,293\n67,287\n67,997\n79,081\n92,800\n116,485\n112,074\n119,001\n135,246\n118,159\n120,214\n124,394\n2,067\n2,138\n2,201\n2,236\n2,668\n3,122\n3,081\n3,221\n3,507\n3,686\n3,503\n3,663\n3,678\n$97,513\n105,819\n110,649\n110,581\n118,778\n151,973\n152,781\n155,856\n170,684\n178,817\n$152,387\n170,112\n177,936\n178,578\n197,859\n244,773\n269,266\n267,930\n289,685\n314,063\n170,983 289,142\n182,577 | 302,791\n185,187 j 309,581\n263\n251\n281\n298\n290\n379\n$6,748\n7,685\n7,725\n8,251\n8,330\n10,455\n405 | 11,855\n399 j 11,454\n424 j 11,541\n461 I 13,550\n560 ! 13,093\n485 I 13,348\n553 | 14,956\nI\n136\n137\n143\n130\n134\n160\n158\n178\n234\n282\n293\n290\n269\n$5,808\n6,327\n6,761\n6,155\n5,688\n6,902\n7,211\n7,750\n9,240\n11,728\n12,145\n12,407\n12,311\n$12,556\n14,012\n14,486\n14,406\n14,018\n17,357\n19,066\n19,204\n20,781\n25,278\n25,238\n25,755\n27,267\nI would like to take this opportunity to state that I have met with a large\nmeasure of co-operation from persons in other public agencies and departments, as\nwell as from private agencies. The work of the Department of Social Welfare is\nbroad beyond the scope of the above report. The generalized case load carried by\nmost areas in Region II brings one into contact with cases as varied as human\nexperience. The field staff, municipal and provincial, who are the key persons in\nthe standards of service provided, must be given credit for the skill with which\nthey meet the pressures inherent in their task. They are to be commended for their\ndevotion to duty.\nRespectfully submitted.\nH. E. Blanchard,\nRegional Administrator.\nREGION III\nI beg to submit the following report on the activities of the Social Welfare\nBranch in Region III for the fiscal year 1958/59.\nThere have been no changes in the regional boundaries during the past year.\nThe region is bounded on the south by the International Border, on the north by\nWells Gray Park, on the east by Revelstoke and district, and on the west by Bra-\nlorne. The principal concentrations of population are in and around the cities of\nKamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, and Penticton. The Social Welfare Branch services\nare provided from six provincial offices, one each located at Kamloops, Kelowna,\nPenticton, Oliver, Salmon Arm, and Vernon, and four amalgamated offices located\nat Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, and Vernon. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 19\nThe Social Welfare Branch provides welfare services in the municipalities of\nArmstrong, Enderby, Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, and Summerland, these services\nbeing paid for by the municipalities concerned on a per capita basis. During the\nyear, the Provincial Government relieved the municipalities of Peachland, Spallum-\ncheen, Coldstream, and Glenmore of responsibility for all welfare costs and administration. These responsibilities were assumed by the Provincial Government through\nthe local offices of the Social Welfare Branch.\nThe population in this region continues to grow at an estimated 5 to 7 per cent\nper year, which is higher than the Provincial average. This increase in population\nhas resulted in a greater demand for our services, which is confirmed in the statistics\nwhich follow.\nAs noted in last year's report, this region has a mixed economy which has, in\nthe past, tended to provide an adequate income for the majority of the residents.\nHowever, in spite of this, the anticipated increase in unemployed persons requiring\nassistance has occurred, and this would seem to be largely because of the tightening\neconomy throughout the rest of the Province. Persons have come to this region\nseeking seasonal work picking fruit and vegetables or in the lumbering industry. In\nspite of the fact that there has been the usual amount of employment, it has not been\nenough to take care of the large influx of unemployed persons from other areas.\nAs a result, there has been a greatly increased demand on our services. This year\nthere was $162,650.07 dispensed to assist employable persons. This is an amount\neight times greater than that dispensed in the year before, which in turn was three\ntimes greater than the previous year.\nThe foregoing comments on assistance to employable persons are supported\nby the fact that the social assistance case load increased from 18.7 per cent of the\ntotal case load to 25.6 per cent, and the total case load increased from 7,083 to\n8,133, an increase of 14.8 per cent.\nFrom the above it can be seen that the work load carried by the staff in this\nregion has increased at a considerable rate, and I would like to take this opportunity\nof thanking them for the extra efforts they have been making and for the loyalty and\nhigh ideals and principles that they have maintained under considerable pressures.\nThe following tables show the regional case load as of March 31st, 1958, and\nMarch 31st, 1959, by types of assistance and location of servicing offices.\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Case Load by Major Categories in the District Administrative Offices of\nRegion III as at March 31st, 1959\nCategory\nPa\n0\no\ni\npi\n14\na\n*_\nc\no\nc\nu\no\nP\no\nEE\na5\nP\no\np\nu\n>\na\no\no\n!>.\n_._\nrt\ni-U\na\no\n_.\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nO-U\na\no\n_ j-\n_.-\n>U\nrt\nrO\n102\n547\n22\n202\n589\n1\n401 68\n155! 186\n12| 6\n93 106\n3401 318\n14\n1-\n27\n270\n9\n152\n397\n28\n235\n9\n194\n6\n66\n306\n16\n4\n1 265\n131| 18\"\n3| 9\n58| 81\n146! 3IK\n172\n3\n38\n195\n12\n100\n9\n74\n342\n35\n5\n1402,082\nBlind Persons' Allowance \t\nOld-age Assistance \t\n8| 87\n102| 972\n33RI3 789\nDisabled Persons' Allowance .\nChild Welfare\n29| 351 29| 91 18\n385! 131| 225| 441 104\n23| 121 161 21 11\n21\n232\n1,124\n82\nTotals\t O 20\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major\nCategories in Region III for the Fiscal Years 1957/58 and 1958/59\nCategory\n1957/58\n1958/59\nNumber\nPer Cent\nNumber\nPer Cent\n251\n1,326\n81\n892\n3,234\n184\n1,028\n87\n3.5\n18.7\n1.1\n12.6\n45.7\n2.6\n14.5\n1.2\n265\n2,082\n87\n972\n3,289\n232\n1,124\n82\n3.3\nSocial Allowance _\nBlind Persons' Allowance\t\nOld age Assistance ....\nSupplementary assistance to Old Age Security\n25.6\n1.1\n12.0\n40.4\n2.8\nChild Welfare \t\n13 8\n1 0\nTotals\t\n7,083\n100.0\n8,133\n100.0\nRespectfully submitted.\nR. I. Stringer,\nRegional Administrator.\nREGION IV\nI submit herewith the annual report on the activities of the Department of\nSocial Welfare in Region IV for the fiscal year 1958/59.\nRegion IV is located in the south-eastern section of the Province, forming a\nrough triangle, with Alberta and the International Border outlining the eastern and\nsouthern boundaries. The third line of the triangle can be traced through the\nimmediate areas around Golden in the north to Nakusp and Greenwood to the south.\nThe total area covered by this region is approximately 28,000 square miles of mountains and valleys, threaded with rivers and dotted with lakes. The present population figure for this region is approximately 114,000.\nThere are one municipal and seven Provincial offices in this area. The seven\nProvincial offices provide services for seven cities\u00E2\u0080\u0094Cranbrook, Kimberley, Fernie,\nNelson, Grand Forks, Rossland, and Greenwood. Kaslo and Slocan have dropped\ntheir status as cities, thereby saving themselves the cost of welfare services. The\nCity of Trail continues to administer its own welfare programme but will probably\nrequest the Department of Social Welfare to undertake this responsibility as from\nApril 1st, 1960.\nThis year has shown a continued upward trend in the amount of Social Allowance granted in the region, and this appears due to the progressively worsening\nemployment situation. The commencement of construction of a large pulp-mill at\nCastlegar has attracted large numbers of job-seeking transients, many of whom have\nnot been placed. This, in turn, has brought a particularly heavy increase of work\nin our Trail office handling the many requests for financial assistance. The numbers of family units and single persons assisted each month by this means increased\nby 35.5 per cent over last year. The total amount of assistance granted showed a\ncorresponding increase.\nIt will be noted from Table II that all categories of services provided by our\nDepartment showed a gain in numbers during the year with the exception of Blind\nPersons' Allowances. These additional numbers of cases represent an increase of\n11.6 per cent of our total case load since March 31st, 1958.\nBoarding- and nursing-home facilities have increased in this region, but along\nwith them has grown an ever-increasing need for this type of care for old people. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 21\nThe Dr. Green Memorial Home has been opened in Cranbrook for persons in need\nof boarding-home care and has a number of beds vacant. Being a new resource,\nthere is a natural reticence on the part of elderly people to seek admission immediately, but once a few have tried it and word is circulated, it will no doubt be filled\nto capacity. Mt. St. Francis, a nursing-home in Nelson with a bed capacity of ninety-\neight, is hoping to eventually add a new floor to its building, which will provide room\nfor another forty-eight to fifty patients. The need for this is definitely proven in the\nwaiting lists for admission and the continual pressure we have from our general\nhospitals to move chronic patients into such an institution.\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Case Load by Major Categories in the District Administrative Offices\nof Region IV as at March 31st, 1959\nCategory\nM\no\no\nj-\na\nrt\nU\nc\n0\n-\nV\n1\n_\nft\n_\nM\nM\no\nft\n-a\na\nrt\nO\n_\no\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2-\nZ\n-\n_1\nHi !U\nZQ\n\"rt\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n>.\n\"rt\n.8\"\ng|\nhs x\n\u00C2\u00A32\n\"rt\n8\n37\n226\n6\n100\n356\n19\n150\n24\n27\n134\n1\n86\n228\n23\n75\n6\n8\n80\n4\n74\n240\n18\n42\n3\n6\n137\n9\n110\n284\n18\n34\n4\n67\n334\n1\n141\n583\n24\n168\n15\n5\n72\n3\n39\n242\n5\n47\n4\n15\n198\n4\n107\n302\n28\n90\n15\n9\n115\n2\n26\n126\n7\n48\n7\n174\n1,296\nBlind Persons' Allowance \t\n30\n683\nSupplementary assistance to Old Age Security...\t\n2,361\n142\nChild Welfare \t\n654\n78\nTotals\t\n918\n580\n469\n602\n1,333\n417\n759\n340\n5,418\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major Categories in Region IV, as at March 31st, for the Years 1957/58 and 1958/59\nCategory\n1957/58\n1958/59\nNumber\nPer Cent\nNumber\nPer Cent\n143\n956\n42\n592\n2,330\n127\n590\n77\n2.9\n19.7\n0.9\n12.2\n48.0\n2.6\n12.1\n1.6\n174\n1,296\n30\n683\n2,361\n142\n654\n78\n3.2\n23.9\nBlind Persons' Allowance\t\nOld-age Assistance \t\nOld Age Security supplementary allowance\t\nDisabled Persons' Allowance \t\nChild Welfare\t\n0.6\n12.6\n43.6\n2.6\n12.1\n1.4\nTotals\t\n4,857\n100.0\n5,418\n100.0\nIn concluding, I would like to express thanks to all staff members in the region\nfor their conscientious efforts to meet the many pressing needs with which they have\nbeen faced. I would like, also, to thank the municipal staffs, service clubs, and\nother organizations for their kind help and co-operation.\nRespectfully submitted.\nR. J. BURNHAM,\nRegional Administrator. O 22 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nREGION V\nI beg to submit the following report of the activities of the Social Welfare\nBranch in Region V for the fiscal year 1958/59.\nDuring the fiscal year under review the region continued to be served by six\ndistrict offices situated in Fort St. John, Pouce Coupe, Prince George, Vanderhoof,\nQuesnel, and Williams Lake. However, the steady growth of population centred at\nsome distances from these offices foreshadows the need of the establishment of other\noffices in the near future. In the meantime, office accommodations in the above\ncentres have been improved or are planned for improvement. Most notable was\nthe move of the Prince George office into the new Government Building on July\n1st, 1958.\nThe number of municipalities responsible for welfare services was increased\non June 1st, 1958, when the Village of Fort St. John was incorporated as a town.\nNow there are in the region four per capita municipalities\u00E2\u0080\u0094those of Fort St. John,\nDawson Creek, Prince George, and Quesnel\u00E2\u0080\u0094and in these municipalities reside\n34.1 per cent of our total case load.\nResources for our clients were enhanced by the opening of the Senior Citizens'\nHome in Prince George in February, 1959. This home provides accommodation\nfor couples at a cost of $50 per month.\nWe are still facing serious difficulties in the lack of an adequate number of\nfoster homes for children in care. On March 31st, 1959, we had 291 children in\ncare and, on our books, 208 foster homes. During the year the number of\nchildren increased by fifty-five and the number of foster homes only increased\nby nine. Unfortunately, many of the foster homes included in the above figure are\nnot available for use on occasion, and those that are available do not include a\nsufficient number of families who could take problem children or older children.\nWe do not have too much difficulty in finding sufficient homes for infants.\nIn an effort to find more foster homes in Dawson Creek an ex-social worker\nwas employed for approximately the month of May. There were twenty-three\nresponses to newspaper and radio publicity but, out of these, only three proved\nsatisfactory foster-home applicants.\nEmployment generally throughout the region remained on a comparably high\nlevel in that more people were working than previously. However, employment\ndid not keep up to the growth of population, with a result that there were an\nincreasing number of job seekers and many more applicants for social allowances.\nBecause a higher proportion of applicants were residents of the area with family\nresponsibility the amounts of our grants were considerably larger.\nFrom Table I, which is shown below, it may readily be seen that the increase\nin case load largely took place in Social Allowance, which increased to become\n31.6 per cent of the total case load. There is also a considerable increase in the\nnumber of Family Service cases, which is affected by the extra pressures of financial\ninsecurity. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 23\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major\nCategories in Region V for the Fiscal Years 1957/58 and 1958/59\nCategory\n1957/58\n1958/59\nNumber\nPer Cent\nNumber\nPer Cent\n160\n941\n49\n366\n819\n33\n660\n37\n5.2\n30.7\n1.6\n12.0\n26.7\n1.1\n21.5\n1.2\n213\n1,038\n44\n379\n846\n42\n700\n28\n6.5\n31.5\nBlind Persons' Allowance\t\n1.3\n11.5\n25.7\n1.3\nChild Welfare _\n21.3\nHealth and Institutional\t\n0.9\nTotals \t\n3,065\n100.0\n3,290\n100.0\nIt is interesting to note that services to the younger portion of our population\nare increasing at a faster rate than services to the aged persons. For the first time\nthe aged categories occupy less than 40 per cent of our total case load. It has\nalways been proportionately a smaller part of our case load than is the situation\nthroughout the Province as a whole but, in spite of some improvement in the\nresources for elderly people in the area, they are becoming an even lesser part of\nthe group requiring and receiving our services.\nTable 11.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Case Load by Major Categories in the District Administrative Offices of\nRegion V as at March 31st, 1959\nCategory\nFort\nSt. John\nPouce\nCoupe\nPrince\nGeorge\nQuesnel\nVander-\nhoof\nWilliams\nLake\nTotal\nFamily Service \t\n39\n76\n2\n27\n121\n3\n76\n1\n43\n169\n2\n62\n182\n11\n109\n11\n67\n518\n11\n148\n227\n10\n261\n10\n25\n108\n35\n95\n6\n105\n2\n4\n48\n12\n54\n91\n3\n62\n....\n35\n119\n17\n53\n130\n9\n87\n4\n213\n1,038\n44\n379\nBlind Persons' Allowance \t\nOld Age Security supplementary assistance\t\n846\nDisabled Persons' Allowance\t\nChild Welfare- \t\n42\n700\nHealth and Institutional\t\n28\nTotals. \u00E2\u0080\u0094\n345\n589\n1,252\n376\n274\n454\n3,290\nFrom Table II it may be seen that increases in total case loads occurred in all\nOffices except that of Vanderhoof. The decrease in the latter office is ascribed to\nvery good employment opportunities arising out of construction in the area and a\nconsistently improving standard of work being done there. A stable office staff has\nalso contributed greatly to this. The greatest increase in case load, percentage-wise,\noccurred in the Fort St. John district, where the increase during the year amounted\nto 19 per cent. In November, 1958, social-work staff of this office was increased\nthrough the employment of a social worker on a half-time basis. Nevertheless,\nthis office has responsibility for an extremely large area radiating from the Alaska\nHighway and pressures on staff there still continue at an inordinate level.\nAt the end of the fiscal year the pressure of work on staff members was greatest\nin the Prince George district, where the four social workers had responsibility for\nan average case load of 313, the largest in the region. This office also suffered\ngreatly from change-over of staff. The district supervisor and three of the social\nworkers had to resign during the year because of family responsibilities and the 0 24 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nother social worker moved elsewhere. There was some delay in the appointment\nof replacements for these persons and the situation was only held by the temporary\nappointment of two university students during the summer months.\nI wish to express my sincere appreciation to all those members of the community\nwho have given us so much help and co-operation in bringing service to our clients.\n1 also wish to commend all staff on the energy and devotion they have given to\ntheir duties.\nRespectfully submitted.\nV. H. Dallamore,\nRegional Administrator.\nREGION VI\nI herewith submit the following report, which gives a summary of the activities\nof the Department of Social Welfare in Region VI for the fiscal year 1958/59.\nThere was no change during the year in the regional boundaries. The region\nextends from the Pattullo Bridge, on both sides of the Fraser River, to Lytton and to\nthe summit of the Hope-Princeton Highway, covering approximately 1,000 square\nmiles. The population of the area is estimated at 155,000, 90 per cent of whom\nreside in the sixteen municipalities of the region.\nLooked upon primarily as an agricultural area with logging and lumbering, the\nFraser Valley is fast becoming a residential area with some light industry. Illustrative of this growth is the municipality of Surrey. In 1921 the population was\n5,000, the present population is estimated at 60,000.\nThe Department of Social Welfare plays the key role in the community social\nservices and it is the only social agency which offers a service to each and every\ncommunity of the area.\nSeveral noteworthy administrative changes occurred during the past year. The\namalgamation of a municipal and Provincial office took place in two instances. In\nMay the Chilliwhack Township municipal office amalgamated with the Chilliwack\ndistrict office. This amalgamation resulted in the more efficient use of staff and\nmade possible specialized case loads for the total district served. An amalgamation\nof the Langley municipal office and the Langley City, district office in June also\nbrought about an improved staff and administrative situation. These two amalgamations have proven to us the economic value of the larger administrative unit.\nThe supervisor finds the task lightened by amalgamation of offices, as case\nload assignments can be more reasonably and economically planned and schedules\ncan be adopted and set more readily with all workers in one office. Time can be\nsaved by supervisor who does not have to divide time between two offices. With\nless pressure the supervisor can maintain better supervision of the total job to be\ndone. Amalgamation also results in the more efficient use of social workers and\nstenographic staff, all of which means a better service to the people to be served.\nEffective September 1st, 1958, by Order in Council, the District of Kent was\nrelieved of its responsibility for social-welfare costs under the terms of the Municipal\nAct. By a similar Order in Council, the Corporation of the District of Pitt Meadows\nwas relieved of its responsibility, effective December 1st, 1958.\nThe amalgamations reduced the administrative offices in the region from eight\nto six. One of these, Surrey, is municipally administered, while White Rock,\nLangley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Haney are Provincially administered offices. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 25\nAt the end of the year we were providing service for ten municipalities on a\nper capita basis and service in five municipalities which are not responsible for\nsocial-welfare costs.\nThe six administrative offices of the region at March 31st, 1959, were staffed\nby twenty-nine social workers, four district supervisors, one municipal administrator,\nand one Regional Administrator. The staff increased by one during the year, a\nmunicipally employed social worker. This was necessitated by the growth of population in the North Surrey area and the subsequent increase in need for our services.\nThe social welfare services available to the people of the region during the year\nwere shaped by the general economic conditions which prevailed. As a result of an\neconomic slump, by early fall our case load of unemployed employables skyrocketed.\nThis sudden increase in applications for Social Allowance created problems in all\noffices. It became necessary for staff to concentrate on the task of meeting the\ndependency needs of an ever-increasing number of people, who had exhausted their\nunemployment insurance, their savings, and all employment resources. Priority\nwas given to meeting the problems involved in people not having the necessary\nmoney to provide food, shelter, and clothing. It was not possible to meet these\nsudden demands with additional staff. Therefore, from necessity, procedures were\nstreamlined and made more flexible so that needs might be quickly met.\nIn one office we were able to study the closed files on 100 single employable\nmen (non-transient) and fifty employable men, with families, who received some\nassistance during the year under review. Approximately 60 per cent of the men\nwere under 40 years of age. This group was largely unskilled men whose pattern\nappears to be to move from job to job, the first casualties of recession. The married\nmen, who were in receipt of assistance for one month only (22 per cent), seemed\nto represent the more adequate men, who found new work. The single men, who\nwere on for one month only (50 per cent), seemed unstable, the \" no fixed address \"\nperson, who simply moved on. It was of interest to note that of the total group of\n150 men, 53 per cent have been in British Columbia since 1940 or before, that is,\nat least eighteen years. Because home-visits were not made, we know little of the\nrelationships or of the children in the family groups. Among the single men 66\nper cent had no contact with any relative. Of the families studied, one-quarter\nowned or were buying their home and the balance were renting. From the rentals\ncited and from the assessed value of the homes owned and being purchased, marginal\nshelter would be indicated.\nThe case-load figures given in Table I reveal that our regional case load increased sharply during the year by 960 cases. Social Allowance increased by 762\ncases, Child Welfare increased by 117 cases, while the pension categories, which\nmake up 60 per cent of our total case load, increased by only 83 cases. Family\nservice was the only category which did not increase.\nA number of the municipalities engaged in the Federal Winter Works Programme which was in effect during the most difficult winter months of the year.\nWithout this work, no doubt many more families would have required our services. O 26\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major Categories\nin Region VI for the Fiscal Years 1957/58 and 1958/59\nCategory\n1957/58\n1958/59\nNumber Per Cent Number Per Cent\nFamily Service \t\nSocial Allowance _ \t\nBlind Persons' Allowance\t\nOld-age Assistance\t\nSupplementary assistance to Old Age Security-\nDisabled Persons' Allowance \t\nChild Welfare \t\nHealth and Institutional..\nTotals\t\n180\n1,513\n67\n1,108\n4,086\n211\n963\n85\n2.2\n18.4\n0.8\n13.5\n49.8\n2.6\n11.7\n1.0\n168\n2,275\n59\n1,100\n4,141\n255\n1,080\n95\n8,213\n100.0\n1.0\n9,173 lOOMo\"\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Case Load by Major Categories in the District Administrative Offices\nof Region VI as at March 31st, 1959\nCategory\nAbbots-\nford\nChilliwack\nHaney\nLangley\nSurrey\nWhite\nRock\nTotal\n20\n494\n14\n250\n820\n59\n162\n23\n51\n580\n14\n219\n711\n50\n222\n15\n26\n216\n6\n112\n390\n29\n130\n11\n21\n231\n6\n127\n546\n32\n200\n8\n44\n661\n15\n338\n1,355\n69\n352\n23\n6\n93\n4\n54\n319\n16\n14\n15\n168\n2,275\nBlind Persons' Allowance \t\nOld-age Assistance \t\n59\n1,100\n4,141\nDisabled Persons Allowance. \t\nChild Welfare \t\n255\n1,080\nHealth and Institutional- \t\n95\nTotals \t\n1,842\n1,862\n920\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0\n1,171\n2,857\n521\n9,173\nAn outstanding highlight of the past year has been the manner in which all\nstaff, stenographers and social workers, Provincial employees and municipal employees, have responded to the heavy demands made upon them. They have worked\ntogether with dedication and skill to provide the best possible service.\nRespectfully submitted.\nA. E. Bingham,\nRegional Administrator.\nREGION VII\nI submit herewith the annual report of the activities of the Department of\nSocial Welfare in Region VII for the fiscal year 1958/59.\nThe geographic boundaries of the region remained the same. The region still\nembraces the area from Milbanke Sound to the Alaska Border along the coast-line\nand from the Queen Charlotte Islands eastward to Endako on Highway No. 16.\nThere was no change in the staff complement in the region either in numbers\nor distribution. We were, however, fortunate in having supervisory stability in the\nPrince Rupert-Terrace areas after a period of change and turnover in the previous\nyear.\nThe administrative arrangements with municipalities remained the same, with\nour Departmnet doing the social work in the City of Prince Rupert and the District\nMunicipality of Kitimat on the usual per capita basis. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 27\nThe economic situation during the year was not as buoyant as previously\nexperienced. The slump of early 1958 continued throughout 1958 and into 1959.\nMuch of the activity in the region centres around the lumber industry, which\nsuffered a market relapse in 1957/58, with recovery slowly appearing in early 1958.\nWe were, in addition, affected by the recession in construction throughout the\nProvince, so that aid to the unemployed unskilled labourer entering the region in\nsearch of work became extremely heavy. In Kitimat the abatement in aluminum\nproduction continued, with several more potlines being deactivated. The resultant\nlay-offs created some temporary financial difficulties for some families until they\nwere re-employed as a result of natural staff turnover.\nThe case load in the region increased a total of 611 cases or 35.6 per cent. The\nlargest increase was in Social Allowance cases, which increased 451 or more than\n100 per cent. It is significant, however, that in the same period the Child Welfare\ncase load increased 103 or 25.5 per cent, with the greatest increase arising in the\nnumber of children admitted to care under the Protection of Children Act. Children\nof full or part native-Indian extraction made up over 60 per cent of these admissions\nto care.\nIn December, 1958, the region became 1 year old, so that the interesting period\nof transition was nearly complete. This meant more time was available for administrative improvements and for vital social research. As a result there are achievements in both areas.\nIn the Prince Rupert office structural changes in conjunction with an office\nreorganization inspired by the supervisor have led to a more pleasant reception area\nfor the clients as well as a much more efficient office. In Kitimat, as a result of\njoint meetings with co-operative municipal officials, we were given office space in\nthe municipal building, and the services of their receptionist in making appointments\nfor the social worker from Terrace, who now maintains a regular visiting schedule.\nThis has facilitated a greater output per social-work hour in the District Municipality\nof Kitimat.\nThe recently innovated local research programme has led to some interesting\nfindings, with particular reference to the difference in social problems in Region VII\nas compared with other regions. Aided by the Departmental Research Consultant,\nwe have also begun some research into the effect on our services as a result of the\nmovement of native Indians off the reserve. This cross-cultural movement results\nin many social breakdowns, especially in Prince Rupert, where the movement is the\nmost accelerated in British Columbia.\nIn Region VII we find that the regional case load differs a great deal, on a\ncategorical percentage basis, from the Provincial picture. In January the average\ncase load per worker in the Province was 346. The average Provincial case load\ncontained 220 of the categories administered by the Old-age Assistance Board and\n121 of the other categories, largely Social Allowance and Child Welfare. In Region\nVII the figures were nearly reversed. Our average case load in January was made\nup of 111 Old-age Assistance Board administered cases and 201 cases in other\ncategories. This indicates that in the region the white population has a greater\npercentage of young people. It also indicates the demands on a social worker are\napt to require greater experience, training, and skill to fulfil.\nIn January we also determined that of the total Indian population in British\nColumbia, 23.8 per cent, nearly 8,000 persons, lived within the region. This means\nthat nearly one-fifth of the population is of Indian status. The enfranchised group\nand those of mixed inheritance are not included. It is little wonder that we find\nourselves working more and more closely with the Federal Department of Indian\nAffairs. We have this year held several joint meetings with Indian Agents in which O 28\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\ncloser co-operation and understanding on both sides has been achieved. In March\nwe embarked on a study of the potential cases of neglected children in the Prince\nRupert and Smithers area. It is hoped that the results will aid us in protecting\nNative children as well as white more wisely and effectively.\nIt is hoped that in the coming year more resources for older citizens requiring\nnursing-home care will be developed in the North.\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Case Load by Major Categories in the District Administrative Offices\nof Region VII as at March 31st, 1959\nCategory\nBurns\nLake\nPrince\nRupert\nSmithers\nTerrace\nTotal\n15\n75\n12\n36\n76\n5\n59\n3\n38\n452\n20\n79\n240\n18\n185\n10\n12\n136\n18\n13\n53\n139\n84\n1\n36\n203\n7\n30\n80\n5\n179\n7\n101\n866\nBlind Persons' Allowance \t\n57\n158\n449\nDisabled Persons' Allowance \t\nChild Welfare\t\n167\n507\n21\nTotals\t\n281\n1,042\n456\n547\n2,326\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major\nCategories in Region VII for the Fiscal Years 1957/58 and 1958/59\n1957/58\n1958/59\nCategory\nNumber\nPer Cent\nNumber\nPer Cent\n91\n415\n50\n175\n523\n34\n404\n22\n5.3\n24.2\n2.9\n10.2\n30.5\n2.0\n23.6\n1.3\n101\n866\n57\n158\n449\n167\n507\n21\n4.3\n37.2\nBlind Persons' Allowance... ... .....\n2.5\n68\nSupplementary assistance to Old Age Security \t\n19.3\nDisabled Persons' Allowance - .. \t\nChild Welfare\n7.2\n21.8\n.9\n1.715 I 100 0\n2,326\n100.0\nIn closing, it is with pleasure I thank municipal officials, school authorities,\npolice, service clubs, members of the Bar, ministers of many religious groups, and\nmany private citizens for their interest and help. Our increased family of foster\nparents deserve our special commendation. The staff have by their loyalty and\ndevotion to the needs of the client maintained all urgently required services.\nRespectfully submitted.\nW. H. Crossley,\nRegional Administrator. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 29\nPART III.\u00E2\u0080\u0094DIVISIONAL ADMINISTRATION\nFAMILY DIVISION\nI wish to present the annual report of the Family Division covering the services\nprovided for families and individuals by the Department of Social Welfare as\ndescribed in the provisions of the Social Assistance Act, the Mothers' Allowances\nAct, and the Family Service programme for the fiscal year April 1st, 1958, to March\n31st, 1959.\nSOCIAL ALLOWANCES SECTION\nFor the year under review the case-load figures show an unprecedented situation. There was, in effect, no seasonal decline and in the summer months, when a\nnormal reduction in Social Allowance case load might have been expected, the\nfigures rose alarmingly. The increase between April and September was over 23\nper cent, or almost one-quarter. From September, 1958, to March, 1959, the caseload figures rose slightly more than 26 per cent. The annual percentage increase\nbetween April, 1958, and March, 1959, was 53 per cent approximately. There\nwere many causes for this increase in the Social Allowance case load, but the important fact remains that they were beyond the control of the Department, which\nwas, therefore, faced with the problem of dealing with this onslaught of applications.\nTo the field staff, who \" manned the ramparts \" and dealt with the day-to-day\nvolume of applications across their desks, this must have been the supreme challenge.\nThe above figures are demonstrated by the following table, which shows case\nload and recipients by each month of the fiscal year.\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Case Load and Total Number of Recipients in Pay on a Monthly Basis\nHeads of\nFamilies\nDependents\nSingle\nRecipients\nTotal\nCase Load\nApril, 1958 \t\n4,385\n4,436\n4.341\n4,750\n5.018\n5,531\n5.680\n6,208\n6.739\n6.820\n6,981\n6,997\n11,784\n12,007\n11.708\n12,764\n13.R60\n14,858\n15,648\n16.876\n18.706\n19,234\n19.619\n19,745\n6,944\n6,932\n6.765\n7,501\n8,103\n8.160\n8.779\n9 540\n10.029\n10,058\n10.384\n10,335\n23,113\n23,375\n22,814\n25.015\n26,981\n28,549\n30,107\n32,624\n35,474\n36.112\n36.984\n37,077\n11,329\nMay, 1958 \t\nJune, 1958 \t\nJuly, 1958\t\nAugust, 1958 .\t\nSeptember, 1958 \t\nOctober, 1958\t\nNovember, 1958-\t\nDecember, 1958 \t\nJanuary. 1959\t\n11,368\n11,106\n12,251\n13,121\n13,691\n14,459\n15,748\n16,768\n16,878\nFebruary, 1959\u00E2\u0080\u0094. \t\n17,365\nMarch, 1959\t\n17,332\nOf the total number of recipients of Social Allowance in the Province in March,\n1959 (37,077), an increase of nearly 64 per cent over March, 1958, the totals\naccording to regions are shown in Table II below. As at March, 1959, nine municipalities were no longer responsible for Social Allowance costs under section 639\nof the Municipal Act. However, one municipality became responsible during the\nfiscal year, and where no figures are shown this indicates loss or assumption of\nresponsibility. March, 1958, figures are shown in parentheses. O 30\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Regional Totals of Number of Recipients of Social Allowance in March,\n1959 (March, 1958, Totals in Parentheses)\nProvincial Case Loads\nRegion I\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nAlberni ....\nCourtenay\nDuncan \t\nNanaimo .\nVictoria ...\n250 (97)\n804 (480)\n289 (203)\n745 (405)\n472 (282)\n2,560 (1,467)\nMunicipal Case Loads\nAlberni City\nCourtenay\nCentral Saanich \t\nDuncan \t\nEsquimalt \t\nNanaimo \t\nNorth Cowichan\t\nOak Bay \t\nPort Alberni \u00E2\u0080\u009E _\t\nSaanich \t\nVictoria 1,601\n94\n83\n35\n84\n101\n533\n157\n35\n212\n271\n(60)\n(41)\n(12)\n(29)\n(69)\n(264)\n(89)\n(18)\n(116)\n(203)\n(993)\n3,206 (1,894)\n5,766 (3,361)\nRegion II\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nNew Westminster\nVancouver\t\nWestview \t\nRegion III\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nKamloops\t\nKelowna \t\nPenticton \t\nSalmon Arm\nVernon \t\nRegion IV\nCranbrook\nCreston \t\nFernie\t\nGrand Forks\nNelson \t\nNew Denver .\nTrail \t\nRegion V\nFort St. John _\nPouce Coupe\nPrince George\nQuesnel \t\nVanderhoof\t\nWilliams Lake\n42 (46)\n300 (196)\n122 (54)\n464 (296)\n1,183 (874)\n395 (226)\n702 (376)\n270 (174)\n673 (354)\n3,223 (2,004)\n458 (313)\n443 (251)\n98\n113\n451\n171\n(42)\n(79)\n(530)\n(95)\n430 (179)\n2,164 (1,489)\n225 (163)\n346 (258)\n550 (467)\n163 (107)\n146 (138)\n301 (178)\n1,731 (1,311)\nBurnaby 1,169\nCoquitlam 378\nDelta _ 177\nNew Westminster 832\nNorth Vancouver City .... 300\nNorth Vancouver District 148\nPort Coquitlam 131\nPort Moody 84\nPowell River _ 169\nRichmond 362\nVancouver 8,686\nWest Vancouver - 90\n(708)\n(277)\n(181)\n(412)\n(171)\n(155)\n(94)\n(43)\n(117)\n(351)\n(4,873)\n(95)\n12,526\n(7,477)\nArmstrong \t\n33\n51\n303\n192\n399\n45\n167\n94\n188\n(18)\n(38)\n(15)\n(12)\nKamloops\t\n(236)\n(109)\nPeachland .,,\nPenticton \t\n(13)\n(217)\n(36)\n(29)\nSalmon Arm District\nSpallumcheen\t\nSummerland \t\nVernon ..\n(78)\n(29)\n(47)\n(125)\n1,472\n(1,002)\nDawson Creek City\nPrince George \t\nQuesnel \t\nFort St. John\t\n12,990 (7,773)\n4,695 (3,006)\nCranbrook 279 (131)\nFernie 47 (38)\nGrand Forks _. 66 (46)\nGreenwood _._ 11 (11)\nKaslo \u00E2\u0080\u0094- (2)\nKimberley 49 (33)\nNelson ...... 235 (135)\nRossland 67 (38)\nSlocan _ (8)\nTrail 331 (132)\n1,085 (574)\n143 (134)\n366 (235)\n65 (77)\n46 (...)\n620 (446)\n3,249 (2,063)\n2,351 (1,757) REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 31\nProvincial Case Loads\nRegion VI\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nAbbotsford 209 (119)\nChilliwack 580 (284)\nHaney ... \u00E2\u0080\u0094 48 ( )\n837 (403)\nRegion VII\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nBurns Lake ___ 167 (138)\nPrince Rupert 234 (155)\nSmithers 313 (229)\nTerrace 426 (121)\nMunicipal Case Loads\nChilliwack City 284 (190)\nChilliwhack Township .... 710 (364)\nKent (5)\nLangley 557 (369)\nLangley City _ 67 (62)\nMaple Ridge 523 (287)\nMatsqui 670 (302)\nMission District 316 (183)\nMission Town 93 (66)\nPitt Meadows _ (49)\nSumas 143 (74)\nSurrey 1,828 (1,162)\nWhite Rock 223 (187)\n5,414 (3,300)\nKitimat 565 (42)\nPrince Rupert 70 (287)\n6,251 (3,703)\n1,140 (643)\n635 (329)\n1,775 (972)\n37,077 (22,635)\nThe distribution of recipients of Social Allowance between organized and unorganized areas has remained relatively constant in that approximately 67 per cent\nresided in organized territory and approximately 33 per cent in unorganized territory. In so far as supervision is concerned, however, 55 per cent is supervised and\nadministered by Provincial district offices, while 45 per cent is administered and\nsupervised by municipal staff, of which the Province shares 50 per cent in accordance with the Social Assistance Act. Of this 45 per cent, the City of Vancouver\nsupervises one-half or 23 per cent approximately, of the total municipal case load.\nThe following are the approximate percentages of the total number of recipients\nby region as at March, 1959, with March, 1958, figures for comparison.\nMarch, 1959 March, 1958\n(PerCent) (Per Cent)\nRegion I 15.6 14.8\nRegion II 35.0 34.3\nRegion III 12.6 13.3\nRegion IV 8.8 9.1\nRegion V 6.3 7.8\nRegion VI _ 16.9\nRegion VII 4.8\n16.4\n4.3\nThe following table provides a comparison of Social Allowance case loads, as\nwell as recipients, as at March 31st for the past three years:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable III.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Case Load and Total Number of Recipients\nMarch, 1957\nMarch, 1958\nMarch, 1959\n3,695\n6.029\n4,284\n6,857\n6,997\n10,335\n9,724\n9,397\n11,141\n11,494\n17,332\n19,745\n19,121\n22,635\n37,077\nFrom this table it will be observed that from the end of March, 1958, to the\nend of March, 1959, the Social Allowance case load had increased by 6,191 or\nslightly more than 55 per cent\u00E2\u0080\u0094alternatively, approximately twenty average case O 32\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nloads of 300 cases. This would be in addition to any increase in case loads in other\ncase loads in the Departmental social welfare service.\nIn September, 1958, the method of sharing and equalization of Social Allowance costs was changed, but in August, 1958, the distribution of recipients of Social\nAllowance on the basis of legal residence in accordance with the terms of the\nResidence and Responsibility Act was as shown in the following table:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable IV.-\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094Legal Residence\nof Social Allowance Recipients\nMarch, 1957\nMarch, 1958\nAugust, 1958\n10,299\n8,822\n11,804\n10,831\n14,566\nProvincial responsibilities\n12,415\nTotals \t\n19,121 22,635 26,981\nApproximately 53 per cent of the recipients were municipal responsibilities and\napproximately 47 per cent were responsibilities of the Province.\nEffective April 1st, 1958, the basis of sharing Social Allowance costs was\nchanged from 80 per cent/20 per cent by the Province with the municipalities to\n85 per cent/15 per cent which continued until August 31st, 1958. On September\n1st, 1958, the proving of legal residence in individual cases became no longer necessary and the total costs of Social Allowance were shared by the Province on a 90\nper cent/10 per cent ratio with the municipalities. The municipal portion was to\nbe and is now chargeable to municipalities on a per capita basis.\nFollowing is a statement of expenditures made by the Social Welfare Branch\nfor Social Allowances, medical services, etc., during the year April 1st, 1958, to\nMarch 31st, 1959:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable V.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Expenditures by the Province for Social Allowances,\nMedical Services, etc.\nFiscal Year\n1956/57\nFiscal Year\n1957/58\nFiscal Year\n1958/59\"\nCases who are the responsibility of a municipality (80 per cent\npaid by the Province) \t\nCases who are the sole responsibility of the Province (100 per\ncent paid by the Province)\t\nBasic Social Allowances \t\nRepatriation, transportation within the Province, nursing- and\nboarding-home care (other than tuberculosis), special allowances and grants\nEmergency payments, such as where a family may lose its home\nby fire or similar circumstances\t\nMunicipal and Provincial cases\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n(a) Tuberculosis, boarding-, nursing-, and private-home cases\n(b) Transportation of tuberculosis cases\n(c) Comforts allowance for tuberculosis cases..\nHospitalization of Social Assistance cases\t\n$2,633,636.62\n2,521,431.47\n1,505,034.90\n37,163.45\n327,432.07\n2,868.16\n8,924.75\n13,927.70\nGross Social Allowance costs as per Public AccountS-\nLess municipal share of costs and sundry refunds..\nNet Social Allowances\t\n$7,050,419.12\nAdministration and operation of project and pavilion for Japanese\nat New Denver \t\nMedical services and drugs ,\t\nTotals \t\n$61,990.65\n2,240,710.53\n$2,781,941.03\n2,919,033.33\n1,640,054.12\n47,555.23\n298,322.92\n3,342.22\n6,626.00\n30,980.20\n$10,696,506.04\n1,831,882.18\n59,008.84\n348,610.21\n2,471.10\n6,941.50\n25,678.15\n$12,971,098.02\n843,215.72\n$7,727,855.05! | $12,127,882.30\n$36,480.08\n2,422,614.32\n$38,540.57\n2,814,558.80\n$9,353,120.30 |$10,186,949.45 | $14,980,981.67\n1 Reconciliation with Public Accounts:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\u00E2\u0080\u00A2\nGross expenditure for Social Allowances as per Public Accounts.\nLess credits (excluding amount chargeable to Government of Canada)..\n$7,891,944.34\n164,089.29\n$7,727,855.05\n2 Effective September 1st, 1958, the basis of sharing social welfare costs with municipalities was changed\nfrom 85 per cent/15 per cent to 90 per cent/10 per cent and the municipal share billed on a proportion of\npopulation rather than by individual residence responsibility. Consequently, social allowance costs for 1958/59\nhave been shown in gross with the municipal share deducted in total to arrive at net costs. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 33\nFor the fiscal year 1958/59 the Province received from the Federal Government re\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nUnemployment Assistance Agreement $5,984,364.66\nWelfare assistance to immigrants 6,007.25\nWelfare assistance to Hungarian refugees 3,695.40\nSundry 3,506.66\n$5,997,573.97\nSponsorship for Physical Rehabilitation\nDuring this fiscal year the Social Welfare Branch, and responsible municipalities, where and when applicable, sponsored a total of eighty-nine trainees and\npatients in the G. F. Strong Rehabilitation and the Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society Medical Centre for approximately 4,400 days of resident care and\ntraining.\nOf these eighty-nine persons, nine suffered from some form of arthritis, and\neighty were physically handicapped or orthopaedically disabled. Three required\nspeech therapy. Forty-eight were in-patients and forty-one out-patients. In addition,\nsome of the in-patients later became out-patients.\nThere is an interesting age-span in this group, ranging from 12 years to 83\nyears of age. The age distribution is as follows:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n0-20 years\t\n21-30 \u00E2\u0080\u009E \t\n31-40\n41-50\n51-60\n61-70\n71-80\n81-90\nNot given.\n 12\n 18\n 16\n 15\n 14\n 8\n 1\n 1\n 4\n89\nWith this age-span it is not anticipated that physical retraining or rehabilitation\nwill also lead to economic rehabilitation. Many trainees do return to employment\nor receive vocational training for employment other than that in which they had\npreviously earned their living. Others were helped to become more sufficient in\nself-help and care, thus eliminating the necessity of boarding- or nursing-home care.\nOthers are trained to operate more efficiently in their own home, and in greater\ncomfort.\nVocational Training\nAgain this year through the resource of the Dominion-Provincial Vocational\nTraining Grants, administered by the Department of Education, many recipients of\nSocial Allowance have received vocational training to enable them to achieve\neconomic independence. The Branch participates financially in some instances and\noffers help with social planning to any trainees or their families requiring such help.\nThis is an extremely valuable resource to the Branch.\nDevelopments in Social Assistance Programme\n1. Effective April 1st, 1958, the new Social Allowance rates became effective,\ncomprising a monthly increase of $5 for a single person, $10 for two persons, and\n$2 for each additional dependent. O 34\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\n2. On April 1st, 1958, the amendment to section 6 of the regulations to the\nSocial Assistance Act came into effect, which provided that municipalities with a\npopulation of 15,000, rather than 10,000 as previously, or over employ at least one\nsocial worker. Responsible municipalities, as defined in section 639 of the Municipal\nAct and with a population of less than 15,000, may either appoint their own social\nworker or purchase social welfare services from the Social Welfare Branch at a fee\nof 30 cents per capita rather than 15 cents per capita as previously required.\n3. On September 1st, 1958, as mentioned elsewhere in this report, the new\nmethod of sharing and allocating social assistance costs between the Province and\nmunicipalities came into effect. The basis of sharing became 90 per cent/10 per\ncent with the 10 per cent municipal share allocated on a per capita basis. One of\nthe important effects of this new arrangement was to eliminate the necessity of\nestablishing and confirming residence in a local area within the Province. The\nnecessity of establishing and confirming inter-Provincial residence, however, continued to be necessary.\n4. In December, 1958, the customary Christmas bonus to recipients of social\nallowance was granted\u00E2\u0080\u0094namely, $5 to heads of families and $2 for single persons.\nIn accordance with section 13 of the regulations to the Social Assistance Act,\nthirty-four Boards of Review were established in this fiscal year.\nUnder section 9 of the Residence and Responsibility Act, one meeting of the\nBoard of Arbitration was called.\nMOTHERS' ALLOWANCES SECTION\nThis fiscal year was to see a development concerning Mothers' Allowances\nwhich had been considered for a long time. As has been pointed out in previous\nAnnual Reports, the case load had been consistently dropping for many years, and\nthe provision of a categorical form of assistance known as Mothers' Allowance had\nbecome redundant in the light of the broader coverage and implementation of the\nSocial Assistance Act.\nAt the time of the inauguration of the new basis of sharing social welfare costs,\nmentioned in the Social Allowances section, it seemed also appropriate that the\nMothers' Allowances case load be included. To this end, therefore, from September\n1st, all current recipients of Mothers' Allowance commenced to receive their allowance from Social Allowance funds, administered through the local welfare offices,\nand no further applications were taken for Mothers' Allowance. This has meant no\nhardship whatever, as the rates for Mothers' Allowance and Social Allowance had\nbeen identical for many years, and administrative policies the same, and, what is\neven more important, the eligibility qualifications for Social Allowance have always\nbeen broader and less prohibitive since the passing of the Social Assistance Act in\n1945.\nThus passed into the history of social welfare in this Province a provision which\nhad been in the beginning rightly hailed as a most advanced piece of social legislation\nand which for many years had admirably fulfilled its purpose. With the advance in\nsocial welfare philosophy and progressive programmes, however, this provision had\noutgrown its usefulness, and its purposes integrated into other programmes.\nThis final report therefore covers the five-month period April 1st to August\n31st, 1958, only, after which the case-load figures and costs are incorporated into\nthe tables in the Social Allowances section.\nFor the final five months the case-load continued to decrease, as had been the\ntrend for many years. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nThe following table illustrates this trend:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Comparative Statement of Case Load\nAs at March, 1957 284\nAs at March, 1958 243\nAs at August, 1958 232\nO 35\nOn a monthly basis the case-load figures are as follows:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Monthly Case Load, April 1st, 1958, to August 31st, 1958\nMonth\nNumber of\nAllowances\nin Pay\nNumber of Persons\nIncapacitated\nHusbands\nMothers\nChildren\nApril, 1958 \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 ' \t\n243\n238\n239\n234\n232\n243\n238\n239\n234\n232\n584\n569\n570\n555\n547\n29\nMay, 1958\t\n29\nJune, 1958 \t\n29\nJuly, 1958 ... \t\n29\nAugust, 1958\t\n30\nThe following table illustrates how applications and reapplications were dealt\nwith in this five-month period:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable III.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Statement of Applications Considered and Decisions Made\nApplications pending as at April 1st, 1958 8\nNew applications received to August 31st, 1958 11\nReapplications received to August 31st, 1958 2\nTotal 21\nDecisions\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nGrants \t\nRefusals .__\nWithdrawn\n 2\n 11\n21\nApplications pending as at August 31st, 1958 0\nTotal 21\nReasons for refusals\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nProperty in excess\t\nSeparation not granted by court\nTotal\t\nReasons for applications pending\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nNo applications pending. O 36\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nCancellations during the same period totalled nineteen, and for the reasons\nindicated in the following table:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable IV.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Reasons for Cancellation of the Allowances\nSocial Allowance preferable form of assistance 1\nMother earning in excess 7\nMother ineligible under section 7 of the Mothers' Allowances Act 4\nHusband released from Penitentiary-\nOnly child returned to mother's care..\nOnly child under 18 left school\t\nOlder children maintaining\t\nWithdrawn\t\n1\n1\n2\n2\n1\nTotal\n.19\nOf the cancelled cases, the length of time each family had been in receipt of\nMothers' Allowance is as follows:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nYears 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12\nCases 4 3 1 3 2 1 __ 2 1 1 __ 1\nTotal cases, 19. Average length of time on allowance, 4.63 years.\nThe mothers who were in receipt of Mothers' Allowance as at August, 1958,\nwere eligible for allowance under specific qualifications defined by the Act, and their\nstatus was as follows:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable V.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Status and Number of Mothers and Dependents in Receipt of\nAllowance as at August, 1958\nNumber of Children\nTotal\nQualifications Set by the Act\n1\n2\n3 4\n5\n6\n7\n44\n2\n2\n2\n5\n4\n4\n48\n4\n2\n2\n1\n5\n1\n6\n11\n37\n2\n1\n2\n3\n6\n2\n1\n14\n2\n1\n1\n2\n1\n2\n3\n1\n1\n3\n1\n2\n1\n151\nPenitentiary \t\n10\n3\n6\nIncapacitated husbands away \t\nIncapacitated husbands O.A.S., O.A.A., B.P.,\nand D.P.A\t\n7\n17\n2\nDivorced \t\nDeserted \t\n16\n19\n1\n63\n80\n54\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A251 1 5 1 _ I 11 in\nFrom the above table the following figures are derived:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable VI.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Number of Individuals for Whom Allowance Granted\nMothers 232\nHusbands\nChildren __\n6i\n547\nTotal\n785\ni This figure applies only to those incapacitated husbands who reside in the home and who are included in\nthe Mothers' Allowance payment. In addition, it will be noted that there is a total of twenty-seven incapacitated\nhusbands in the mental hospital, out of the home, or in receipt of Old Age Security, Old-age Assistance, Blind\nPersons' Allowance, or Disabled Persons' Allowance. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 37\nCosts of Mothers' Allowances\nThe basic amount of Mothers' Allowances was determined by the Mothers'\nAllowances Act and had remained unchanged since the Act was proclaimed in 1920.\nIt was necessary, therefore, to pay a supplementary allowance from the Social\nAllowance funds in order that the recipients of Mothers' Allowances would receive\na monthly amount equivalent to the allowance payable to recipients of Social\nAllowance. This supplementary allowance, as well as the Mothers' Allowance, was\na total charge on the Province.\nBecause of the two sources of payment for Mothers' Allowance recipients it\nis necessary to present two financial statements in order to report total costs.\nTable VII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Mothers' Allowances Financial Statement for the Five Months\nApril 1st, 1958, to August 31st, 1958\nAmount of allowance paid as follows:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nMonth\nApril, 1958\t\nMay, 1958\t\nJune, 1958\t\nAmount of Allowance\n. $11,342.47\n10,829.47\n11,125.72\nJuly, 1958 10,950.97\nAugust, 1958 9,755.82\n$54,004.45\nReconciliation with Ledger Account in Controlling and\nAudit Branch: Amount advanced by Minister of\nFinance \t\n$54,004.45\nThe books and records of the Director of Welfare respecting Mothers* Allowances for five months' period\nending August 31st, 1958, have been examined under my direction.\nC. J. FERBER,\nComptroller-General.\nTable VIII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Financial Statement of Supplementary Social Allowances Paid to\nRecipients of Mothers' Allowances (Vote 188) from April 1st, 1958, to August\n31st, 1958.\nAmount of allowances paid as follows:-\nMonth\nApril, 1958 \t\nMay, 1958 \t\nJune, 1958 \t\nJuly, 1958\t\nAugust, 1958 \t\nAmount of Allowance\n_ $14,214.80\n__ 13,618.30\n_ 13,895.25\n_. 13,964.85\n_ 12,461.65\n $68,154.85\nReconciliation with Ledger Account in Controlling and Audit\nBranch: Amount advanced by Minister of Finance $68,154.85\nThe books and records of the Director of Welfare respecting Supplementary Social Allowances paid to\nrecipients of Mothers' Allowances for five months' period ending August 31st, 1958, have been examined under\nmy direction.\nC. J. FERBER,\nComptroller-General. O 38 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nTable IX.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Statement Showing per Capita Cost to the Province\nFiscal Year\nTotal\nExpenditures\nPopulation\nat June of\nEach Year\nPer Capita\nCost to the\nProvince\n1956/57 ... \t\n1957/58 . .\t\n$321,342.76\n282,383.05\n122,159.30\n1,398,464\n1,487,000\n1,544,000\n.23\n.19\nApril/58-August/58 \t\n.08\nGeneral Comments\nNo amendments were made to the Mothers' Allowances Act or regulations to\nthe Act during the year under review. On September 1st, 1958, it became non-\noperative as its provisions are no longer used nor required.\nAt the time of the transfer to the Social Allowance case load the predominance\nof cases living in organized territory was still evident, as seen by the following\ntable:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable X.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Proportion of Applications and Grants in Organized Territory\nTotal applications and reapplications received 13\nApplicants residing in organized territory 13\nApplicants having legal residence in organized territory-.. 12\nTotal grants made from April 1st, 1958, to August 31st, 1958 8\nRecipients residing in organized territory 7\nRecipients having legal residence in organized territory.-.. 8\nAllowances in pay as at August 31st, 1958 232\nRecipients having legal residence in unorganized territory 17\nRecipients having legal residence in organized territory.\u00E2\u0080\u0094 215\nConclusions\nAs this final annual report on the administration of the Mothers' Allowances\nAct concludes, it is perhaps fitting that some thought should be directed to all those\nmothers and children who were helped in some measure by the allowance which\nthey required to help them face one of the most potentially disastrous hazards of\nlife\u00E2\u0080\u0094namely, the loss by death, incapacitation, or absence from other causes of the\nsupport and strength of the husband, father, and breadwinner.\nThe withdrawal of the provision of Mothers' Allowance was undertaken only\nafter long, careful consideration of what this might mean to the welfare of families\nwho were already receiving and might require such assistance in the future. It was,\ntherefore, only in true sincerity and belief that their needs would be served equally\nas well and in many instances better that the administrative decision was made to\neliminate a programme which had been in existence for nearly 40 years and predated many of our current social-assistance programmes.\nThe allowance has never been a beneficent one, but special tribute should be\npaid to all those mothers who have used it wisely and well to maintain a happy and\nsatisfactory home-life for their children, and thus fulfilled to the best of their ability\nthe primary purpose of this legislation.\nFAMILY SERVICE SECTION\n\" Family Service,\" as the term implies, is a casework service to families which\nthe Branch is required to give in accordance with the terms and definitions of the\nSocial Assistance Act. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 39\nFor administrative purposes the term is also used in a categorical sense to\ncover all those varied services given to individuals and families.\nIt is the basic service of all others, because it is founded on a belief in the\nimportance of the family unit in society and on the primary goal of all social work\nto preserve and strengthen family life. As has been explained previously its purpose\nis to try to save marriages threatening to dissolve, to help when separation seems\ninevitable, to encourage and help parents whose conduct or way of life might otherwise lead to loss of guardianship of their children, to work with the troubled teenager or the older person whose sense of worth and security is threatened.\nFinancial need is not always the criterion of eligibility or need for Family\nService and counselling. But whether or not financial need exists, service to the\nfamily and its children offers us our greatest challenge and scope for preventive and\nrehabilitative work. In addition to the special skill and knowledge of the social\nworker the most important requirement is precious time for thoughtful, consistent,\nand helpful service. Without this latter no amount of skill or knowledge can compensate for its lack. Under inordinate pressure, however, this seems inevitably to\nbe the area of service which first suffers. The financial and human costs are not\nimmediately discernible, but they are, nevertheless, ever present and cumulative\nand compounded.\nThe following table gives the monthly Family Service case load and activity\nin that case load for the fiscal year under review: \u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Total of Family Service Cases, April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959\nTotal at\nBeginning\nof Month\nOpened\nClosed\nTotal at\nEnd of\nMonth\nLast Year\nJuly ______\t\nOctober\t\n1959\nMarch \u00E2\u0080\u0094 __ \t\n1.296\n1,287\n1,274\n1,268\n1,252\n1,258\n1,248\n1,305\n1,263\n1,263\n1,268\n1,315\n145\n173\n145\n205\n174\n191\n208\n158\n120\n194\n208\n163\n154\n186\n151\n221\n168\n201\n151\n200\n120\n189\n161\n161\n1,287\n1,274\n1,268\n1,252\n1,258\n1,248\n1,305\n1,263\n1,263\n1,268\n1,315\n1,317\n1,454\n1,484\n1,448\n1,462\n1,393\n1,360\n1,390\n1,397\n1,400\n1,365\n1,325\n1,296\nThe significant observation in these figures is that this case load declined in\nthe previous fiscal year and has risen only slightly in the fiscal year under review,\nwhile other case loads have increased to such an outstanding degree. This seems\nto be an unnatural trend which requires further study from many aspects. It is\nhoped that this can be done in the ensuing year.\nOther Services\nFamily Allowances\nThe Family Division continues to serve as a channel for requests from the\nFamily Allowances Division of the Department of National Health and Welfare for\nreports concerning a family's use of, or eligibility for, Family Allowances. O 40 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Requests Received from Family Allowances Division, April 1st, 1958,\nto March 31st, 1959\nReceived during the fiscal year April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959, by\nmonths\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nApril, 1958 7\nMay, 1958 17\nJune, 1958 2\nJuly, 1958 8\nAugust, 1958 11\nSeptember, 1958 5\nOctober, 1958 10\nNovember, 1958 , 6\nDecember, 1958 4\nJanuary, 1959 11\nFebruary, 1959 5\nMarch, 1959 9\nTotal requests received 95\nThese requests for reports were directed as follows:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable III.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Referrals to District Offices and Other Agencies\nReferrals pending as at April 1st, 1958 (amended figure) 14\nRequests forwarded during fiscal year April 1st, 1958, to March 31st,\n1959, by regions\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nRegion I1 34\nRegion II1 24\nRegion III 7\nRegion IV 5\nRegion V 11\nRegion VI 11\nRegion VII 3\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094 95\nTotal number of requests referred 109\n1 Includes referrals to private agencies in Victoria and Vancouver.\nTable IV.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Referrals Completed within Fiscal Year, by Regions\nRegion I 3 7\nRegion II 22\nRegion III 6\nRegion IV 4\nRegion V 11\nRegion VI 9\nRegion VII 3\nTotal 92\nTotal number of requests referred 109\nReferrals pending as at April 1st, 1959 17 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 41\nThird-party Administration of Family Allowances\nDuring this fiscal year there were no requests for third-party administration of\nFamily Allowances.\nOld Age Security\nThe Division also serves as a referral channel for the Old Age Security Division\nof the Department of National Health and Welfare for requests to assist elderly\npersons who encounter difficulties in completing their application for Old Age\nSecurity.\nTable V.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Requests Received from Old Age Security Division from April 1st,\n1958, to March 31st, 1959\nPending as at April 1st, 1958 (amended figure) 3\nReceived during fiscal year April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959, by\nmonths\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nApril, 1958 1\nMay, 1958 4\n 2\n 2\n 1\n 1\n 1\n 1\nJune, 1958 \t\nJuly, 1958 \t\nAugust, 1958 \t\nSeptember, 1958\nNovember, 1958\nDecember, 1958\n13\nTotal case load\n16\nTable VI.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Requests Forwarded during Fiscal Year April 1st, 1958, to\nMarch 31st, 1959, by Regions\nRegion II 3\nRegion III 3\nRegion V 4\nRegion VI 3\nTotal number of requests 13\nPending as at April 1st, 1958 (amended figure) 3\nTotal 16\nRegion II\nRegion III\nRegion V _\nRegion VI\nTable VII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Reports Completed by Regions\nTotal reports completed.\nTotal number of requests\t\n3\n3\n6\n3\n15\n16\nRequests pending as at April 1st, 1959. O 42\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nThe Family Division wishes to express sincere appreciation to the clerical staff,\nsocial workers, district supervisors, and Regional Administrators for their help and\nco-operation and gratitude for their loyalty and service, without which the purposes\nand responsibilities of the Division and Branch could not be fulfilled.\nThis appreciation also goes to municipal welfare departments, other departments of Government, and voluntary agencies for their co-operation and advice\nwhenever sought.\nRespectfully submitted.\n(Miss) Marie Riddell,\nAssistant Director of Social Welfare. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 43\nCHILD WELFARE DIVISION\nThree thousand three hundred and thirty-seven children were in the care of\nthe Superintendent of Child Welfare during the fiscal year and 2,586 remain as at\nMarch 31st, 1959. Of these, 2,243 are in foster homes throughout the Province,\n193 are in care of a Children's Aid Society for special reasons, 87 have moved\nwith relatives or foster-parents to another Province, 42 are in correctional institutions, and 21 are in Woodlands School, Provincial Mental Hospital, or Crease Clinic.\nIn addition, the three Children's Aid Societies have in care 2,229 children.\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Cost of Maintaining Children\nThe cost to Provincial Government of maintaining children for the fiscal\nyear was as follows:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nGross cost of maintenance of children in Child Welfare Division foster homes $1,025,368.63\nGross cost to Provincial Government of maintenance\nof children with Provincial residence in care of\nChildren's Aid Societies. (This also includes\nchildren with municipal residence, effective\nSeptember 1st, 1958.-)? 1,122,905.13\nGross cost to Provincial Government of maintenance\nof children with municipal residence in care of\nChildren's Aid Societies (April 1st to August\n31st, 1958)1 251,972.37\nGross cost of transportation of children in care of\nSuperintendent 13,235.04\nGross cost of hospitalization of new-born infants\nbeing permanently planned for by Superintendent 30,315.00\nGrants to sundry homes 1,100.00\nGross expenditure $2,444,896.17\nLess collections and refunds 377,713.14\nNet cost to Provincial Government as per Public Accounts $2,067,183.03\n1 Effective September 1st, 1958, the direct billing of municipalities by the Children's Aid Societies was discontinued. The Provincial Government now reimburses the Children's Aid Societies in full and bills the\nmunicipalities accordingly. O 44\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Legal Status and Whereabouts of Children in the Care of the\nSuperintendent as at March 31st, 1959\nP.C.A.\nWards\nJ.D.A.\nWards\nC.A.S.\nWards\nO.P.\nWards\nBefore\nthe Court\nS.C.W.\nNon-\nwards\nTotal\nWhereabouts\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n205\n264\n350\n151\n216\n297\n158\n10\n13\n8\n7\n5\n16\n5\n20\n22\n11\n7\n26\n4\n1\n3\n2\n6\n5\n9\n3\n21\n17\n24\n10\n39\n28\n17\n22\n39\n59\n18\n15\n71\n19\n264\n356\nRegion III \t\nRegion IV \t\nRegion V\t\nRegion VI \u00E2\u0080\u0094\nRegion VII . \t\n465\n203\n287\n447\n201\n1,641\n59\n95\n29\n156\n243\n2,223\nPlaced with a C.A.S. for special\nreasons\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nC.A.S., Vancouver \t\nC.C.A.S.. Vancouver \t\nF.C.S., Victoria\n62\n25\n33\n2\n3\n2\n\t\n3\n5\n3\n2\n7\n20\n13\n13\n89\n46\n58\nTotals \t\n120\n7\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0\n11\n9\n46\n193\nIn institutions\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nB.I.S. and G.I.S. \t\nOakalla \t\n17\n12\n17\n3\n5\n5\n\t\n1\n1\n1\n1\n23\n19\nWoodlands \t\nEssondale \t\n17\n3\n1\n49\n10\n......\n2\n1\n1\n63\nOut of Province with foster-parents _\nOn active service or otherwise independent \t\n48\n8\n2\n1\n35\n9\n1\n1\n2\n87\n20\n1,866\n79\n139\n43\n167\n292\n2,586\nSTRENGTHENED PREVENTIVE SERVICES NEEDED\nThe Superintendent of Child Welfare and the three Children's Aid Societies\nbegin the new fiscal year with responsibility for 4,815 children\u00E2\u0080\u0094343 more than\nhave ever been in agency care in this Province.\nFor about 10 per cent of these 4,815 children, adoption placement with its\npromised benefits will be achieved fairly readily. About 20 per cent will return\nto their own parents in the course of the next year and a similar number will reach\nthe age of 21 years or be married or legally adopted, at which time the societies'\nand Superintendent of Child Welfare's guardianship will terminate.\nTable III.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Age and Legal Status of Children in the Care of the Superintendent\nof Child Welfare as at March 31st, 1959\n0-5\nMonths\n6-11\nMonths\n1-2\nYears\n3-5\nYears\n6-11\nYears\n12-13\nYears\n14-17\nYears\n18-21\nYears\nTotal\n14\n15\n22\n4\n51\n16\n13\n3\n165\n29\n25\n...._\n13\n1\n268\n29\n37\n13\n4\n554\n86\n39\n2\n31\n7\n187\n34\n7\n10\n7\n431\n64\n21\n48\n29\n17\n196\n19\n3\n19\n38\n7\n1,866\n292\n167\nJuvenile Delinquents Act\u00E2\u0080\u0094 \t\nWards and non-wards of C.A.S. in\ncare of S C.W.\n79\n139\nWards of other Provinces \t\n43\nTotals \t\n55\n83\n233\n351\n719\n253\n610\n282\n2,586\nADOPTION\u00E2\u0080\u0094A CHILD WELFARE SERVICE\nAs is seen from Table III above, the majority of children in the care of the\nSuperintendent of Child Welfare again this year are between the ages of 6 to 14 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 45\nyears. Many are sisters and brothers. Others have special needs as a result of\nphysical handicap, race, colour, or creed and all have known upset and hurt far\nbeyond the due of a child. Some of the national publicity about adoption and child-\ncaring agencies of late fails to take these and other factors into account when it is\nclaimed that through agency \" red-tape \" many children are being deprived of\nadopted parents. Adoption, to be successful, must ensure the continuing well-\nbeing of a child, and experience gained from similar publicity in the past points\nto the fact that all persons responding to such campaigns for adoption homes are\nnot motivated solely by a love of children, nor are they all capable of understanding\nhow early deprivation may seriously limit a child's capacity to form a relationship\nwith new parents and develop satisfactorily in a family.\nKnowing the needs of each child and selecting the home most capable of meeting these is a child-welfare service, and any over-simplification through wrongly\nfocussed publicity or other means as to what is involved in the process of finding\nthe right home for each child jeopardizes the future of children, their parents, and\nthose who earnestly want to adopt.\nTable IV.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Number and Age of Children Placed for Adoption, April 1st,\n1958, to March 31st, 1959\nRegion\n-J-\na\no\ntN\n5\nG\nO\nm\nI\no\ned\n5\nu\n>\nt-H\na>\n>\nm\nfl\nM\ne_\nV\n-\n__\na\n>*\nr-\n00\n(A\nCCJ\nfl>\n>\nOS\n_\nO\nu\nU\n\A\nrt\nOJ\n;*\na\ne_\u00C2\u00BB\ny3\nO\nH\nI \t\nI\n33| 17\n901 19\n33 [ 11\n231 8\n141 6\n30| 10\n101 5\ni\n51 9\n4\n2\n5\n1\n2\n1\n1\n1\n3\n2\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094-\ni\n...... 11\n5\t\n3| 1\n \u00E2\u0080\u0094\n1| 1\n3| 1\n3\n1\n2\n1\n2\n1\n2\n1\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094\ni\nl\nl\nl\n1\n1\n1\n1\ni\ni\n1\n1\ni\n1\n1\n77\nII\t\nIll. \t\n14| 10| 7\n21 31 4\n156\nIV\t\n2| 8\n2| 5\n10| 8\n31 1\n6 1\n4| 1\n4 2\n3| 1\n.__!___\n49\nV ... \t\n36\nVI\t\nVII .\n78\n37\nYukon \t\nl'2| 1| -\n..._.|..._\n......|......| 3\nTotals \t\n233| 78\n1\n39! 44\nI\n32f 13| 10\n1 I\n15| 4\n1\n41 6] 4| 3| 1\n1 1 1 1\n2| 1\n1\n1\nl\n1| 1)493\n1 1\nChild Welfare Division, total adoption placements .\nC.A.S., total adoption placements _ __\t\nC.C.A.S., total adoption placements \t\nF.C.S., total adoption placements \t\nTotal adoption placements\n493\n186\n63\n94\n836\nEight hundred and thirty-six children planned for through adoption\u00E2\u0080\u0094493 by\nthe Department of Social Welfare and 343 by the three Children's Aid Societies\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nis the highest number of placements ever achieved in this Province in one year.\nThe year is also memorable for the Department of Social Welfare, in particular,\nbecause of the number of older children, children of mixed racial origin or with a\nphysical handicap, and children of family groups for whom adoption homes were\nfound.\nMANY OLDER CHILDREN ADOPTED\nThree hundred and ninety-four of the children placed by Department of Social\nWelfare were under the age of 12 months, but 99 ranged in age from 1 to 19 years.\nMany of the latter had been in foster-home care for some time, and the answer to\nthe question \" Why were they not adopted sooner? \" is that they were not emotionally and (or) legally ready for adoption. The child who has either good or bad\nmemories of his parents needs help before he can think in terms of another family\nto call his own. Parents who have failed to carry out their parental duties toward O 46 BRITISH COLUMBIA\ntheir children must still be given help and opportunity to alter their pattern of behaviour or, alternatively, to relinquish their child by consent to adoption. When\nneither course proves possible, the Court must be satisfied by evidence supplied by\nthe social worker that waiving the parental consent is in the child's best interests.\nNot until the parents' consent or conclusive grounds for waiving it are before the\nCourt can the adoption order, terminating for all time the parent's right to his child\nand the child's right to his parent, be granted.\nSISTERS AND BROTHERS ADOPTED\nEight sets of twins, ranging in age from 2 weeks to AV2 years, and five family\ngroups with a total of twelve children were among those placed for adoption. In\nthe latter was a family of three\u00E2\u0080\u0094two boys and a girl aged 4, 3, and 2 years. They\nwere chronologically young but old in experiences; and they needed a great deal\nof help from their social worker before they were ready for adoption placement,\neven though the family chosen had already legally adopted their two older half-\nsister and brother.\nCHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ADOPTED\nFifty-seven of the children placed had many out-of-the-ordinary needs. Fifteen had health problems, such as heart conditions, asthma, cleft palate and harelip,\nan eye condition, and one suffered from celiac disease. All have responded to\nmedical care, and the majority were or will be with their adopted parents throughout the entire period of required treatment.\nCHILDREN OF MIXED RACIAL ORIGIN ADOPTED\nThe child with a physical handicap is a child with special needs, but it is still\neasier to find families capable of meeting these than it is to find them for another\nchild with equally special needs\u00E2\u0080\u0094the child of mixed racial heritage.\nIn Regions V and VII alone, 60 per cent of the almost 500 children in foster-\nhome care are of Native Indian extraction, and yet but twenty-one of this origin\nwere placed for adoption this year. This is more than was accomplished in years\npreceding, but resources for these children are still too few and the persistent shortage of Roman Catholic adoption homes places an additional limitation on workers'\nability to plan for the part-Indian child through adoption.\nEight children of part Chinese or Japanese background were placed, and four\nof them with adopting parents of full Chinese or Japanese parentage. This achievement is worthy of note, because thus far the traditions and culture of the Chinese\nand Japanese communities have been bars to adoption of the child of Occidental-\nOriental background. The East Indian community, too, is resistant to the adoption\nof the part East Indian child, and this year three children of this heritage were placed\nin homes of different background. This was true also for three part-Negroid children, a Syrian child, and a child of part Porto Rican parentage.\nThus far, most persons adopting children of mixed racial origin in British\nColumbia are not of the same race and culture. As a result of these differences\nthere may be some problems for the children in their adoption homes and communities beyond those known to the average child and his family. Problems arising out\nof race or colour, however, are problems which, without a family of one's own,\ncould well prove insurmountable to a growing boy or girl. Adoption will not elimi- REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 47\nnate them, but the support and understanding of a mother, father, and perhaps\nsisters and brothers by adoption can make facing them and coping with them wholly\npossible. There are risks in these placements for both the child and his adopted\nfamily, but until such time as adults of all races and culture are ready to make\ntheir contribution to the safety and well-being of children\u00E2\u0080\u0094regardless of race,\ncolour, and creed\u00E2\u0080\u0094the risks are calculated and minimum compared with the hazards the child of mixed racial origin still faces in our society without the bulwark of\na stable family life.\nADOPTION\u00E2\u0080\u0094A BASIC PREVENTIVE SERVICE\nAdoption, when it is supported financially and morally by all communities\nproviding for the child without a family of his own \" The something, you somehow\nhaven't to deserve.\" as Robert Frost described a home, is one of the most practical\npreventive measures against neglect, broken homes, delinquency, and other social\nills which can be undertaken by a Province. Proof of this is not hard to find. All\ncorrectional institutions, mental hospitals, and the rolls of Courts and social agencies everywhere, know many persons who never had the consistent and wise guidance of a mother and father throughout their growing years. What, for instance,\nmight the future have held for the 836 boys and girls placed with adopted parents\nthis year if this plan had not been made for them? Six hundred and sixty-eight had\nbeen born to unwed mothers. Fifty-nine to married women separated from their\nhusbands, who were not the child's father, and 109 were children of married couples unwilling or unable to accept their parental responsibilities.\nMuch of the old social and legal prejudice against the out-of-wedlock child\nhas disappeared, but not all, and it is still a difficult road, socially and economically,\nfor the unwed mother. Boarding-home or day care are available to her for her\nbaby, but if she must work, others in fact rear him. Replacements of the child are\nusually frequent, and he too often grows up confused as to whom he belongs to\nand with little of the all-important feeling of well-being and self-worth a loving and\nproud mother and father convey to their child in their every action toward him.\nThe child born of an extra-marital union has almost a less place in his parents'\nlives than the child born to the unwed mother. His very existence is an added\ncomplication to the mother's hopes with respect to reconciliation with her husband\nor divorce, and the child, sensing her guilt and fear, may learn early to distrust\nhimself and the world about him.\nA high number of the 109 children born to married parents and relinquished\nfor adoption had first been removed by Court order from their care because of\nneglect. Some may bear emotional scars from these experiences all their lives,\nbut, freed by adoption from their parents' irresponsible and sometimes cruel actions and attitudes, they have now opportunity to \" put down roots \" and grow to\nmaximum potential.\nEight hundred and thirty-six children placed with adopted families in one year\nis not a large number in the total population of the Province. However, this many\nor more placed each year for the next ten years becomes an important figure, and\nparticularly so when thought of as this many boys and girls entering adulthood with\nopportunities through adoption to become valuable citizens who otherwise without\na stable family to guide them would have had precarious upbringings and equally\nprecarious adult lives. O 48\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nTable V.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Referrals to Child Welfare Division of Children Needing\nAdopted Parents\nChild Referred By Number\nVancouver C.A.S. 145\nCatholic C.A.S. 18\nF.C.S. (Victoria) 3\nS.W.D. Districts 327\nTotal.\n493 ^\n1 Comprised of 253 boys and 240 girls.\nREGISTRY OF CHILDREN TO BE ESTABLISHED\nFor several years the Children's Aid Societies, district offices, and Child Welfare Division have endeavoured to share the resources of the entire Province and,\non occasion, those of other Provinces and the Yukon for children needing adopted\nparents. The results have been excellent. As shown in Table V, 166 children were\nreferred this year to Child Welfare Division by a Children's Aid Society and placed\nin an adoption home in one of the Department of Social Welfare's regions. To\nextend this plan and further ensure that every child in care of the Superintendent\nof Child Welfare who should be placed for adoption has parents found for him, a\ncentral registry will be established next year in the adoption placement section of\nthe Division. The registry will be of value to administration in assessing staff needs\nof field and Division and in assigning case loads, and it should prove an asset in the\nutilization of all resources for each child registered. Some, because of their special\nneeds, may remain on the registry a long time, but through it they will be considered\nconstantly as newly approved adoption homes throughout the Province are also\nregistered.\nMOST ADOPTED CHILDREN PLACED BY A SOCIAL AGENCY\nIt is a satisfaction again this year to report a remarkably low number of\nchildren adopted who had been placed by unauthorized persons.\nTable VI.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Legally Completed Adoptions throughout the Province, According to\nthe Type of Placement, during the Fiscal Year\nAgency\nBlood\nRelative\nUnauthorized\nPerson\n37\n7\n85\n26\n19\n4\n13\n3\n16\n8\n61\n9\n15\n6\nTotal\nRegion I\t\nRegion II ...\nRegion III...\nRegion IV\nRegion V\t\nRegion VI _\nRegion VII\n73\n144\n78\n47\n36\n60\n21\nTotals .\n459\n246\n63\nVancouver Children's Aid Society-\nCatholic Children's Aid Society\u00E2\u0080\u0094..\nVictoria Children's Aid Society\t\nTotals \t\n205\n55\n85\n345\nChild placed in Province but order granted elsewhere..\nTotal adoptions for year\t\n805\n92\n32\n12\n3\n49\n8\n153\n399\n106\n117\n255\n101\n63\n60\n130\n42\n768\n329\n70\n142\n541\n1\n1,310 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 49\nIn addition to the 1,310 adoptions completed this year, 909 legal notices of\nintention to adopt were received, 88 applications to Court were processed but\nwithdrawn for various reasons by the petitioners, and 171 other adoption inquiries\nas interprovincial and international adoption matters were handled by Divisional\nstaff. Table VII below shows the steady rise in Court hearings throughout the\npast five years.\nTable VII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Adoptions Completed by Court Order\nNumber\nYear Completed\n1958/59 1,309\n1957/58 1,168\n1956/57 1,177\n1955/56 1,152\n1954/55 1,102\nPROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND RELATED SERVICES\nWith the decentralization of protective authority and services to the field in\nApril, 1958, the Division was relieved of supervisory responsibility on the individual\ncase basis. However, decentralization of authority and services necessitated the\nestablishment of certain controls in the Division by which standards of service could\nbe appraised and through which the field could seek and obtain the help of the\nDivisional staff. Decentralization also requires that a consultative service be available to the field through both correspondence and personal contact, and the final\nresponsibility of seeing that the legal requirements of the Protection of Children Act\nare being met must still rest with the Division. Decentralization, therefore, did not\nrelieve the Division of work but rather changed the nature of the work carried by\nbroadening its purpose.\nThe Division is appreciative of the interest and assistance extended to the\nDivision of the Attorney-General's Department in the many problem cases which\narose out of the administration of the Protection of Children Act.\nThe field, and rightly so, is also looking more and more to the Division for help\nin planning for children who require special placement resources. In an effort to\nenable the field to make full use of the limited resources available in British Columbia, Divisional staff this year visited most of the institutions and child-caring\nagencies in the Province and will be in a better position to act as liaison between\nthe field and these agencies.\nInterdepartmental negotiations have made it possible to have a much higher\nnumber of children admitted to Woodlands School, Crease Clinic, and Provincial\nMental Hospital, and this has eased a heavy burden from the foster-home programme for the field.\nServices related to protection of children, as custody, legitimation, immigration,\nrepatriation, and \" sundry cases \" which, in the main, consist of interprovincial and\ninternational problems relating to families and children, have been much in demand\nthis year. The total handled has been about three times as many as in any year preceding. O 50\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nTable VIII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Services Related to Child Protection\nCarried\nOver\nNew\nTotal\nIncomplete as at\nMarch 31, 1959\nCustody \t\nImmigration\t\nLegitimation ....\nRepatriation\t\nSundry \t\nTotals..\n19\n80\n2\n13\n105\n69\n65\n10\n83\n294\n145\n12\n96\n399\n521\n740\n25\n21\n3\n9\n66\nADMINISTRATION OF THE CHILDREN OF UNMARRIED\nPARENTS ACT\nA total of $76,024.57 was received and disbursed under this Act this year,\n$16,426.82 more than last year. Seventy-two new agreements, twenty-seven new\naffiliation orders, and ten settlements were obtained.\nSLIGHT DECREASE IN THE OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS\nFor the first time in a number of years the Division of Vital Statistics reports\na decrease in the number of births out of wedlock registered, although there were\nsixty-seven more than last year in the non-Indian group.\nTable IX.-\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094Children Born Out\nof Wedlock\nTotal\nUnder 15\n15-19\n20-24\n25-29\n30-39\n40 and\nOver\na\na\nc\nc\ne\nc\ne\nYear\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2B\nx>\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A23\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A23\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A23\n-3\n.2\nTotal\nS\na\ne\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0?\nc\n_\nc\njjj\na\n9\na\nc\nc\nc\nc\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0o\nc\nxj\na\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0a\nc\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2_\nc\nXI\n-\nXI\na\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0o\nB\nti\nZ\na\nZ\nZ\nZ\nZ\nz\nZ\n1956/57... - -\t\n481\n1,695\n4\n7\n121\n477\n149\n457\n99\n337\n1\n96 374\n12\n43\n2,176\n535\n1,975\n3\n16\n134\n584\n174\n553\n175\n376\n88\n400\n11\n46\n2,510\n1958/59 \t\n442\n2,042\n4\n17\n111\n608\n144\n586\n96\n371\n77\n405\n15\n55\n2,484\nJudging from the number of unwed mothers who sought help for themselves\nand child from a Children's Aid Society or the Department of Social Welfare, and\nthe comparatively small number who placed their baby for adoption through channels other than an authorized agency this year, it would appear that less than one-\nthird of the total 2,484 children born out of wedlock remained with their parent or\nparents or were placed by them in the home of a blood relative. It is suspected\nthat a fairly high percentage of this group of children were born to persons living\ntogether as man and wife but not legally married to each other. Each year a\nnumber of such births are legitimated when marriage to each other becomes possible. In any event, the problems created by the status of these children are in many\nways different to those encountered by the child and his unwed mother alone.\nCultural differences within certain racial groups has bearing upon the incidence\nof births out of wedlock as has the integration of other races into white communities.\nWhatever the causes, British Columbia's rate of births out of wedlock continues high\ncompared to the national figure, and the number of unwed mothers each year who\nare under the age of 15 years remains cause for deep concern. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 51\nTable X.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Births Out of Wedlock for Mothers 12 to 16 Years of Age,\n1948 to Fiscal Year 1958/59\nYear\n12 Years\n13 Years\n14 Years\n15 Years\nTotal\nIndian\nTotal\nInd.\nN/Ind.\nInd.\nN/Ind.\nInd.\nN/Ind.\nInd.\nN/Ind.\nN/Ind.\n1948 - .\n1\n1\n1\n1\n1\n2\n1\n2\n2\n1\n2\n2\n1\n3\n1\n2\n3\n2\n4\n4\n3\n1\n2\n3\n5\n2\n2\n4\n6\n5\n11\n11\n13\n2\n6\n1\n9\n6\n6\n11\n6\n11\n6\n9\n12\n18\n21\n16\n20\n28\n34\n4\n8\n4\n11\n11\n10\n16\n8\n15\n9\n9\n1949...\t\n15\n1950\t\n16\n1951\t\n1952 \t\n1953 \t\n23\n26\n25\n1954.....\t\n26\n1955\t\n39\n1956\t\n46\n1957 \t\n7 | 41\n54\nTotals\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n.... | ....\n96\n279\n1958/59 (under the age of 15 years) i_\nIndian 4, Non-Indian 17\n1 Complete statistics from Division of Vital Statistics not yet available.\nThe majority, if not all, of the non-Indian and many of the Indian adolescent\ngirls represented in Table X were brought to the attention of a Children's Aid\nSociety or the Department of Social Welfare. In some instances the police preferred charges against the adults involved, but most of these young persons were\nfound to have lacked parental supervision and guidance and with few exceptions\ntheir home-life was wanting stability and purpose.\nIMMIGRANT CHILDREN UNDER THE PROTECTION OF\nCHILDREN ACT\nThere are but eight Fairbridge boys under the age of 21 years remaining in\ncare as at March 31st, 1959, and most of them are self-supporting or soon will be.\nOf the thirty-six other immigrant children in care during the year, twenty-nine\nremain\u00E2\u0080\u0094twenty-eight Hungarian and one Danish. Of the eight discharged during\nthe year, seven reached their majority or married and one returned to Europe at his\nown insistence. The Hungarian boys and girls who came to British Columbia are\nnot finding their niche readily, and years of living \" by their wits \" in revolt-tom\nHungary has left many unprepared for study or industrious pursuits.\nHEALTH OF CHILDREN\nDespite the large number of children in care during the year, the general health\nof the group was good although two deaths occurred. A 3-month-old baby contracted pneumonia and failed to respond to medical treatment and a year-and-a-\nhalf-old child awaiting admission to Woodlands School for retarded children died\nwhen complications developed out of his congenital physical condition. O 52 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nFAMILY ALLOWANCES\nA total of $65,867.24 was received from the Family Allowances Division this\nyear on behalf of 1,695 children in care. Disbursements were as follows:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTable XI.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Family Allowance Disbursements\nBalance on hand as at January 1st, 1958 $51,909.49\nReceipts for the period January 1st, 1958, to December 31st\n1958 65,867.24\nExpenditures for the above period 57,170.12\nParents\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nFoster-mothers $32,543.00\nAdopting mothers 4,138.43\nNatural parents _ 5,262.27\nTransferred to Children's Aid Societies 2,419.09\nRefunds to Family Allowance Board.. 300.50\nRecreational equipment, etc. 8,303.39\nPaid to children on discharge 1,766.09\nEducational 367.15\nGifts 170.03\nSpecial clothing 629.58\nMiscellaneous 1,270.59\n$57,170.12\nBalance on hand as at December 31st, 1958 60,606.61\nNumber of children involved in the accumulated balances, 1,695.\nThe Child Welfare League of America held its first conference in Canada in\nVancouver this year, and the Divisional staff authorized to attend enjoyed and\nbenefitted from the experience.\nIn conclusion, my sincere thanks to the clerical and social work staffs throughout the Department. They have met the unprecedented pressures in child welfare\nthis year admirably and well. I am appreciative, too, of the help and support\nreceived from the three Children's Aid Societies and the six organizations in British\nColumbia which offer institutional care to children. Their joint participation and\nregular attendance at the meetings of the Committee on Child Care, formed at the\nrequest of the Chairman of the Board of the Welfare Licensing Act, has been particularly valuable. The anticipated increase next year in foster-home rates will be\ntangible expression of the Department's recognition of the dedicated service given\nby foster-parents throughout this Province. Theirs is a special and unique contribution to the child without which no child-welfare programme could exist.\nRespectfully submitted.\n(Miss) Ruby McKay,\nSuperintendent of Child Welfare. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 53\nOLD-AGE ASSISTANCE, BLIND PERSONS' ALLOWANCES, DISABLED\nPERSONS' ALLOWANCES, AND SUPPLEMENTARY ASSISTANCE\nGENERAL\nThe Old-age Assistance Board is a division of the Department of Social Welfare. The Board consists of three members appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor.\nThese same three members also comprise the Blind Persons' Allowances Board\nand the Disabled Persons' Allowances Board. The Boards are charged with the\nadministration of the respective Federal and Provincial Acts and regulations, including the consideration of applications and the payment of assistance. The Boards\nalso consider applications for Supplementary Assistance and Health Services and\ngrant these additional Provincial benefits where applicable.\nDuring the fiscal year under review Mr. Robert Talbot resigned his position\nas a member of the Board on his appointment as Director of Social Welfare of the\nProvince of Saskatchewan, and Mr. Herbert E. Blanchard was appointed to replace\nhim. Mr. Talbot will long be remembered by the members and staff of the Old-age\nAssistance Board for his sincere and friendly interest in the administration.\nThe work has become more stabilized, although a steady increase in the actual\nnumber of persons receiving assistance has provided increased activity in the\nprocessing and the adjusting of cases.\nThe effects of major internal administrative changes in the early part of the\nyear were felt throughout the year. A composite application form was devised to\nfacilitate the taking of applications. The staff was reorganized, but not increased in\nnumber, and special emphasis was placed upon the elimination of delays in the processing of applications. These two changes, together with others of minor importance, were reflected in the increased number of cases granted during the year in all\ncategories.\nWith the increased number receiving assistance and the increased basic rates\npayable resulting from the legislative enactments of the previous year, the amounts\nexpended in all categories have reached an all-time, high. The cost of the Old-age\nAssistance programme, including supplementary assistance, was up over $600,000\nto a total of nearly $6,000,000 in this Province alone. Payments to the Blind\nincreased about $50,000 to a total of close to $450,000, while payments to the\nDisabled advanced $350,000 to an all-time high of over $1,325,000. The total\namounts include the supplementary assistance payments by the Province to recipients of assistance or allowance.\nSupplementary assistance payments to recipients of Old Age Security pension\nalone have not increased appreciably over the $6,000,000 of the past two years.\nTo-day the medical services available to recipients and their dependents in the\nProvince, provided by the doctors and the Government, who share the cost of these\nservices, is meeting with wide approval. Housing for elderly persons in the urban\nareas is the big problem and will undoubtedly be for some years to come.\nGRAPHIC PRESENTATIONS COVERING THE PERIOD FROM\nJANUARY 1st, 1952, TO MARCH 31st, 1959\nTwo graphic presentations on the following pages cover the various aspects of\nthe administration in this Province of Old-age Assistance since January 1st, 1952,\nwhen the Old-age Assisance Act became effective.\nThe first, a line graph, shows the relationship between the total cost and the\nnumber of applications received and granted. Detailed explanations have been\ngiven in previous years and no significant changes for the current fiscal year are O 54\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nrevealed. The second, a bar graph, reveals the relationships among the number of\ncases on the payroll, the number of applications received, the number granted, and\nthe number rejected as of March 31st of each fiscal year.\nThe bar graph brings to light different relationships from that given in the line\ngraph:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n1. In the fiscal year 1953, the number of cases granted exceeds the number of\napplications received. This unusual situation is caused by a carry-over into the new\nfiscal year of a large number of applications received in 1951 and in the early part\nof 1952, when the Act first came into force, providing for assistance to all eligible\npersons between 65 and 69 years of age.\n2. The bar graph also clearly reveals the constant decrease of cases in receipt\nof Old-age Assistance from 1954 to 1957. This is due to the fact that all cases that\nwere initially granted in 1952 were transferred to Old Age Security by 1957. This\nalso marks the end of the first five-year cycle.\n3. The second five-year cycle, commencing with 1957, shows a steady increase\nin persons applying for Old-age Assistance, reflecting economic conditions generally.\n4. The percentage of the number of the cases rejected to the number of applications received is consistent and falls between 20 per cent and 25 per cent for\neach fiscal year.\nThe trend indicated by both the line and the bar graphs is a steady increase in\nthe total case load. This increase in numbers of elderly people may focus attention\non the need for housing and many additional ancillary services to the aged.\n7,032\n4,500\n4,200\n3,900\n|\nOLD AGE ASSISTANCE\n--BRITISH COLUMBIA-.\nJANUARY 1, 1,52 TO MARCH 11. m*\n1\ni\n1,\n\\n 1,\n300 units per squar- _\n3,300\n3,000\n2,700\nlj\nx\n-___::; ;,js_,_,. \u00C2\u00BB,,*;,'.' __zr__;_\"\n|\n.\nRecipient, Translerred to Old A*. Security 100 units per square\nS\n\\nII\n2,100\n1,800\n1,500\n1,200\n900\n600\n300\n0\n!\n:.>\u00E2\u0080\u00A2\n-\"'\n;\n__\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0-..^\n/.\n;\n_.v\n~-~\"~\n'\n\t\n-,-\n|\nA\n\\n/ \\n!/\n-\n/\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094i\n.._.\n>->-,\n:_**=\nS-=\n-:.-\n..._\n--\n__.-.\n>c.\n2S*-\n-fe=\n;-\u00E2\u0096\u00A0\n'=\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\t\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094.\n\t\n***\n--\n--\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094 \u00E2\u0080\u00A2\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094 \u00E2\u0096\u00A0\n\t\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094-\n-S tN\nm m\nON Os\nCA CA\nm in\nOs Os\nCA m m m m rt XT XT XT\nin m m m m m m m\nOs Os Os Os Os\nSO \D *<0 ^O\nm mi m v. m v.\nOO CO 00\nOs Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os\nmm mOsm mm\nTAm^A CO\nm o m ci\nmOsm m\nO THlTlr-\no g\nQ %\nn s\n0 s\na s\n0 s\nc \u00C2\u00A3 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 55\n8,000\n7,000\n6,000\n5,000\n4,000\n3,000\n2,000\n1,000\nB.C. RECIPIENTS:\nNo. on the Poyroll\nNo. of Applications\n1 No. Granted Assistance.\nNo. Rejected\n1953\n1954 1955 1956 1957 1958\nFiscal year ending March 31st of each year.\nSTATISTICS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31st, 1959\nOld-age Assistance\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Disposition of Applications\nNew applications received 2,687\nApplications granted 2,7021\nApplications not granted (refused, withdrawn, etc.) 471\nIncludes some left over from previous year. O 56\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Miscellaneous\n(a) British Columbia recipients\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nReturned to British Columbia\nReinstated \t\nSuspended \t\nDeaths \t\n 25\n 119\n 223\n 293\n 58\n 1,885\n 7,096\n 84\n 41\n 10\n 9\n 69\n 55\n(c) Total number of British Columbia and other-Province recipients on payroll at end of fiscal year 7,276\nTransferred to other Provinces\t\nTransferred to Old Age Security\t\nTotal number on payroll at end of fiscal year.\n(b) Oher-Province recipients\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTransferred to British Columbia\t\nReinstated \t\nSuspended \t\nDeaths \t\nTransferred out of British Columbia\nTransferred to Old Age Security\t\nTable III.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Reasons Why Applications Not Granted\nNot of age\t\nUnable to prove age\t\nNot sufficient residence\t\nIncome in excess\t\nUnable to prove residence\t\nTransfer of property\nReceiving War Veterans' Allowance\nInformation refused \t\nApplication withdrawn\t\nApplicants died before grant\t\nWhereabouts unknown \t\nEligible for Old Age Security\t\nAssistance from private sources\t\nReceiving Old Age Security\t\nMiscellaneous \t\nTotals\number\nPer Cent\n70\n14.86\n5\n1.06\n1\n0.21\n216\n45.86\n30\n95\n24\n10\n13\n6\n1\n471\n6.37\n20.17\n5.10\n2.12\n2.77\n1.27\n0.21\n100.00\nTable IV.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Sex of New Recipients\nMale _~\nFemale\nNumber\nPer Cent\n1,272\n47.08\n1,430\n52.92\nTotals\n2,702\n100.00 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 57\nMarried _.\nSingle \t\nWidows __.\nWidowers\nSeparated\nDivorced\nTable V.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Marital Status of New Recipients\nNumber\nPer Cent\n1,130\n41.82\n363\n13.43\n604\n22.35\n151\n5.59\n396\n14.66\n58\n2.15\nTotals\n2,702\n100.00\nTable VI.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Birthplace of New Recipients\nBritish Columbia\t\nOther parts of Canada\nBritish Isles\t\nOther parts of British Commonwealth\nUnited States of America\t\nOther foreign countries\t\nTotals\number\nPer Cent\n258\n9.55\n575\n21.28\n282\n10.43\n883\n32.68\n692\n25.61\n12\n0.45\n2,702\n100.00\nAge 65\nAge 66\nAge 67\nAge 68\nAge 69\nTable VII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Ages at Granting of Assistance\nNumber\nPer Cent\n1,221\n45.19\n482\n17.84\n357\n13.21\n348\n12.88\n294\n10.88\nTotals\n2,702\n100.00\nTable VIII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Ages of Recipients at Death\nAge 65 \t\nAge 66\t\nAge 67\t\nAge 68\t\nAge 69 \t\nTotals\nNumber\nPer Cent\n29\n9.67\n23\n7.66\n54\n18.00\n81\n27.00\n113\n37.67\n300\n100.00 O 58 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nTable IX.\u00E2\u0080\u0094With Whom New Recipients Live\nNumber Per Cent\nLiving alone 834 30.87\nLiving with spouse 979 36.23\nLiving with spouse and children 109 4.03\nLiving with children 356 13.18\nLiving with other relatives 213 7.88\nLiving with others 127 4.70\nLiving in public institutions 67 2.48\nLiving in private institutions 17 0.63\nTotals 2,702 100.00\nTable X.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Where New Recipients Are Living\nNumber Per Cent\nIn own home 1,164 43.08\nIn rented house 266 9.84\nIn children's home 346 12.81\nIn home of other relatives 83 3.07\nBoarding 72 2.67\nIn boarding home 25 0.93\nIn housekeeping room 337 12.47\nIn single room (eating out) 130 4.81\nIn rented suite 197 7.29\nIn institutions 82 3.03\nTotals 2,702 100.00\nTable XL\u00E2\u0080\u0094Economic Status of New Recipients\n(a) Holding real property ol value\u00E2\u0080\u0094 Number Percent\n$0 1,557 57.62\n$1 to $250 28 1.04\n$251 to $500 55 2.04\n$501 to $750 69 2.55\n$751 to $1,000 94 3.48\n$1,001 to $1,500 257 9.51\n$1,501 to $2,000 208 7.70\n$2,001 and up 434 16.06\nTotals 2,702 100.00 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 59\n(_>) Holding personal property of value\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n$0\t\n$1 to $250\t\n$251 to $500\t\n$501 to $750\t\n$751 to $1,000 __\n$1,001 to $1,500\n$1,501 to $2,000\n$2,001 and up\u00E2\u0080\u0094...\nNumber\nPer Cent\n1,192\n44.12\n754\n27.91\n228\n8.44\n141\n5.22\n112\n4.14\n123\n4.55\n63\n2.33\n89\n3.29\nTotals 2,702\n100.00\nTable XII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Number of Recipients Living in Other Provinces as at March 31st,\n1959, Whose Assistance Is Paid by British Columbia\nAlberta \t\nGranted by\nBritish\nColumbia\n 22\nGranted by\nOther\nProvinces\n14\nSaskatchewan \t\n 6\n9\nManitoba \t\n 5\n3\nOntario \t\n 16\n11\nQuebec \t\n 1\n4\nNew Brunswick \t\n 1\nNova Scotia \t\n1\nPrince Edward Island\t\nNewfoundland \t\nNorthwest Territories\nYukon Territory \t\nTotals \t\n 51\n42\nTable XIII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Distribution of British Columbia Recipients According to the\nAmount of Assistance Received (Basic Assistance, $55)\nAmount of Assistance\n$55 \t\nPer Cent\n' 81.72\n$50 to $54.99\t\n4.45\n$45 to $49.99 \t\n3.33\n$40 to $44.99 \t\n 2.20\n$35 to $39.99 . . \t\n1.92\n$30 to $34.99 . ...\n1.82\n$25 to $29.99 - \t\n.... ... 1.40\n$20 to $24.99\t\n1.11\nLess than $19.99\t\n 2.05\nTotal\t\n100.00 o 60 british columbia\nBlind Persons' Allowances\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Disposition of Applications\nNew applications received 80\nApplications granted 611\nApplications refused, withdrawn, etc. 262\n1 Includes some left over from previous year.\n2 Number still pending not included.\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0 Table II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Miscellaneous\n(a) British Columbia recipients\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nSuspended \t\nReinstated _\t\nTransferred to other Provinces \t\nReturned to British Columbia\t\nTransferred to Old Age Security\t\nDeaths \t\n(_>) Other-Province recipients\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTransferred to British Columbia\t\nReinstated\t\nTransferred out of British Columbia or suspended\nDeaths\t\n(c) Total on payroll at end of fiscal year\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nBritish Columbia\t\nOther Province \t\n20\n13\n4\n3\n19\n7\n9\n1\n5\n1\n505\n25\n530\nTable III.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Reasons Why Applications Not Granted\nNot blind within the meaning of the Act\nIncome in excess\t\nApplications withdrawn\t\nEligible for Old Age Security\t\nDied before grant\t\nReceiving War Veterans' Allowance\nInformation refused\t\nAssistance from private sources\t\nReceipt of Old Age Security\t\nWhereabouts unknown\t\nNumber\n\u00E2\u0080\u009E 14\n_ 6\n._ 4\n.. 2\nPer Cent\n53.85\n23.08\n15.38\n7.69\nTotals\n26\n100.00\nTable IV.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Sex of New Recipients\nMale _\nFemale\nNumber\n.__ 32\n_ 29\nTotals\n61\nPer Cent\n52.46\n47.54\n100.00 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nTable V.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Marital Status of New Recipients\nO 61\nMarried\nNumber\n\u00E2\u0080\u009E 30\nPer Cent\n49.18\nSingle \t\nWidows\n 16\n 4\n26.23\n6.56\nWidowers\n 5\n8.20\nSeparated\n 6\n9.83\nDivorced\n 61\nTotals\t\n100.00\nTable VI.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Birthplace of New Recipients\nNumber\n_______ 25\n 13\n 7\nOther parts of British Commonwealth 3\nUnited States of America 3\nOther foreign countries 10\nBritish Columbia\t\nOther parts of Canada\nBritish Isles\t\nTotals\n61\nPer Cent\n40.98\n21.31\n11.48\n4.92\n4.92\n16.39\n100.00\nTable VII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Ages at Granting of Allowance\nNumber Per Cent\nAges 18 to 21 5 8.20\nAges 22 to 30 5 8.20\nAges 31 to 40 7 11.48\nAges 41 to 50 10 16.39\nAges 51 to 60 15 24.59\nAges 61 to 69 19 31.14\nTotals 1 61 100.00\nTable VIII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Ages of Recipients at Death\nNumber\nAge 21 \t\nAges 22 to 30\nAges 31 to 40\nAges 41 to 50\nAges 51 to 60\n 2\n 3\nAges 61 to 69 3\nPer Cent\n25.00\n37.50\n37.50\nTotals\n100.00 O 62 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nTable IX.\u00E2\u0080\u0094With Whom New Recipients Live\nNumber Per Cent\nLiving with parents 6 9.84\nLiving alone 10 16.39\nLiving with spouse 23 37.70\nLiving with spouse and children 4 6.56\nLiving with children 8 13.11\nLiving with other relatives 2 3.28\nLiving with others 3 4.92\nLiving in public institutions 4 6.56\nLiving in private institutions 1 1.64\nTotals 61 100.00\nTable X.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Where New Recipients Are Living\nNumber Per Cent\nIn parents' home 5 8.20\nIn own home 24 39.33\nIn rented house 7 11.47\nIn rented suite 3 4.92\nIn children's home 5 8.20\nIn home of other relatives 4 6.56\nBoarding 2 3.28\nIn housekeeping room 4 6.56\nIn boarding home \t\nIn institutions 5 8.20\nIn single room (eating out) 2 3.28\nTotals 61 100.00\nTable XI.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Economic Status of New Recipients\n(a) Holding real property of value\u00E2\u0080\u0094 Number Percent\n$0 42 68.84\n$1 to $250 . 2 3.28\n$251 to $500 1 1.64\n$501 to $750 1 1.64\n$751 to $1,000 2 3.28\n$1,001 to $1,500 3 4.92\n$1,501 to $2,000 4 6.56\n$2,001 and up 6 9.84\nTotals 61 100.00 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 63\n(Z)) Holding personal property of value\u00E2\u0080\u0094 Number Percent\n$0 42 68.84\n$1 to $250 2 3.28\n$251 to $500 1 1.64\n$501 to $750 1 1.64\n$751 to $1,000 2 3.28\n$1,001 to $1,500 3 4.92\n$1,501 to $2,000 4 6.56\n$2,001 and up 6 9.84\nTotals 61 100.00\nTable XII.-\n-Number of Recipients Living in Other Provinces as at March 31st,\n1959, Whose Allowances Are Paid by this Province\nAlberta \t\nGranted by\nBritish\nColumbia\n 3\nGranted by\nOther\nProvinces\n1\nSaskatchewan\n 1\n2\nManitoba\nOntario . \t\nQuebec \" ...\nNew Brunswick __..\n 1\nNova Scotia\nPrince Edward Island\nNewfoundland\nNorthwest Territories\t\nYukon Territory \t\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTotals \t\n 5\n3\nTable XIII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Distribution of British Columbia Recipients According to the\nAmount of Allowances Received (Basic Allowance, $55)\n$55\nPer Cent\n 91.57\n$50 to $54.99 \t\n 1.85\n$45 to $49.99 \t\n 1.44\n$40 to $44.99\t\n 1.03\n$35 to $39.99\t\n .82\n$30 to $34.99\t\n1.23\n$25 to $29.99 \t\n .82\n$20 to $24.99\t\n .21\n$19.99 and less\t\n 1.03\nTotal \t\n 100.00 O 64\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nDisabled Persons' Allowances\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Disposition of Applications\nNew applications received\nApplications granted\nApplications refused, withdrawn, etc.\n1 Includes some left over from previous year.\n418\n3791\n162\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Miscellaneous\n(a) British Columbia recipients\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nSuspended \t\nReinstated \t\nTransferred to other Provinces\t\nReturned to British Columbia\t\nTransferred to Old Age Security\t\nDeaths\t\n(_>) Other-Province recipients\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nTransferred to British Columbia\t\nTransferred out of British Columbia or suspended\nReinstated \t\nDeaths\t\n(c) Total on payroll at end of fiscal year\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nBritish Columbia\t\nOther Province\t\n1,551\n34\n73\n36\n5\n5\n1\n43\n17\n8\n3\n2\n1,585\nTable III.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Reason Why Applications Not Granted\nNot 18 years of age\t\nUnable to prove age\t\nNot sufficient residence\t\nUnable to prove residence\t\nToo much income\t\nTransfer of property\t\nRefused information\t\nWhereabouts unknown \t\nAllowance under Blind Persons Act\nAssistance under Old-age Assistance Act\t\nAllowance under War Veterans' Allowance Act\nPension under Old Age Security Act\t\nMothers' Allowance\t\nUnable to meet medical test\t\nReferred for rehabilitation\t\nTuberculosis sanatorium\t\nMental hospital\t\nHome for the Aged\t\nInfirmary\t\nInstitution for incurables\t\nHospital\t\nNursing home\t\nNumber\n1\n17\n8\n1\n1\n111\n4\n2\nPer Cent\n.62\n10.49\n4.93\n.62\n.62\n.62\n68.52\n.62\n2.47\n1.23 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 65\nOther institutions\t\nApplication withdrawn\nDied before grant\t\nTotals \t\n1\n.62\n9\n5.55\n5\n3.09\n162\n100.00\nTable IV.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Primary Causes of Disability on Accepted Cases\nNumber Per Cent\nInfective and parasitic diseases 23 6.57\nNeoplasms 2 .57\nAllergie, endocrine system, metabolic, and nutritional diseases 11 3.16\nDiseases of blood and blood-forming organs 2 .57\nMental, psychoneurotic, and personality disorders ... 121 34.69\nDiseases of the nervous system and sense organs 102 29.24\nDiseases of the circulatory system 34 9.75\nDiseases of the respiratory system 5 1.43\nDiseases of the digestive system 1 .28\nDiseases of the genito-urinary system 1 .28\nDiseases of the skin and cellular tissues 2 .57\nDiseases of the bones and organs of movement 22 6.31\nCongenital malformation 7 2.00\nSymptoms, senility, and ill-defined conditions \t\nAccidents, poisoning, and violence (nature of injury) 16 4.58\n100.00\nTotals\n349\nTable V.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Sex of New Recipients\nMale ___\nFemale\nNumber\nPer Cent\n216\n57.75\n158\n42.25\nTotals\n374\n100.00\nMarried .\nTable VI.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Marital Status of New Recipients\nNumber\n ... 79\nPer Cent\n21.12\nSingle \t\n 238\n63.64\nWidow\n.... _ 23\n6.15\nWidower .\n 11\n2.94\nSeparated\n 18\n4.81\nDivorced\t\n 5\n1.34\nTotals\n374\n100.00 O 66 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nTable VII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Birthplace of New Recipients\nNumber\nBritish Columbia . 140\nPer Cent\n37.43\nOther parts of Canada 141\n37.70\nBritish Isles 39\n10.43\nOther parts of British Empire\nUnited States of America 20\n5.35\nOther foreign countries _ 34\n9.09\nTotals 374\n100.00\nTable VIII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Ages at Granting of Allowance\nNumber Per Cent\nAges 18 to 19 48 12.83\nAges 20 to 24 34 9.09\nAges 25 to 29 27 7.22\nAges 30 to 34 33 8.82\nAges 35 to 39 24 6.42\nAges 40 to 44 36 9.63\nAges 45 to 49 35 9.36\nAges 50 to 54 31 8.29\nAges 55 to 59 53 14.17\nAees 60 to 64\t\n 51\n13.63\nAges 65 to 69 ...\n2\n.54\nAges over 70 .. \t\nTotals \t\n 374\n100.00\nTable IX.-\nAges 18 to 19\t\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094Ages of Recipients at Death\nNumber\nPer Cent\nAges 20 to 24 \t\n 1\n2.27\nAges 25 to 29\t\n 3\n6.82\nAges 30 to 34 \t\n 2\n4.54\nAges 35 to 39\t\nAges 40 to 44 .\nAges 45 to 49 \t\n 4\n9.09\nAges 50 to 54\t\n 7\n15.91\nAges 55 to 59\t\n 10\n22.73\nAges 60 to 64\t\n 10\n22.73\nAges 65 to 69\t\n 7\n15.91\nAges over 70 .\n 44\nTotals\t\n100.00 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 67\nTable X.\u00E2\u0080\u0094With Whom Recipients Live\nLiving with parents\nLiving alone \t\nLiving with spouse 62\nLiving\nLiving\nLiving\nLiving\nLiving\nLiving in private institution\n; with spouse and children\nwith children\t\nwith other relatives _\nwith others\t\nin public institution\nNumber\nPer Cent\n171\n45.72\n36\n9.63\n62\n16.58\n16\n4.28\n22\n5.88\n45\n12.02\n. 18\n4.81\n2\n.54\n2\n.54\nTotals\n374\n100.00\nTable XI.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Where New Recipients Are Living\nNumber\nIn parents' home 122\nIn own house 83\nIn rented house 29\nIn rented suite 21\nIn children's home 14\nIn home of other relatives 77\nIn housekeeping room 12\nIn boarding home \t\nIn institutions 4\nIn single room (eating out) 12\nTotals\n374\nPer Cent\n32.62\n22.19\n7.75\n5.62\n3.74\n20.59\n3.21\n1.07\n3.21\n100.00\nTable XII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Economic Status of New Recipients\n(a) Holding real property of value\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n$0 \t\n$1 to $250\t\n$251 to $500\t\n$501 to $750\t\n$751 to $1,000\t\n$1,001 to $1,500.\n$1,501 to $2,000.\n$2,001 and up\t\nNumber\nPer Cent\n293\n78.34\n3\n.80\n2\n.54\n7\n1.87\n2\n.54\n26\n6.95\n11\n2.94\n30\n8.02\nTotals\n374\n100.00 O 68 BRITISH COLUMBIA\n(_>) Holding personal property of value\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n$0\t\n$1 to $250\t\n$251 to $500 1 8\n$501 to $750\t\n$751 to $1,000 7\n$1,001 to $1,500\t\n$1,501 to $2,000\t\n$2,001 and up\t\nTotals \t\nNumber\nPer Cent\n262\n70.05\n58\n15.51\n18\n4.81\n9\n2.41\n7\n1.87\n7\n1.87\n4\n1.07\n9\n2.41\n374\n100.00\nTable XIII.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Number of Recipients Living in Other Provinces as at\nMarch 31st, 1959, Whose Allowances Are Paid by This Province\nGranted by Granted by\nBritish Other\nColumbia Province-\nAlberta 2 1\nSaskatchewan 4\nManitoba 1\nOntario 1 5\nQuebec 1\nNew Brunswick\t\nNova Scotia\t\nPrince Edward Island\t\nNewfoundland \t\nTotals 4 11\nTable XIV.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Distribution of British Columbia Recipients According to the\nAmount of Allowance Received (Basic Allowance, $55)\nPer Cent\n$55 93.18\n$50 to $54.99 2.33\n$45 to $49.99 1.01\n$40 to $44.99 1.14\n$35 to $39.99 0.57\n$30 to $34.99 0.63\n$25 to $29.99 0.32\n$20 to $24.99 0.32\n$19.99 and less 0.50\nTotal 100.00 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 69\nSupplementary Assistance and Health Services to the Aged,\nBlind, and Disabled\nNew Applications\nNumber received 1,806\nNumber granted supplementary assistance and health services 1,074\nNumber granted supplementary assistance only 21\nNumber granted health services only 121\nNumber who died before application was granted 18\nNumber of applications withdrawn 61\nNumber of applicants inehgible 224\nNumber of applications pending 287\nTotal 1,806\nGeneral Information\nFormer old-age pensioners still receiving supplementary assistance\non March 31st, 1959 10,332\nOld-age Assistance recipients transferred to Old Age Security\nreceiving supplementary assistance on March 31st, 1959 ___ 9,307\nNew Old Age Security pensioners receiving supplementary assistance on March 31st, 1959 , 6,853\nBlind persons in receipt of Old Age Security receiving supplementary assistance on March 31st, 1959 208\nDisability pensioners over 70 receiving supplementary assistance\non March 31st, 1959 4 O 70 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nFINANCIAL STATEMENTS\nThe Old-age Assistance Act, Year Ended March 31st, 1959\nSupplementary\nSocial\nAssistance Assistance Total\nTotal amount paid receipients in\nBritish Columbia $4,621,534.89 $1,358,868.96 $5,980,403.85\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094 . \u00E2\u0080\u0094 \u00E2\u0080\u0094\nLess amount of refunds from\nrecipients\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nOverpayments refunded $22,167.78 $3,577.19 $25,744.97\nMiscellaneous refunds 330.00 120.00 450.00\nTotals $22,497.78 $3,697.19 $26,194.97\nNet amount paid to recipients in\nBritish Columbia $4,599,037.11 $1,355,171.77 $5,954,208.88\nAdd amount paid other Provinces on\naccount of recipients for whom\nBritish Columbia is responsible... 29,439.77 5,252.38 34,692.15\nLess amount received by British\nColumbia on account of recipients\nfor whom other Provinces are responsible 82,472.65 10,597.16 93,069.81\nLess amount refunded by the Federal Government 2,299,518.55 2,299,518.55\nTotal amount paid by\nBritish Columbia $2,246,485.68 $1,349,826.99 $3,596,312.67 report of social welfare branch o 71\nThe Blind Persons Act, Year Ended March 31st, 1959\nSupplementary\nSocial\nAllowances Assistance Total\nTotal amount paid recipients in British\nColumbia $333,526.91 $113,571.27 $447,098.18\nLess amount of refunds from recipients\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nOverpayments refunded $1,738.98 $450.37 $2,189.35\nMiscellaneous Refunds 32.00 20.00 75.00\nTotals $1,770.98 $470.37 $2,264.35\nNet amount paid to recipients in British\nColumbia $331,755.93 $113,100.90 $444,833.83\nAdd amount paid other provinces on account of recipients for whom British\nColumbia is responsible 1,293.19 540.00 1,833.19\nLess amount received by British Columbia\non account of recipients for whom other\nProvinces are responsible 5,411.12 2,903.50 8,314.62\nLess amount refunded by the Federal\nGovernment 248,799.72 248,799.72\nTotal amount paid by British\nColumbia $78,838.28 $110,737.40 $189,552.68\nThe Disabled Persons Act, Year Ended March 31st, 1959\nSupplementary\nSocial\nAllowances Assistance Total\nTotal amount paid recipients in British\nColumbia $981,767.76 $345,235.87 $1,327,003.63\nLess amount of refunds from\nrecipients\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nOverpayments refunded 1,454.88 349.75 1,804.63\nNet amount paid to recipients in British\nColumbia $980,312.88 $344,886.12 $1,325,199.00\nAdd amount paid other Provinces on account of recipients for whom British\nColumbia is responsible 4,966.74 940.00 5,906.74\nLess amount received by British Columbia on account of recipients for whom\nother Provinces are responsible 20,507.37 20,507.37\nLess amount refunded by the Federal\nGovernment 490,156.46 490,165:46\nTotal amount paid by British\nColumbia $474,615.79 $345,826.12 $820,441.91 O 72 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nOld Age Security Recipients, Supplementary Social Assistance,\nYear Ended March 31st, 1959\nTotal amount paid recipients in British Columbia $6,170,216.13\nLess amount of refunds from recipients\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nOverpayments refunded 22,698.61\nMiscellaneous refunds 164.93\nTotal $22,863.54\nNet amount paid to recipients in British Columbia $6,147,352.59\nAdd amount paid other Provinces on account of recipients\nfor whom British Columbia is responsible 50,279.46\nLess amount received by British Columbia on account of\nrecipients for whom other Provinces are responsible 174,422.59\nTotal amount paid by British Columbia $6,023,209.46\nThe Old Age Pensions Act, Year Ended March 31st, 1959\nSupplementary\nSocial\nPensions Assistance Total\nAmount of refunds received from pensioners' estates $3,484.50 $3,484.50\nLess amount refunded to the Federal Government 2,613.36 2,613.36\nTotal net refunds received by British\nColumbia $871.14 $871.14\nAdministration Expenses\nSalaries and special services $185,762.21\nOffice expenses 49,818.16\nTravelling expenses 315.25\nIncidentals and contingencies 744.49\nEquipment and furniture 960.15\nMedical examinations 228.66\nTotal _____ $237,828.92\nSummary\nAdministration and Assistance\nAdministration $237,828.92\nOld-age Assistance Act 2,246,485.68\nBlind Persons' Allowances Act 78,838.28\nDisabled Persons' Allowances Act 474,615.79\nOld Age Pensions Act (credit) 871.14\nAs per Public Accounts $3,036,897.53 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 73\nSupplementary Social Assistance\nOld-age Assistance Act\t\nBlind Persons' Allowances Act\t\nDisabled Persons' Allowances Act\nUniversal Old Age Security \t\nAs per Public Accounts\n$1,349,826.99\n110,737.40\n345,826.12\n6,023,209.46\n$7,829,599.97\nMEMBERS OF BOARD\nThe following are the members of the Old-age Assistance Board of the Province of British Columbia:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nChairman: Mr. E. W. Berry.\nMembers: Mr. J. A. Sadler, Director of Social Welfare; Mr. H. E. Blanchard,\nAdministrator, Region II, Department of Social Welfare.\nCONCLUSION\nIn concluding this report the Board wishes to express its sincere appreciation\nfor the loyal and efficient work of the office and field staffs throughout the year and\nfor the continued co-operation of other departments of Government and many outside agencies.\nRespectfully submitted.\nE. W. Berry,\nChairman. O 74\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nMEDICAL SERVICES DIVISION\nI submit the annual report of the Medical Services Division for the fiscal year\n1958/59.\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Gross Costs for Fiscal Years 1952/53 to 1958/59\nYear\nMedical\nDrugs 2\nOptical\nTransportation\nOther\nTotal\n1952/53.\n1953/54.\n1954/55.\n1955/56.\n1956/57.\n1957/58\n1958/59\n51,202,759.51\n1.219.968.71\n1.362.928.21\n1,523,658.40\n1.486 400.99\n1,503.964.91\n1,587,997.03\n$622,431.21\n657,840.68\n752.948.50\n893,356.88\n961,405.50\n1 106.153.01\n1,281.107.27\n$73,010.09\n$44,858.20 $16,765.41\n86,717.17 44 350.50 17,380.03\n112,719.03 48 074.34 | 23 891.75\n119,512.74 48,341.91 j 22,504.83\n129.267.56 | 50,565.61 | 23 359.27\n148,223.72 j 55 440.66 ! 25 763.04\n168,051.06 ] 57,050.37 I 41,329.60\n$8,492.14\n11,100.36\n13.454.81\n12,733.72\n14,421.86\n16.983.77\n$1,968,316.56\n2 037 357.45\n2,314 016.64\n2 620 108.48\n2,665,420.79\n2,856 529.11\n21,374.78 | 3,156,910.11\n 1\n1 Not included in these figures is the cost of drugs purchased by the dispensary for welfare institutions.\nTable II\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094Payments to British Columbia Doctors (Gross Costs)\nFiscal Year\nMedical\nAgreement\nImmigrant\nOther\nTotal\n1955/56 \t\n1956/57. \t\n$1,518,274.51\n1.479.661.21\n$701 89\n1.836 78\n$4,682.00\n4.903.00\n$1 523,658 40\n1.486 400 99\n1957/58\n1.492.741.27 1 6 951.51\n4.272.13 I 1.503.964.91\n1958/59 \t\n1,580,815.44\n1 330.62\n5,850.97\n1,587,997.03\nTable III.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Categorical Breakdown of Medical Coverage\nWith Average Numbers of Recipients\nFiscal Year\nSocial\nAllowance x\nChild\nWelfare\nDivision\nOld Age\nSecurity Bonus\nand Blind\nOld Age\nAssistance\nDisab'ed\nP-rsons'\nAllowance\nTotal Average\nMonthly\nCoverage\n1955/56 \t\n1956/57\t\n1957/58 \t\n1958/59 \t\n19.273\n18,165\n18,363\n19,914\n3.208\n3,303\n3,546\n3,814\n36 731\n36 240\n36.440\n36,191\n8.448\n7,739\n7.195\n7,150\n1\n453 68,113\n974 66 421\n1,221 66 765\n1,516 68,585\n1 Until August 31st, 1958, there was a Mothers* Allowance case load, but effective September 1st, 1958, these\ncases became Social Allowance cases. So that figures from 1958/59 will be comparable with previous years,\nMothers' Allowance and Social Allowance recipients have been combined in this statement under the heading\n\" Social Allowance.\"\nTable IV.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Drug Costs\nNumber of Prescriptions\nCosts of Medicines\nFiscal Year\nProvincial L t\nPharmacy \"\nTotal\nProvincial\nPharmacy 1\nDrug-stores\nTotal\n1955/56 \t\n15.931 1 393 367\n409 298\n$70,353.98\n88.259.99\n113.841.90\n137,255.34\n$823,002.90\n873,145.51\n992,311.11\n1,143,851.93\n$893,3C6.88\n1956/57 \t\n1957/58 \t\n1958/59 \t\n19,572 | 398.355\n23,487 I 458002\n30,140 i 534,352\nF\n417 927\n481,489\n564,492\n961 405 50\n1.106 153.01\n1,281,107.27\n1 Not included in these figures is the cost of drugs purchased by the dispensary for welfare institutions. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 75\nDENTAL PROGRAMME\nThere was no significant change from the annual increment in costs nor in the\nemphasis on each part of the programme. However, it is encouraging to note that\nthe age-limit for children eligible to take part in the preventive programme of the\nHealth Branch was raised from 12 to 13 years as of February 1st, 1959.\nTable V.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Dental Expenses\nFiscal Year\nProphylaxis\nExtractions\nDentures\nTotal\n1955/56 \t\n$15,385.80\n24,996.66\n28,430.52\n34,115.73\n$8,570.90\n7,596.04\n9,589.80\n12,138.92\n$95,556.04\n96,674.86\n110,203.40\n121,796.41\n$119,512.74\n1956/57 --\t\n129,267.56\n1957/58 \t\n148,223.72\n1958/59 \t\n168,051.06\nOPTICAL SERVICES\nThere was but a slight increase in the costs of these services during the past\nfiscal year. Perhaps this represents a levelling off due to these services approaching\nan adequate level. One would hope that this is the case, not merely from a cost\nfactor, but as an indication that there was no lack of proper optical care in the\nwelfare programme.\nTable VI.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Optical Costs\nFiscal Year\nOptometric\nExaminations\nGlasses\nTotal\n1955/56 \t\n$9,096.05 $39,245.86\n9,213.65 | 41,351.96\n9,896.45 45.544.21\n9.735 50 i 47.314.87\n$48,341.91\n1956/57 \t\n50,565.61\n1957/58 \t\n55,440.66\n1958/59 \u00E2\u0080\u0094 \t\n57,050.37\nAs for most other services, there has been no lessening in the providing of\ntransportation for welfare recipients for medical reasons, but in fact a definite increase. The reason for this is not immediately apparent, but it may represent more\nawareness by doctors and the field staff of the availability of such assistance through\nthe Medical Services Division. Although no tabulation has been kept of welfare\npatients seen by the various travelling clinics of the British Columbia Cancer Clinic,\nChildren's Hospital, and the Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society, considerable numbers of such persons require financial aid to attend these clinics or for\ntreatment at their respective centres. The travelling costs in such instances cannot\nbe measured in dollars and cents but in the benefits of improved health and also\nfrequently the return to self-maintenance.\nIn conclusion, we would express our appreciation of the services of the various\nprofessional associations, hospitals, and other institutions, without which the health\nservices benefits of the Department could not be effected. We refer particularly\nto the Canadian Medical Association (British Columbia Division), the British\nColumbia Dental and Pharmaceutical Associations, the Vancouver and St. Paul's\nHospitals, the British Columbia Cancer Institute, the Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society, and the G. F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre. It is to be hoped that\nfurther efforts can be made in making use of these and other varied facilities, not\nonly in treating the patients concerned, but also in assisting them wherever possible\nto return to a position of self-independence.\nRespectfully submitted.\nG. Wakefield, M.D.,\nDirector, Medical Services Division. O 76\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nPART IV.\u00E2\u0080\u0094INSTITUTIONS\nINDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS\nI beg to submit the annual report for the Brannen Lake School for Boys for the\nperiod ending March 31st, 1959.\nFiscal Year\no\nm\n-\u00C2\u00BB.\nOv\nOs\n*_\no\nm\nov\nin\n0*\nin\nOV\nin\nm\nOS\n\u00C2\u00ABn\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0*-\nov\nin\nV.\nin\nin\no\\n>n\n) Those whose delinquent behaviour pattern had become too firmly\nestablished and who had no desire to change and therefore\nwere beyond help in an open training school 15\n(c) The more seriously disturbed child requiring treatment in a more\nprotected and probably a psychiatric setting 11\nPlus Woodlands School waiting list 1\n81\nThis report would not be complete without a backward glance over the last\nforty-five years.\nThis old School was built in 1913 and officially opened on April 3rd, 1914, by\nHonourable the Attorney-General W. J. Bowser, K.C. The first girl was admitted\non February 28th, 1914, and was sentenced for seven years. The others sent in\nduring the same year were all for \" an undefined period of not less than two years.\"\nSince that date to the end of the present fiscal year fourteen hundred and seventy-one\ngirls have been admitted. During the forty-five years there have been seven Superintendents: Mr. T. H. Collier and Mrs. Collier, as matron, 1914-17 (Mrs. Collier\npassed away this spring at the age of 93); Miss Margaret W. Bayne, deceased,\n1918-29; Mrs. A. G. Westman, 1929-44; Miss Maude V. Fleming, 1945-48;\nMiss Willa Broderick, 1948-49; Miss Ayra E. Peck, 1949-55. Miss Peck had\nalso served as teacher and Assistant Superintendent, with a total of twenty years on\nstaff; and the present incumbent since March, 1955.\nIn more recent years the School has been described as a \" house of horror \"\nand, while there have been days when those of us within could agree, there has\nnever been a day without a bright spot somewhere and there were years when reports\nsaid it was a comfortably furnished home without the appearance of an institution.\nTo many of the girls who have passed through its doors it has meant a new lease on\nlife.\nIn conclusion, we take this opportunity to express our appreciation and thanks\nto all the volunteers\u00E2\u0080\u0094individuals and groups\u00E2\u0080\u0094who have taken such a keen interest\nin our girls and given so generously of their time in assisting the staff with our\nprogramme throughout the year. We are greatly indebted to them. May I take\nthis opportunity of expressing my sincere thanks to the senior administration for\ntheir support and encouragement and to my staff for work well done. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 83\nSTATISTICAL INFORMATION\nPopulation of the School, March 31st, 1959\nOn roll, April 1st, 1958 69\nGirls admitted during April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959 81\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094 150\nOfficially released 71\nTransferred to other institutions with subsequent official release\nfrom Girls' Industrial School 1\nTransferred to other institutions but not officially released 72\nTotal unreleased, March 31st, 1959\n78\nFinancial Statement, 1958/58\nSalaries $124,863.61\nOffice expense\t\nTravelling expense\t\nHeat, light, power, and water\nMedical services \t\nClothing and uniforms\t\n 3,241.69\n 1,23 3.92\n 6,045.73\n 6,016.65\n 3,003.37\nProvisions and catering _ 20,497.40\nLaundry and dry-goods\nGood Conduct Fund\t\nEquipment and machinery \t\nMedical supplies\t\nMaintenance of buildings and grounds\t\nTransportation \t\nMaintenance and operation of equipment ...\nIncidentals and contingencies\t\nVocational and recreational supplies, etc. __.\nSundry expense re operation of new School\nLess\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nRentals \t\nBoard \t\nSundry receipts\n212.85\n1,553.01\n326.10\n1,813.38\n849.19\n1,613.92\n113.04\n316.74\n1,308.93\n2,542.88\n$175,552.41\n$45.00\n441.00\n73.00\n559.00\nAdd decrease in inventory\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nInventory at March 31st, 1958 $5,203.58\nInventory at March 31st, 1959 4,350.14\n$174,993.41\n853.44\n$175,846.85\nAdd Public Works expenditure 14,741.21\n$190,588.06\nPer capita cost per diem: $190,588.06-hl8,765=$10.16. O 84 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nReconciliation\nNet expenditure as per Public Accounts $157,880.35\nAdd\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nSalary revision $17,113.06\nDecrease in inventory 853.44\nPublic Works expenditure 14,741.21\n 32,707.71\n$190,588.06\nRespectfully submitted.\n(Miss) Winifred M. Urquhart,\nSuperintendent. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 85\nPROVINCIAL HOME, KAMLOOPS\nI herewith submit the annual report of the Provincial Home for the Aged and\nInfirm, Kamloops, for the fiscal year 1958/59.\nBUILDINGS\nThe interior of the Home received some attention during the year and the\nimprovements made are enjoyed. Bathrooms in three wards have been modernized.\nFor the sick ward, added conveniences were completed, chiefly by modernizing the\nbathroom and installation of a shower. The kitchen was redecorated, also new tile\nfor the floor. Some decorating was done in the rooms.\nHEALTH SERVICES\nThe Home continues to provide good patient care. Medical and surgical\nservices were again provided by the Irving Clinic and medical supplies purchased\nfrom the Provincial Pharmacy. The diet has been improved with the assistance of\nthe nutrition consultant and the dietician from Tranquille. An evening snack was\ncommenced and proved satisfactory, resulting in better rest. The daily bed-patient\naverage is 12. The average number of patients examined weekly by the attending\nphysician is 18. All acute cases receive hospitalization.\nENTERTAINMENT\nConcerts and religious services were again presented by local organizations\nthroughout the year, particularly at Easter and Christmas. Special effort was made\nfor decorating at Christmas time. The highlight of the year was H.R.H. Princess\nMargaret as she passed by the Home. Bingo games are popular and are played\ntwice a month. Television is appreciated. A picture show is held weekly.\nEQUIPMENT\nEquipment received during the year was a desk, steno chair, and filing cabinet\nfor the dispensary, new heating elements and plates for the kitchen range, fifty\nstacking chairs for a recreation-room, and forty-eight lockers for the staff and\ninmates.\nGENERAL\nA limited canteen was started and is worth while, allowing the more feeble to\npurchase extras. The laundry was again processed at the Home after Tranquille\nclosed. Fire-protection for the Home is always in the fore. The Provincial Home\ncemetery was accepted by the Department of Public Works for maintenance and\ncare.\nGround-floor space is still at a premium as a number of new admittances are\nfeeble old men and, when stronger, are transferred upstairs. The staff is continually\nactive in helping to create good relations among the inmates, resulting in them helping each other.\nThe population in the Home consists of twenty-five nationalities. There are\nfourteen different religions. Presently there are only ten inmates under 70 years\nof age and only six not receiving a pension. O 86\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nThe population, by birthdates, is divided as follows:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nBirthdates\n1900-1910 \t\nNumber of\nInmates\n l\nAverage\nAge\n51\n1895-1899 \t\n 3\n63\n1890-1894 \t\n 6\n66\n1885-1889 \t\n _ .\u00E2\u0080\u009E 22\n72\n1880-1884 \t\n.... _ 38\n76\n1875-1879 \t\n 33\n82\n1870-1874\n17\n86\n18 65-18 69\t\n 10\n90\nFINANCIAL STATEMENT, 1958/59\nSalaries\t\nOffice expense\t\nTravelling expense\t\nHeat, light, power, and water\t\nMedical services\t\nClothing and uniforms\t\nProvisions and catering\t\nLaundry and dry-goods\t\nEquipment and machinery\t\nMedical supplies\t\nMaintenance of buildings and grounds\nTransportation \t\nBurials \t\nMaintenance and operation of equipment\nIncidentals and contingencies\t\n$95,701.02\n690.81\n141.91\n1,809.47\n6,283.10\n1,933.41\n29,502.05\n4,772.50\n1,673.86\n2,711.56\n1,181.42\n253.69\n1,375.00\n394.55\n1,854.81\n$150,279.16\nLess-\nBoard\nRent .\n$1,125.00\n420.00\n1,545.00\n$148,734.16\nSummary\nProvincial Home expenditure $148,734.16\nPublic Works expenditure 11,472.50\n$160,206.66\nCost per capita per diem: $16O,206.66-=-43,329==$3.70.\nPensions paid to Government Agent, Kamloops, $76,776.19. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 87\nReconciliation\nNet expenditure as per Public Accounts $70,765.96\nAdd salary revision 10,962.87\nAdd maintenance receipts\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nPensions \t\nMunicipalities\n$81,728.83\nTransfers from Provincial Home\nTrust Account\t\nOther collections\t\n$76,776.19\n4,492.84\n2,442.60\n327.92\n84,039.55\n$165,768.38\nAdd Public Works expenditure 11,472.50\nLess\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nPensioners' Comforts $7,352.75\nProportion of excess of disbursements over receipts for Tranquille Farm 9,681.47\n$177,240.88\n17,034.22\n$160,206.66\nI wish to thank all staff members, co-workers, and senior administration for\ntheir assistance and support during the year.\nRespectfully submitted.\nG. P. Willie,\nSuperintendent. O 88 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nWELFARE INSTITUTIONS BOARD\nI herewith submit the annual report of the administration of the Welfare\nInstitutions Licensing Act for the year 1958. As licences are issued on the basis of\nthe calendar year, this report covers the period from January 1st, 1958, to December\n31st, 1958.\nLICENCES\nThe total number of cases dealt with during the year was 1,058, made up of\n656 licensed institutions and 402 pending applications. Of the licensed institutions,\n84 closed during the year and 313 pending applications were closed or withdrawn.\nThe total case load at December 31st, 1958, was 717, made up of 572 licensed\ninstitutions and 145 pending applications.\nBOARD MEETINGS\nEight Board meetings were held during the year. In April Dr. J. L. M.\nWhitbread replaced Dr. A. A. Larsen as the representative from the Health Branch,\nDepartment of Health and Welfare. The members of the Board for 1958 were:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nChairman: Mr. J. A. Sadler, Director of Welfare.\nMembers: Mr. F. P. Levirs, Chief Inspector of Schools, Department of Education; Miss Ruby McKay, Superintendent, Child Welfare Division; Mr.\nA. A. Shipp, Assistant Administrator, Region II, Social Welfare Branch;\nand Dr. J. L. M. Whitbread, Director, Environmental Management,\nHealth Branch.\nChief Inspector: Mrs. Edna L. Page.\nWELFARE INSTITUTIONS FOR CHILDREN\nA. Full-time Care of Children\nThere were no changes in the number of institutions licensed for children or\ntype of service given. A committee of representatives from these institutions, under\nthe chairmanship of the Superintendent of Child Welfare, continued to meet during\n1958. The purpose of this committee is to look into present legislation, as set down\nin the Welfare Institutions Licensing Act and regulations, and to ascertain whether\nthis legislation is adequate to meet the present and future needs of children in this\nProvince.\nThere was no appreciable change in the number of private boarding homes for\nchildren licensed in 1958. These homes continue to give good service to parents\nneeding to board their children. The Advisory Committee on Private Boarding\nHomes for Children, under the chairmanship of the Senior Medical Health Officer,\nCity of Vancouver, met regularly to discuss children's boarding homes in the\nVancouver area. The other members of this committee were representatives from\nthe Children's Aid Society, Catholic Children's Aid Society, Foster Day Care\nAssociation, and Welfare Institutions Office.\nB. Day Care of Children\nFoster Homes for Day Care\nDuring the year an acting executive director was appointed to the Foster\nDay Care Association, Vancouver, to replace Mrs. Kathleen Smith, who had given\nlong and faithful service to this agency. A home-finder was also appointed, and\nthis resulted in the licensing of a large number of new and suitable homes offering\nthis service. The finding of safe homes where working mothers can place their REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 89\nchildren is an important and necessary community programme. This service was\nexpanded considerably during 1958 as a result of the work done by the Foster\nDay Care Association, which supervised this programme in the Vancouver area.\nKindergartens, Play-schools, etc.\nThe private kindergarten and pre-school programme continued to expand in\nBritish Columbia. Because a well-established training programme is set up, more\nqualified persons are now available for positions as pre-school supervisors. The\nBritish Columbia Pre-school Education Association continued to meet regularly,\nand the future aims of the group were consolidated.\nSchools for Retarded Children\nThere was a sharp increase in the number of schools of this type licensed in\n1958, as interest in the retarded child grew in the Province. The British Columbia\nAssociation for Retarded Children expanded its membership and services. The\nassociation continued to work toward their aim of having the Department of Education provide facilities and assume the cost of educating the retarded child on the\nsame basis as the normal child.\nMATERNITY HOMES\nThere was no change in the status or programme of the three maternity homes\nserving the Province.\nAGED-CARE\nDuring 1958 there was considerable public interest in boarding homes and\nnursing homes for the elderly.\nThroughout the Province several local societies were incorporated, having as\ntheir aim to raise money to provide housing for the aged. Non-profit groups such as\nthese can apply for financial grants from the Provincial Government under the\nterms of the Elderly Citizens' Housing Aid Act to help cover the cost of construction.\nDuring 1958 a start was made on the Dr. F. W. Greene Memorial Home for the\naged in Cranbrook.\nSeveral new privately operated boarding homes were licensed during the year,\nand this type of establishment offers a home-like atmosphere to the elderly. Many\nof these homes are doing a very worth-while job in caring for persons in receipt of\npublic assistance in their area.\nUNEMPLOYED ADULTS\nOne of the five homes licensed for this type of care was closed in 1958. The\nBethel Girls' Home, operated by the Mennonite Church, which had provided a home\nfor girls seeking jobs and to become established, discontinued this service.\nThe Narcotic Addiction Foundation of British Columbia opened a home as a\ntreatment centre for addicts. There is residential care for four persons in the home\nand out-patient treatment is also offered. The programme consists of therapy and\ncounselling from professional staff.\nSUMMER CAMPS\nClear, through the gathering dusk, a bugle sounds,\nIn quick response the campers turn from play;\nWhile through the silent hills the call resounds,\nThey stand erect to honour close of day.\nA large number of new applications for licences for summer camps were\nreceived in 1958 as more organizations became interested in providing a camping O 90\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nexperience for children. Continuing efforts to improve camping standards were\nmade by the Department of Health and Welfare together with the Provincial Fire\nMarshal's office. This year, also, those camps which have electrical installations\nwere inspected by the Provincial Electrical Energy Department for the first time.\nThe British Columbia Camping Association continued to offer co-operation and\nadvice to those interested in camping. A camp directory was published and the\ncamp referral programme made it possible for underprivileged children to attend a\ncamp.\nSTATISTICAL INFORMATION\nTable I.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Showing a Comparative Summary of Information\nRegarding Licensed Welfare Institutions\n1955\n1956\n1957\n1958\nChildren\u00E2\u0080\u0094Total Care (Excluding Summer Camps)\nNumber licensed\u00E2\u0080\u0094\u00E2\u0096\u00A0\n10\n58\n500\n150\n596\n189\n92,264\n37,316\n58\n3,765\n15,861\n149,616\n222\n10\n59\n452\n142\n516\n171\n89,678\n38,058\n67\n4,214\n16,736\n165,867\n221\n8\n33\n5,637\n180\n104\n9,636\n162\n237\n781,558\n21,374\n19,628\n163\n2,510\n3,645\n761,642\n5\n75\n504\n17,338\n3\n115\n278\n209\n26,307\n9\n54\n385\n120\n468\n155\n91,446\n33,089\n73\n4,891\n21,578\n200,516\n243\n13\n35\n6,310\n227\n140\n11,022\n227\n277\n883,865\n27,017\n23,879\n170\n2,671\n3,775\n803,705\n5\n75\n557\n19,809\n3\n115\n319\n235\n29,309\n9\n46\nCapacity\u00E2\u0080\u0094\u00E2\u0096\u00A0\nInstitutions -\n357\n105\nNumber of children under care\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n397\n126\nNumber of days' care\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n82,788\n30,557\nSummer Camps\n74\n5,280\nNumber of persons attending -\t\n22,695\n233,565\nChildren\u00E2\u0080\u0094Day Care\nNumber licensed\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n260\n25\n32\n5,295\n50\nCapacity-\n6,724\n358\nFoster day care \t\nNumber of children enrolled\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n154\n8,640\n247\n745,563\n20,087\n167\n2,426\n3,612\n724,980\n4\n69\n411\n17.012\n3\n115\n271\n201\n26,671\n172\n11,392\n340\n320\nNumber of attendance days\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nKindergartens . . - - \u00E2\u0080\u0094\t\n940,628\n42,917\nFoster day care- \t\nAdults\u00E2\u0080\u0094Infirm and Unemployables\n27,754\n184\n2,805\n3,851\n859,962\nAdults\u00E2\u0080\u0094Employable\n5\nCapacity - _ \t\n72\n473\n16,208\nWomen\u00E2\u0080\u0094Maternity\n3\n115\nNumber of persons under care\u00E2\u0080\u0094\u00E2\u0096\u00A0\n327\nInfants ...\nNumber of days' care - .,:\n259\n28,795 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 91\nTable II.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Case Load Showing the Total Number of Licensed Institutions\nand Pending Applications, 1958\nLicensed\nLicensed\nJan. 1, 1958\nLicensed in\n1958\nLicensed Insti-\ntions Closed\nin 1958\nTotal Cases\nLicensed at\nDec. 31,1958\nChildren\u00E2\u0080\u0094total care\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n43\n9\n72\n217\n12\n30\n111\n34\n5\n3\n3\n2\n43\n13\n20\n38\n1\n6\n2\n36\n5\n10\n23\n1\n1\n40\n9\n72\nChildren\u00E2\u0080\u0094day care\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n224\n20\n40\nAged\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n126\n34\nAdults\u00E2\u0080\u0094employable - - _\n4\n3\nTotals \t\n536 1 120\n84\n572\nLicensed January 1st, 1958\nLicensed in 1958 \t\nClosed\n536\n120\n656\n84\n572\nLicenses Pending\nPending\nJan. 1, 1958\nNew Cases\nin 1958\nClosed in\n1958\nTotal Pending\nDec. 31,1958\nChildren\u00E2\u0080\u0094total care\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n13\n8\n34\n10\n18\n23\n3\n___\n28\n15\n106\n15\n80\n98\n5\n2\n31\n3\n103\n17\n78\n79\n2\n10\n2. Inst'tutions. _. _\n3. Camps \t\nChildren\u00E2\u0080\u0094day care\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n1. Kindergartens\t\n2. Schools for retarded children\t\n3. Foster day care \t\nAged\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n20\n37\n8\n20\n42\n6\n2\nHomes\u00E2\u0080\u0094maternity _ _\t\nTotals _\t\n109\n349\n313\n145\nCarried from January 1st, 1958\nNew cases \t\nClosed\nTotal Case Load\nLicensed\nPending _\nCONCLUSION\n109\n349\n458\n313\n145\n572\n145\n717\nSincere thanks and appreciation is extended to all who helped with the\nadministration of this Act.\nRespectfully submitted.\n(Mrs.) Florence L. Ireland,\nSocial Worker, on behalf of the late Mrs. E. L. Page. O 92 BRITISH COLUMBIA\nPART V.\u00E2\u0080\u0094MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK SERVICES\nSOCIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT, DIVISION OF\n- TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL\nDuring the year ending March 31st, 1959, the Division of Tuberculosis Control\nhas continued to adapt service to the changing situation in relation to the treatment\nof tuberculosis. As shorter hospital-treatment time is required, the number of beds\nneeded for in-patient treatment continues to decrease, but, of course, the turnover is\nfaster. The plan to accommodate all patients requiring in-patient treatment in the\nVancouver area was realized in October, 1958, when Tranquille Sanatorium closed\nafter some fifty years of operation as a tuberculosis sanatorium. The closing of\nTranquille had taken place gradually, beginning in 1954, when 300 patients were\nunder treatment there, to September 23rd, 1959, when the remaining patients were\ntransferred to the Vancouver units. Present treatment facilities for those patients\nrequiring hospital care comprise 367 beds, of which 264 are at Pearson Tuberculosis\nHospital and 103 at Willow Chest Centre. There were 734 admissions in 1958 and\n831 discharges.\nIn addition to offering hospital treatment, the Tuberculosis Division continues\nto serve all areas of the Province with diagnostic and follow-up service through\nstationary and travelling clinics, in co-operation with the Provincial Public Health\nService. The 1958 annual report for the Division of Tuberculosis Control showed\nthat there was an increase in the number of tuberculosis cases found by the survey\nclinics from 226 in 1957 to 265 in 1958, despite the fact that the number of X-rays\ntaken was reduced by 90,000. This reduction in X-rays taken was due to greater\nselection of cases to be examined and the introduction of tuberculin testing as a\nscreening method, but was due also in a large part to the fear of radiation. The\nnumber of new reported cases in the calendar year 1958 was 1,128, of which 754\nwere diagnosed as active.\nMajor changes in the Social Service Department accompanied the consolidation of the in-patient treatment programme in the two Vancouver units. At the\nbeginning of this year the position of Provincial Supervisor was deleted, and the\nadministrative duties which remained became the responsibility of the Casework\nSupervisor. Social Service staff complement was established at three\u00E2\u0080\u0094a Casework\nSupervisor and two caseworkers. The Department was permitted time to accomplish this change to reduced staff so that service to patients could be maintained\nduring the period of adjustment. By the end of July, 1958, the necessary staff\nreduction had taken place and there have been no staff changes since that time.\nOne social worker is assigned to Willow Chest Centre, where service is offered to\nboth hospital and clinic patients, and one social worker is assigned to Pearson Unit,\nwhere the case load consists of in-patients. The Supervisor carries a case load at\nPearson unit but spends regular hours each week at Willow Chest Centre, where the\nheadquarters of the Tuberculosis Division is located.\nThe interdepartmental referral procedure described in the previous report has\ncontinued in use and is proving to be a satisfactory method of bringing the service\nof the Department to those patients who require help with social or emotional aspects\nof their illness, and has also been helpful in planning economical use of staff time.\nThe Department has continued to place concise recordings of Social Service\nactivity on medical records for the information of treatment personnel, and on all\nnew admissions makes a note of potential areas of difficulty as revealed by home\nreports. The year's statistics indicate an increase in interstaff discussion in regard\nto planning for patients, as compared with the previous year. It can be assumed REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH\nO 93\nthat both the referral procedure and the chart recording have contributed to this\nvaluable increase in communication on behalf of patients as well as to the clarification and definition of areas in which the social worker can contribute to the total\ntreatment plan of the patient.\nThe Social Service Department has continued to use community resources on\nbehalf of patients and their families and has worked co-operatively with many\ndistrict Social Welfare offices, as well as with Greater Vancouver public and private\nsocial agencies, both in referring patients for service and in receiving requests for\nservice from other agencies.\nThe Social Service Department wishes to acknowledge the continued financial\ncontributions from the British Columbia Tuberculosis Society and the Mt. Garibaldi\nChapter and the Municipal Chapter of the I.O.D.E. These contributions are used\nto meet emergency needs of patients for whom no other resources are available.\nDuring the year staff participated in the education programmes of the nursing\neducation department of the Tuberculosis Division and in the training programme\nof the Social Welfare Branch.\nTotal number of casework interviews with patients by staff in all units was\n1,726. Total number of conferences with other professional workers was 1,953.\nRespectfully submitted.\n(Mrs.) M. Titterington,\nCasework Supervisor.\n' O 94\nBRITISH COLUMBIA\nPART VI.\u00E2\u0080\u0094ACCOUNTING DIVISION\nThe functions of the Accounting Division are to control expenditures, process\naccounts for payment, account for revenue, forecast expenditures, and prepare the\nDepartmental estimates of revenue and expenditures in their final form.\nThe gross expenditure increased from $28,888,200 in 1957/58 to $35,264,700\nin 1958/59, or $6,376,500. This was an increase of slightly more than 22 per cent,\nand the large increase in Social Allowances was due not only to an increase in case\nload but also to an increase in basic rates effective April 1st, 1958.\nProportion of Total Welfare Expenditure\nMain Service\n1957/58\n1958/59\nPer Cent\nValue\nPer Cent\nValue\n1.7\n2.8\n4.5\n7.6\n9.9\n28.6\n44.9\n$497,500\n816,800\n1,289,700\n2,185,000\n2,853,900\n8,259,300\n12,986,000\n1.4\n2.2\n3.5\n6.9\n9.0\n37.4\n39.6\n$495,700\n771,800\n1,255,000\n2,444,900\nMedical services, drugs, optical, etc. ' \u00E2\u0080\u0094\n3,156,800\n13,177,000\nOld-age Assistance, Blind Persons' Allowance, Disabled\nPersons' Allowance, and supplementary social assist-\n13,963,500\n100.0\n$28,888,200\n100.0\n$35,264,700\nIt is interesting to note that expenditure on Social Allowance in 1958/59 is\nnearly as large as that on Old-age Assistance, Blind Persons' Allowance, Disabled\nPersons' Allowance, and supplementary social assistance for the aged and handicapped.\nThe allowances paid directly to the individuals receiving the benefit (Old-age\nAssistance, Disabled Persons' Allowance, Blind Persons' Allowance, and supplementary social assistance for the aged and handicapped, Social Allowance, and\nMothers' Allowance) formed 77 per cent of the total expenditure. Payments to\nfoster-parents, health services, institutional care, and the cost of social workers'\nservices were 21.6 per cent of the total expenditure. The balance, 1.4 per cent, was\nfor operations which were solely administrative.\nThe Accounting Division continued to produce a monthly report on case loads\nand case-load activity from the regional and district reports and assisted in the development of new forms in connection with the administration of Social Allowance.\nDuring the year the total mileage on cars driven by staff members was 991,613,\nincluding eighty-nine Government-owned cars driven 581,568 miles and ninety-\neight privately owned cars driven 410,045 miles paid for on a mileage basis.\nRespectfully submitted.\nJ. McDiarmid,\nDepartmental Comptroller.\nPrinted by Don McDiarmid, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty\nin right of the Province of British Columbia.\n1960\n1,060-1259-1831 "@en . "Legislative proceedings"@en . "J110.L5 S7"@en . "1960_V02_07_O1_O94"@en . "10.14288/1.0355697"@en . "English"@en . "Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library"@en . "Victoria, BC : Government Printer"@en . "Images provided for research and reference use only. For permission to publish, copy or otherwise distribute these images please contact the Legislative Library of British Columbia"@en . "Original Format: Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Library. Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia"@en . "Annual Report of the Department of Social Welfare for the YEAR ENDED MARCH 31ST 1959"@en . "Text"@en . ""@en .