@prefix ns0: . @prefix edm: . @prefix dcterms: . @prefix dc: . @prefix skos: . ns0:identifierAIP "78418b7c-f0b9-429c-a259-48a096f172e7"@en ; edm:dataProvider "CONTENTdm"@en ; dcterms:alternative "REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH"@en ; dcterms:isReferencedBy "http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=1198198"@en ; dcterms:isPartOf "Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia"@en ; dcterms:creator "British Columbia. Legislative Assembly"@en ; dcterms:issued "2017-09-06"@en, "[1960]"@en ; edm:aggregatedCHO "https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcsessional/items/1.0355697/source.json"@en ; dc:format "application/pdf"@en ; skos:note """ PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Annual Report of the Department of Social Welfare for the YEAR ENDED MARCH 31st 1959 Primed by Don McDiarmid, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty In right of the Province of British Columbia. I960 Victoria, B.C., November 6th, 1959. To His Honour Frank Mackenzie Ross, C.M.G., M.C., LL.D., Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia. May it please Your Honour: The Annual Report of the Department of Social Welfare for the year ended March 31st, 1959, is herewith respectfully submitted. W. D. BLACK, Minister of Social Welfare. Office of the Minister of Social Welfare, Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C. Department of Social Welfare, Victoria, B.C., November 6th, 1959. The Honourable W. D. Black, Minister of Social Welfare, Victoria, B.C. Sir,—I have the honour to submit the Annual Report of the Department of Social Welfare for the year ended March 31st, 1959. E. R. RICKINSON, Deputy Minister of Social Welfare. Department of Social Welfare, Victoria, B.C., November 6th, 1959. E. R. Rickinson, Esq., Deputy Minister of Social Welfare. Sir,—I submit herewith the Report of the Department of Social Welfare for the year ended March 31st, 1959. J. A. SADLER, Director of Social Welfare. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959 Hon. W. D. Black. Minister of Social Welfare. E. R. Rickinson J. A. Sadler SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Deputy Minister. Director of Social Welfare. Miss Marie Riddell. J. McDiarmid Mrs. Jean Scott. Miss Ruby McKay. E. W. Berry Dr. G. E. Wakefield. Mrs. E. L. Page Miss M. MacInnis. F. G. Hassard Miss W. M. Urquhart. G. P. Willie E. L. RlMMER. H. E. Blanchard.. R. I. Stringer R. J. Burnham. V. H. Dallamore. A. E. Bingham W. H. Crossley. Assistant Director of Social Welfare. Departmental Comptroller. Supervisor, Family Division. Superintendent of Child Welfare. . Chairman, Old-age Assistance and Blind Persons' and Disabled Persons' Allowances Board, and Supplementary Assistance. Director of Medical Services. ^Chief Inspector of Welfare Institutions. Supervisor, Social Service Department, Division of Tuberculosis Control. .Superintendent, Brannen Lake School for Boys. . Superintendent, Willingdon School for Girls. Superintendent, Provincial Home. ..Administrator, Region I. .Administrator, Region II. ..Administrator, Region III. ..Administrator, Region IV. ..Administrator, Region V. ..Administrator, Region VI. .Administrator, Region VII. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Director of Social Welfare 9 Assistant Director of Social Welfare 11 Part II.—Regional Administration— Region I . 14 Region II. .... - - 16 Region III ... 18 Region IV _ - _ 20 Region V. - - ' 22 Region VI. _ - _ 24 Region VII 26 Part III.—Divisional Administration — Family Division— Social Allowances Mothers' Allowances Family Service Child Welfare Division 29 34 38 43 Old-age Assistance, Blind Persons' Allowances, Disabled Persons' Allowances, and Supplementary Assistance 53 Medical Services Division 74 Part IV.—Institutions— Industrial School for Boys Industrial School for Girls __ Provincial Home, Kamloops Welfare Institutions Board... 76 81 85 88 Part V.—Medical Social Work Services— Social Service Department, Division of Tuberculosis Control 92 Part VI.—Accounting Division Report of the Department of Social Welfare PART I.—GENERAL ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE In the fiscal year under review, welfare services were the responsibility of the Social Welfare Branch, Department of Health and Welfare, until March 20th, 1959, when the Department of Social Welfare Act was proclaimed by Order in Council No. 558. The Social Welfare Branch, Department of Health and Welfare, then ceased to exist, and welfare services fell within the jurisdiction of the Department of Social Welfare. On September 1st, 1958, by agreement with the municipalities, a new equalization of Social Allowance costs was introduced. The plan was developed to equalize costs on a per capita basis throughout the Province, and the Provincial Government agreed to share Social Allowance costs with the municipalities on the formula of 90 per cent Provincial payment and 10 per cent municipal payment. It has been a major step forward, with details of residence and responsibility within the Province eliminated and intermunicipal-Provincial billing is simplified. Also on that date Mothers' Allowance cases were transferred to Social Allowance for administrative purposes. Steps were taken to decentralize authority under the Children's Protection Act, with responsibility placed in the field offices for action to be taken without prior referral to the Child Welfare Division. Due to certain amendments to the Municipal Act, some municipalities were relieved of their responsibility for the costs and administration of welfare services. A change was made in the charge for services by the Province to municipalities purchasing social welfare services in their areas. The per capita payment was increased April 1st, 1958, from 15 cents to 30 cents, Throughout the year the Research and Office Consultants, in addition to activities in their respective fields of research and office procedures, have been revising the Departmental policy manuals. The Civil Defence Liaison Officer has continued his lecture programme to local groups throughout the Province and has been engaged in the preparation of material in connection with civil defence welfare services. The following tables show, on a comparative basis, case loads and changes in case loads:— Table I.—Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major Categories as at March 31st for the Years 1958 and 1959 Category 1958 Number Per Cent 1959 Number Per Cent Totals for Province.. Family Service Social Allowance Blind Persons' Allowance1.. Old-age Assistances- Old Age Security supplementary assistances- Disabled Persons' Allowance1 Child Welfare Health and Institutional 61,783 1,296 10,658 671 8,385 32,761 1,453 5,896 663 100.0 2.1 17.3 1.1 13.6 53.0 2.4 9.5 1.1 69,046 1,317 17,578 660 8,544 32,239 1,666 6,379 663 100.0 1.9 25.5 1.0 12.4 46.7 2.4 9.2 1.0 1 Includes Old-age Assistance Board figures which are not shown in regional reports. 9 O 10 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table II.—Movement in Case Load during Fiscal Year 1958/59 Major Category of Service Cases Opened during Year Number Per Cent Cases Closed during Year Number Per Cent Family Service... Social Allowance Blind Persons' Allowance Disabled Persons' Allowance.. Old-age Assistance Old Age Security supplementary assistance. Child Welfare _ Health and Institutional. Totals for Province.. 2,084 30,495 338 929 5,997 12,427 6,379 486 59,135 3.5 51.6 0.6 1.6 10.1 21.0 10.8 0.8 100.0 2,063 24,078 349 716 5,838 12,949 5,897 485 52,375 3.9 46.0 0.7 1.4 11.1 24.7 11.3 0.9 100.0 Table III, -Number of Cases by Category and as a Percentage of Population as at March 31st for the Years 1958 and 1959 1958 1959 Category Number Per Cent of Population (1,487,000) Number Per Cent of Population (1,544,000) 61,783 1,296 10.658 671 8,385 32,761 1,453 5,896 663 4.15 0.09 0.72 0.05 0.56 2.20 0.10 0.40 0.04 69,046 1,317 17,578 660 8,544 32,239 1,666 6,379 663 4.47 0.09 1.14 Blind Persons' Allowance1 0.04 0.55 Old Age Security supplementary assistance1 Disabled Persons' Allowance1 Child Welfare - 2.09 0.11 0.41 Health and Institutional - 0.04 1 Includes Old-age Assistance Board figures which are not shown in regional reports. The above tables show a marked increase in the Social Allowance case load in the Province. This increase in case load and the increase in activity in the case load is due to the unemployment situation which has developed this year. As the report will show, there has been an increased demand for services not only in the field of Social Allowance where, due to pressures from many unemployed persons asking for temporary help, the work programme has changed somewhat, with emphasis being placed on the meeting of immediate need, but also in connection with the boys' and girls' schools with increased populations in both schools, and in family and children's services. Municipal officials, together with officials of private agencies and many other organizations, have continued their kind co-operation as in the past and this cooperation is appreciated by the staff of this Department. Respectfully submitted. J. A. Sadler, Director of Social Welfare. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 11 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE I wish to submit the report of the Assistant Director of Social Welfare for the fiscal year April, 1958, to March, 1959. The Assistant Director of Social Welfare shares in part in the planning of the over-all administration of the Department; is responsible for certain duties delegated by the Director of Social Welfare; and is primarily responsible for maintaining social work and clerical staff for the field service and divisions, of the Department. In so far as the social-work staff is concerned the major portion of responsibility for recruitment, 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 of Social Welfare. Legislatively the responsibility of the Department is defined as " all matters relating to social and public welfare and social assistance." This, then, does not mean solely the administration or granting of financial assistance, which is only a part 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 of personality or relationship, apart from economic problems, so that they may live happier and more satisfying lives and fulfil their maximum potential as citizens. To do this demands special skill and knowledge which social workers must learn and continue to develop through experience. The social workers, too, must find happiness and satisfaction in their work, for without these, frustration and a lack of sense of achievement are inevitable, which even loyalty to social work cannot dispel. The skill and knowledge required of a social worker are learned in professional training at a school of social work, and it is the goal of the Department to employ as many professionally trained staff as possible. There is, however, a continuing shortage of professionaUy trained social workers and many agencies have had to plan other means to fill staff vacancies. This Department has had for many years an in-service training programme for appointees lacking professional qualifications. At this time a tribute should be paid to the in-service trainees, for they have formed a dependable portion of our staff complement and without them the Department could not have achieved the enviable reputation 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 be considered as a substitute for professional training. Therefore each In-Service Trainee is encouraged to make plans for educational leave 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. During the year under review six staff members were on educational leave, of which four were awarded bursaries toward the full costs of an academic year. In addition to in-service training and educational leave, other means of professional development are encouraged. District staff meetings, held with reasonable regularity, help social-work staff to increase their knowledge and develop their skills. Other devices are regular District Supervisors' and regional staff meetings. The latter are held annually, in so far as possible, with institute leaders brought in from outside the Department or leadership provided by senior Department personnel, to concentrate on some particular aspect of social work or the social-welfare programme of the Department. O 12 BRITISH COLUMBIA Still another device for staff development is the arranging, whenever possible, for attendance of selected members of staff to attend national social-work conferences or regional conferences of national and international organizations. Such devices are essential and their benefits beyond measure if a progressive and competent social-work staff is to be maintained. For the clerical staff of the service the need for training and encouragement is equally important, and the services of the Office Consultant are always available by correspondence or by frequent visits to the various district offices to share her knowledge of and experience in office management. Competence 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 manner in which the staff has met the challenge of a total case load which rose from 61,783 to 69,046 in this fiscal year, with a monthly average active case load of 14,572, is beyond all praise. Neither could the social workers meet this challenge without the able support of the clerical staff, for their responsibilities are many, too. Not to be excluded from any expression of appreciation are the staffs of the two correctional schools and all divisions of the Department. Each staff member, whatever his role or responsibility, contributes immeasurably by his efforts and loyalty to the work of the Department in the alleviation of human need and suffering. The following table shows the total number of staff (clerical, professional, and technical) that were employed and their location in the Department as at March 31st, 1959:— Office of Deputy Minister Director of Welfare 2 .__ 4 Field Service _ _ _ ------ - 290 Medical Services Division ___ ___ _ _ ___ 12 Child Welfare Division ■• _ -. 18 Provincial Home _ 34 Brannen Lake School for Boys._ _ - .. _ __ Girls' Industrial School 62 - 50 Old-age Assistance Board _ __ _ __- 74 Family Division ____ __ - __ _ 5 Total _ 551 The following table gives the total social-work stafl years ending March 31st, 1958, and March 31st, 1959:— employed for the fiscal University Trained In-service Trained Total Total staff, March 31st, 1958 Completed formal training during fiscal year 93 +6 121 -6 214 Staff appointed April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959 99 6 115 50 214 56 Resignations, April lst,1958, to March 31st, 1959 105 28 165 33 270 61 Totals as at March 31st, 1959 77 132 209 During the year under review there were 149 resignations and an equal number of replacements to fill them. So that, in all, responsibility for appointment, promotion, reclassification, and processing of resignations covered a total of 363 staff members. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 13 During the course of the year seventy-six persons were given in-service training in six introductory and four final group sessions. The Department was represented at three conferences and institutes related to social welfare and seven delegates attended. In addition, other members attended on their own time and at their own expense. During this fiscal year two combined District Supervisors' meetings were held. The District Supervisors of Regions V and VII met at Prince George and of Regions III and IV at Kelowna. The Assistant Director of Social Welfare attended both, thus also permitting a visit to various district offices in the four regions. This fiscal year saw the long-awaited opening of the new correctional school, Willingdon 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. In conclusion, I wish to express my sincerest thanks for the co-operation shown administration by the staff, and a special word of appreciation to the staff for their devotion and untiring efforts to maintain the programme of the Department. My personal thanks go to the staff, professional and clerical, of my own office, on whose support and willingness I can depend at all times. Respectfully submitted. (Miss) Marie Riddell, Assistant Director of Social Welfare. O 14 BRITISH COLUMBIA PART IL—REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION REGION I I 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 region comprises Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and a small section of the Mainland contiguous to the Johnstone and Queen Charlotte Straits. According to estimated figures, the population for the region approximates 245,000 persons, with a land area of roughly 13,000 square miles. About half of the population live in the southerly part—Greater Victoria area, Gulf Islands, Duncan, Nanaimo, etc. Because of migratory population these figures might be slightly over or under last year's quoted census population figure. The welfare field staff, servicing the people in the area, consists of thirty-two social workers, with four supervisors, two municipal administrators, and one Regional Administrator. Table I.—Administrative Offices with Distribution of Case Load by Category of Services Category Alberni Courtenay Duncan Nanaimo Saanich Victoria City Victoria District Total 14 297 3 115 314 15 146 13 36 269 7 142 527 33 222 11 36 213 9 104 472 16 156 19 44 610 13 227 965 43 192 22 127 6 96 835 30 28 6 1,053 37 464 2,148 76 43 40 269 12 179 1,053 47 126 46 176 2,838 Blind Persons' Allowance.... Old-age Assistance Supplementary assistance to Old Age Security Disabled Persons' Allowance Child Welfare 87 1,327 6,314 260 842 Health and Institutional 182 Totals 917 1,247 1,025 2,116 1,122 1 3,827 1,772 12,026 Table II.—Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major Categories in Region I for the Fiscal Years 1957/58 and 1958/59 Category 1957/58 1958/59 Number Per Cent Number Per Cent 165 1,588 90 1,317 6,417 235 794 187- 1.5 14.7 0.8 12.2 59.5 2.2 7.4 1.7 176 2,838 87 1,327 6,314 260 842 182 1.5 23.6 0.7 11.0 Supplementary assistance to Old Age Security Disabled Persons* Allowance - Child Welfare - 52.5 2.2 7.0 1.5 Tota!s 10,788 | 100.0 1 12,026 100.0 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 15 Table III.—Analysis of Case Load and Population in Each Municipality of Region I at March 31st, 1959, as Related to The Administrative Plan (Section 6 of the Regulations under the Social Assistance Act). Population 1956 Census Welfare Services Area Per Capita Plan Amalgamated Plan Welfare Case Load City of Alberni 3,947 10,373 3,069 2,477 1,039 3,025 3,247 10,384 2,107 12,705 1,949 7,781 726 14,857 38,358 54,584 895 1,151 1,112 1,371 389 520 154 X X (?) X (!) X X X C1) X (!) x O) X 0) (!) 0) C1) C1) C1) X X 148 429 103 121 188 271 City of Nanaimo _ .. Village of Lake Cowichan 949 305 254 1,122 3,827 Village of Alert Bay..... Village of Tofino Village of Zeballos (1) Organized villages not liable for welfare costs (subsection 2 of section 639 of the Municipal Act). Total case load in organized territory Total case load in unorganized territory Total case load for region Social welfare case load Total number of individuals, including dependents Approximate percentage, case load to population (245,000) Approximate percentage, total individuals to population 7,717 4,309 12,026 12,026 14,954 4.9% 6% In this region there is accommodation in private hospitals for approximately 600 persons and accommodation in licensed boarding homes for 700 persons. The monthly rates paid for maintenance of welfare cases in these establishments ranged from $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. The Family Service and Child Welfare case load was relatively high and within this group were found most complex and time-consuming problems. Coupled with the work required in the above two categories, the processing of applications for old-age assistance and proving eligibility for public aid for employable and unemployable persons, the field staff have experienced a very trying year. In conclusion, I report that the turmoil of industrial labour disputes again took its toll, with its immediate disruptory effects and aftermath of readjustments in the economy of this area which, of course, placed heavier burdens on the social welfare staff. Grateful acknowledgment is given to all who participated. Respectfully submitted. E. L. RlMMER, Regional Administrator. O 16 BRITISH COLUMBIA REGION II I beg to submit the following report of the activities of the Department of Social Welfare in Region II for the fiscal year 1958/59:— There have been no changes in the boundaries of the administrative unit known as Region II since March 31st, 1958. The municipal administrative units within the region have likewise remained the same. The existing offices, as of March 31st, 1959, therefore, are again as follows:— Amalgamated offices (municipal offices under the charge of municipal administrators): Burnaby, District of Coquitlam, New Westminster City, City and District of North Vancouver, Richmond, Vancouver City, and West Vancouver. District offices (Department of Social Welfare offices under the charge of district supervisors, serving unorganized areas and per capita municipalities) : New Westminster district office, serving unorganized areas and the muncipalities of Delta, Fraser Mills, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody; Vancouver district office, serving unorganized areas of University of British Columbia Endowment Lands, North Arm of Burrard Inlet, Howe Sound, Cheakamus Valley, Sechelt Peninsula, Ocean Falls, and surrounding coast; Westview district office, serving the District of Powell River and surrounding area. The 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 the whole of Region II, while Table II shows the breakdown of cases carried by District and Municipal offices. It should be pointed out that the City Social Service Department in Vancouver does not carry child and family welfare cases, this work being done by children's aid societies. Table I.—Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major Categories in Region II for the Fiscal Years 1957/58 and 1958/59 Category 1957/58 Number Per Cent 1958/59 Number Per Cent Family Service. Social Allowance Blind Persons' Allowance- Old-age Assistance . Supplementary assistance to Old Age Security- Disabled Persons' Allowance Child Welfare - Health and Institutional Totals — 306 3,918 279 3,565 15,300 591 1,457 173 25,589 1.2 15.3 1.1 13.9 59.8 2.3 5.7 0.7 100.0 220 7,183 275 3,739 14,697 681 1,472 177 28,444 0.8 25.3 1.0 13.1 51.6 2.4 5.2 0.6 100.0 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 17 Table II.—Case Load by Major Categories in the District Administrative Offices of Region II as at March 31st, 1959 Category Si rt - 3 « § rt "3 O u _ | 1 -ft* - - !■_ z£fl u > X 68 - a o rt Z> - o 6 Jq _ s Vancouver City Ih 0) > S3 u - 9-3 >Q — _ > a o 'B Total 25 518 34 456 2,264 76 380 50 17 123 7 80 286 24 133 1 56 467 20 208 773 35 134 16 1,709 18 199 2 102 449 21 123 8 28 198 10 129 848 33 135 31 22 138 2 93 414 34 123 12 20 103 4 88 419 18 317 30 8 36 3 73 317 14 37 16 26 98 1 40 170 3 90 13 220 5,303 192 2,470 8,757 423 7,183 Blind Persons' Allowance 275 3,739 Supplementary assistance to Old Age Security , Disabled Persons' Allowance Child Welfare 14,697 681 1,472 Health and Institutional —., 177 Totals. 3,803 671 922 1,412 838 17,145 999 504 441 28,444 Unemployment continued to be an important factor during this year. The trend, started last year, continued at an accelerated rate. The Vancouver and New Westminster offices took the brunt of it due to location. Vancouver, being a large centre with the possibility of securing aid from voluntary agencies if work was not available, was attractive to transients. New Westminster is the gateway to Region II and tends to receive requests for assistance from transients moving in and out of the region. Table III compares these two centres and their activities relating to unemployed persons requiring assistance. This table represents cases which include heads of families and their dependents, as well as single persons. Table III.—Unemployed Employables Vancouver Number of Cases Cost New Westminster Number of Cases Cost 1958 May Julv October- 1959 March 565 686 744 799 1,348 1,728 1,831 1,951 2,276 2,504 2,175 2,327 2,393 $27,925 34,797 41,182 43,838 59,817 98,420 107,323 110,980 129,025 142,083 121,294 131,832 138,485 15 19 12 15 26 67 74 73 152 199 221 216 201 $615 807 595 750 1,176 3,210 4,912 5,441 6,910 8,948 9,984 10,295 10,391 However, figures on straight unemployment, as it relates to employable persons, do not show the complete picture. When able-bodied persons are out of work, those partially able to support themselves have little chance of getting employment. Table IV therefore shows a comparison between the same two centres, Vancouver and New Westminster, as regards total numbers and expenditures for social assistance. The figures shown are inclusive of those in Table III. 2 O 18 BRITISH COLUMBIA The totals for Region II on the same basis as in Table IV were at March 31st, 1959, for that month as follows:—Number of persons in families, 7,876, $214,767; single persons, 4,461, $222,061. Table IV.—Social Allowance Cases Vancouver o - ill III US uS New Westminster IP I Eft Z&S US Z«B< — _ US 1958 March April May June July- August ... September October November December . 1959 January February- March 2,228 2,378 2,425 2,428 3,098 3,404 3,887 4,121 4,378 4,563 4,291 4,383 4,505 $54,874 64,293 67,287 67,997 79,081 92,800 116,485 112,074 119,001 135,246 118,159 120,214 124,394 2,067 2,138 2,201 2,236 2,668 3,122 3,081 3,221 3,507 3,686 3,503 3,663 3,678 $97,513 105,819 110,649 110,581 118,778 151,973 152,781 155,856 170,684 178,817 $152,387 170,112 177,936 178,578 197,859 244,773 269,266 267,930 289,685 314,063 170,983 289,142 182,577 | 302,791 185,187 j 309,581 263 251 281 298 290 379 $6,748 7,685 7,725 8,251 8,330 10,455 405 | 11,855 399 j 11,454 424 j 11,541 461 I 13,550 560 ! 13,093 485 I 13,348 553 | 14,956 I 136 137 143 130 134 160 158 178 234 282 293 290 269 $5,808 6,327 6,761 6,155 5,688 6,902 7,211 7,750 9,240 11,728 12,145 12,407 12,311 $12,556 14,012 14,486 14,406 14,018 17,357 19,066 19,204 20,781 25,278 25,238 25,755 27,267 I would like to take this opportunity to state that I have met with a large measure of co-operation from persons in other public agencies and departments, as well as from private agencies. The work of the Department of Social Welfare is broad beyond the scope of the above report. The generalized case load carried by most areas in Region II brings one into contact with cases as varied as human experience. The field staff, municipal and provincial, who are the key persons in the standards of service provided, must be given credit for the skill with which they meet the pressures inherent in their task. They are to be commended for their devotion to duty. Respectfully submitted. H. E. Blanchard, Regional Administrator. REGION III I beg to submit the following report on the activities of the Social Welfare Branch in Region III for the fiscal year 1958/59. There have been no changes in the regional boundaries during the past year. The region is bounded on the south by the International Border, on the north by Wells Gray Park, on the east by Revelstoke and district, and on the west by Bra- lorne. The principal concentrations of population are in and around the cities of Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, and Penticton. The Social Welfare Branch services are provided from six provincial offices, one each located at Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, Oliver, Salmon Arm, and Vernon, and four amalgamated offices located at Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, and Vernon. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 19 The Social Welfare Branch provides welfare services in the municipalities of Armstrong, Enderby, Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, and Summerland, these services being paid for by the municipalities concerned on a per capita basis. During the year, the Provincial Government relieved the municipalities of Peachland, Spallum- cheen, Coldstream, and Glenmore of responsibility for all welfare costs and administration. These responsibilities were assumed by the Provincial Government through the local offices of the Social Welfare Branch. The population in this region continues to grow at an estimated 5 to 7 per cent per year, which is higher than the Provincial average. This increase in population has resulted in a greater demand for our services, which is confirmed in the statistics which follow. As noted in last year's report, this region has a mixed economy which has, in the past, tended to provide an adequate income for the majority of the residents. However, in spite of this, the anticipated increase in unemployed persons requiring assistance has occurred, and this would seem to be largely because of the tightening economy throughout the rest of the Province. Persons have come to this region seeking seasonal work picking fruit and vegetables or in the lumbering industry. In spite of the fact that there has been the usual amount of employment, it has not been enough to take care of the large influx of unemployed persons from other areas. As a result, there has been a greatly increased demand on our services. This year there was $162,650.07 dispensed to assist employable persons. This is an amount eight times greater than that dispensed in the year before, which in turn was three times greater than the previous year. The foregoing comments on assistance to employable persons are supported by the fact that the social assistance case load increased from 18.7 per cent of the total case load to 25.6 per cent, and the total case load increased from 7,083 to 8,133, an increase of 14.8 per cent. From the above it can be seen that the work load carried by the staff in this region has increased at a considerable rate, and I would like to take this opportunity of thanking them for the extra efforts they have been making and for the loyalty and high ideals and principles that they have maintained under considerable pressures. The following tables show the regional case load as of March 31st, 1958, and March 31st, 1959, by types of assistance and location of servicing offices. Table I.—Case Load by Major Categories in the District Administrative Offices of Region III as at March 31st, 1959 Category Pa 0 o i pi 14 a *_ c o c u o P o EE a5 P o p u > a o o !>. _._ rt i-U a o _.— O-U a o _ j- _.- >U rt rO 102 547 22 202 589 1 401 68 155! 186 12| 6 93 106 3401 318 14 1- 27 270 9 152 397 28 235 9 194 6 66 306 16 4 1 265 131| 18" 3| 9 58| 81 146! 3IK 172 3 38 195 12 100 9 74 342 35 5 1402,082 Blind Persons' Allowance Old-age Assistance 8| 87 102| 972 33RI3 789 Disabled Persons' Allowance . Child Welfare 29| 351 29| 91 18 385! 131| 225| 441 104 23| 121 161 21 11 21 232 1,124 82 Totals O 20 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table II.—Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major Categories in Region III for the Fiscal Years 1957/58 and 1958/59 Category 1957/58 1958/59 Number Per Cent Number Per Cent 251 1,326 81 892 3,234 184 1,028 87 3.5 18.7 1.1 12.6 45.7 2.6 14.5 1.2 265 2,082 87 972 3,289 232 1,124 82 3.3 Social Allowance _ Blind Persons' Allowance Old age Assistance .... Supplementary assistance to Old Age Security 25.6 1.1 12.0 40.4 2.8 Child Welfare 13 8 1 0 Totals 7,083 100.0 8,133 100.0 Respectfully submitted. R. I. Stringer, Regional Administrator. REGION IV I submit herewith the annual report on the activities of the Department of Social Welfare in Region IV for the fiscal year 1958/59. Region IV is located in the south-eastern section of the Province, forming a rough triangle, with Alberta and the International Border outlining the eastern and southern boundaries. The third line of the triangle can be traced through the immediate areas around Golden in the north to Nakusp and Greenwood to the south. The 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. There are one municipal and seven Provincial offices in this area. The seven Provincial offices provide services for seven cities—Cranbrook, Kimberley, Fernie, Nelson, Grand Forks, Rossland, and Greenwood. Kaslo and Slocan have dropped their status as cities, thereby saving themselves the cost of welfare services. The City of Trail continues to administer its own welfare programme but will probably request the Department of Social Welfare to undertake this responsibility as from April 1st, 1960. This 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 employment situation. The commencement of construction of a large pulp-mill at Castlegar has attracted large numbers of job-seeking transients, many of whom have not been placed. This, in turn, has brought a particularly heavy increase of work in 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 by 35.5 per cent over last year. The total amount of assistance granted showed a corresponding increase. It will be noted from Table II that all categories of services provided by our Department showed a gain in numbers during the year with the exception of Blind Persons' Allowances. These additional numbers of cases represent an increase of 11.6 per cent of our total case load since March 31st, 1958. Boarding- and nursing-home facilities have increased in this region, but along with them has grown an ever-increasing need for this type of care for old people. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 21 The Dr. Green Memorial Home has been opened in Cranbrook for persons in need of boarding-home care and has a number of beds vacant. Being a new resource, there 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 to capacity. Mt. St. Francis, a nursing-home in Nelson with a bed capacity of ninety- eight, is hoping to eventually add a new floor to its building, which will provide room for another forty-eight to fifty patients. The need for this is definitely proven in the waiting lists for admission and the continual pressure we have from our general hospitals to move chronic patients into such an institution. Table I.—Case Load by Major Categories in the District Administrative Offices of Region IV as at March 31st, 1959 Category M o o j- a rt U c 0 - V 1 _ ft _ M M o ft -a a rt O _ o •- Z - _1 Hi !U ZQ "rt — >. "rt .8" g| hs x £2 "rt 8 37 226 6 100 356 19 150 24 27 134 1 86 228 23 75 6 8 80 4 74 240 18 42 3 6 137 9 110 284 18 34 4 67 334 1 141 583 24 168 15 5 72 3 39 242 5 47 4 15 198 4 107 302 28 90 15 9 115 2 26 126 7 48 7 174 1,296 Blind Persons' Allowance 30 683 Supplementary assistance to Old Age Security... 2,361 142 Child Welfare 654 78 Totals 918 580 469 602 1,333 417 759 340 5,418 Table II.—Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major Categories in Region IV, as at March 31st, for the Years 1957/58 and 1958/59 Category 1957/58 1958/59 Number Per Cent Number Per Cent 143 956 42 592 2,330 127 590 77 2.9 19.7 0.9 12.2 48.0 2.6 12.1 1.6 174 1,296 30 683 2,361 142 654 78 3.2 23.9 Blind Persons' Allowance Old-age Assistance Old Age Security supplementary allowance Disabled Persons' Allowance Child Welfare 0.6 12.6 43.6 2.6 12.1 1.4 Totals 4,857 100.0 5,418 100.0 In concluding, I would like to express thanks to all staff members in the region for their conscientious efforts to meet the many pressing needs with which they have been faced. I would like, also, to thank the municipal staffs, service clubs, and other organizations for their kind help and co-operation. Respectfully submitted. R. J. BURNHAM, Regional Administrator. O 22 BRITISH COLUMBIA REGION V I beg to submit the following report of the activities of the Social Welfare Branch in Region V for the fiscal year 1958/59. During the fiscal year under review the region continued to be served by six district offices situated in Fort St. John, Pouce Coupe, Prince George, Vanderhoof, Quesnel, and Williams Lake. However, the steady growth of population centred at some distances from these offices foreshadows the need of the establishment of other offices in the near future. In the meantime, office accommodations in the above centres have been improved or are planned for improvement. Most notable was the move of the Prince George office into the new Government Building on July 1st, 1958. The number of municipalities responsible for welfare services was increased on June 1st, 1958, when the Village of Fort St. John was incorporated as a town. Now there are in the region four per capita municipalities—those of Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Prince George, and Quesnel—and in these municipalities reside 34.1 per cent of our total case load. Resources for our clients were enhanced by the opening of the Senior Citizens' Home in Prince George in February, 1959. This home provides accommodation for couples at a cost of $50 per month. We are still facing serious difficulties in the lack of an adequate number of foster homes for children in care. On March 31st, 1959, we had 291 children in care and, on our books, 208 foster homes. During the year the number of children increased by fifty-five and the number of foster homes only increased by nine. Unfortunately, many of the foster homes included in the above figure are not available for use on occasion, and those that are available do not include a sufficient number of families who could take problem children or older children. We do not have too much difficulty in finding sufficient homes for infants. In an effort to find more foster homes in Dawson Creek an ex-social worker was employed for approximately the month of May. There were twenty-three responses to newspaper and radio publicity but, out of these, only three proved satisfactory foster-home applicants. Employment generally throughout the region remained on a comparably high level in that more people were working than previously. However, employment did not keep up to the growth of population, with a result that there were an increasing number of job seekers and many more applicants for social allowances. Because a higher proportion of applicants were residents of the area with family responsibility the amounts of our grants were considerably larger. From Table I, which is shown below, it may readily be seen that the increase in case load largely took place in Social Allowance, which increased to become 31.6 per cent of the total case load. There is also a considerable increase in the number of Family Service cases, which is affected by the extra pressures of financial insecurity. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 23 Table I.—Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major Categories in Region V for the Fiscal Years 1957/58 and 1958/59 Category 1957/58 1958/59 Number Per Cent Number Per Cent 160 941 49 366 819 33 660 37 5.2 30.7 1.6 12.0 26.7 1.1 21.5 1.2 213 1,038 44 379 846 42 700 28 6.5 31.5 Blind Persons' Allowance 1.3 11.5 25.7 1.3 Child Welfare _ 21.3 Health and Institutional 0.9 Totals 3,065 100.0 3,290 100.0 It is interesting to note that services to the younger portion of our population are increasing at a faster rate than services to the aged persons. For the first time the aged categories occupy less than 40 per cent of our total case load. It has always been proportionately a smaller part of our case load than is the situation throughout the Province as a whole but, in spite of some improvement in the resources for elderly people in the area, they are becoming an even lesser part of the group requiring and receiving our services. Table 11.—Case Load by Major Categories in the District Administrative Offices of Region V as at March 31st, 1959 Category Fort St. John Pouce Coupe Prince George Quesnel Vander- hoof Williams Lake Total Family Service 39 76 2 27 121 3 76 1 43 169 2 62 182 11 109 11 67 518 11 148 227 10 261 10 25 108 35 95 6 105 2 4 48 12 54 91 3 62 .... 35 119 17 53 130 9 87 4 213 1,038 44 379 Blind Persons' Allowance Old Age Security supplementary assistance 846 Disabled Persons' Allowance Child Welfare- 42 700 Health and Institutional 28 Totals. — 345 589 1,252 376 274 454 3,290 From Table II it may be seen that increases in total case loads occurred in all Offices except that of Vanderhoof. The decrease in the latter office is ascribed to very good employment opportunities arising out of construction in the area and a consistently improving standard of work being done there. A stable office staff has also contributed greatly to this. The greatest increase in case load, percentage-wise, occurred in the Fort St. John district, where the increase during the year amounted to 19 per cent. In November, 1958, social-work staff of this office was increased through the employment of a social worker on a half-time basis. Nevertheless, this office has responsibility for an extremely large area radiating from the Alaska Highway and pressures on staff there still continue at an inordinate level. At the end of the fiscal year the pressure of work on staff members was greatest in the Prince George district, where the four social workers had responsibility for an average case load of 313, the largest in the region. This office also suffered greatly from change-over of staff. The district supervisor and three of the social workers had to resign during the year because of family responsibilities and the 0 24 BRITISH COLUMBIA other social worker moved elsewhere. There was some delay in the appointment of replacements for these persons and the situation was only held by the temporary appointment of two university students during the summer months. I wish to express my sincere appreciation to all those members of the community who have given us so much help and co-operation in bringing service to our clients. 1 also wish to commend all staff on the energy and devotion they have given to their duties. Respectfully submitted. V. H. Dallamore, Regional Administrator. REGION VI I herewith submit the following report, which gives a summary of the activities of the Department of Social Welfare in Region VI for the fiscal year 1958/59. There was no change during the year in the regional boundaries. The region extends from the Pattullo Bridge, on both sides of the Fraser River, to Lytton and to the summit of the Hope-Princeton Highway, covering approximately 1,000 square miles. The population of the area is estimated at 155,000, 90 per cent of whom reside in the sixteen municipalities of the region. Looked upon primarily as an agricultural area with logging and lumbering, the Fraser 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 5,000, the present population is estimated at 60,000. The Department of Social Welfare plays the key role in the community social services and it is the only social agency which offers a service to each and every community of the area. Several noteworthy administrative changes occurred during the past year. The amalgamation of a municipal and Provincial office took place in two instances. In May the Chilliwhack Township municipal office amalgamated with the Chilliwack district office. This amalgamation resulted in the more efficient use of staff and made possible specialized case loads for the total district served. An amalgamation of the Langley municipal office and the Langley City, district office in June also brought about an improved staff and administrative situation. These two amalgamations have proven to us the economic value of the larger administrative unit. The supervisor finds the task lightened by amalgamation of offices, as case load assignments can be more reasonably and economically planned and schedules can be adopted and set more readily with all workers in one office. Time can be saved by supervisor who does not have to divide time between two offices. With less pressure the supervisor can maintain better supervision of the total job to be done. Amalgamation also results in the more efficient use of social workers and stenographic staff, all of which means a better service to the people to be served. Effective September 1st, 1958, by Order in Council, the District of Kent was relieved of its responsibility for social-welfare costs under the terms of the Municipal Act. By a similar Order in Council, the Corporation of the District of Pitt Meadows was relieved of its responsibility, effective December 1st, 1958. The amalgamations reduced the administrative offices in the region from eight to six. One of these, Surrey, is municipally administered, while White Rock, Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Haney are Provincially administered offices. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 25 At the end of the year we were providing service for ten municipalities on a per capita basis and service in five municipalities which are not responsible for social-welfare costs. The six administrative offices of the region at March 31st, 1959, were staffed by twenty-nine social workers, four district supervisors, one municipal administrator, and one Regional Administrator. The staff increased by one during the year, a municipally 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. The social welfare services available to the people of the region during the year were shaped by the general economic conditions which prevailed. As a result of an economic slump, by early fall our case load of unemployed employables skyrocketed. This sudden increase in applications for Social Allowance created problems in all offices. It became necessary for staff to concentrate on the task of meeting the dependency needs of an ever-increasing number of people, who had exhausted their unemployment insurance, their savings, and all employment resources. Priority was given to meeting the problems involved in people not having the necessary money to provide food, shelter, and clothing. It was not possible to meet these sudden demands with additional staff. Therefore, from necessity, procedures were streamlined and made more flexible so that needs might be quickly met. In one office we were able to study the closed files on 100 single employable men (non-transient) and fifty employable men, with families, who received some assistance during the year under review. Approximately 60 per cent of the men were under 40 years of age. This group was largely unskilled men whose pattern appears to be to move from job to job, the first casualties of recession. The married men, who were in receipt of assistance for one month only (22 per cent), seemed to represent the more adequate men, who found new work. The single men, who were on for one month only (50 per cent), seemed unstable, the " no fixed address " person, who simply moved on. It was of interest to note that of the total group of 150 men, 53 per cent have been in British Columbia since 1940 or before, that is, at least eighteen years. Because home-visits were not made, we know little of the relationships or of the children in the family groups. Among the single men 66 per cent had no contact with any relative. Of the families studied, one-quarter owned or were buying their home and the balance were renting. From the rentals cited and from the assessed value of the homes owned and being purchased, marginal shelter would be indicated. The 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 cases, Child Welfare increased by 117 cases, while the pension categories, which make up 60 per cent of our total case load, increased by only 83 cases. Family service was the only category which did not increase. A number of the municipalities engaged in the Federal Winter Works Programme which was in effect during the most difficult winter months of the year. Without this work, no doubt many more families would have required our services. O 26 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table I.—Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major Categories in Region VI for the Fiscal Years 1957/58 and 1958/59 Category 1957/58 1958/59 Number Per Cent Number Per Cent Family Service Social Allowance _ Blind Persons' Allowance Old-age Assistance Supplementary assistance to Old Age Security- Disabled Persons' Allowance Child Welfare Health and Institutional.. Totals 180 1,513 67 1,108 4,086 211 963 85 2.2 18.4 0.8 13.5 49.8 2.6 11.7 1.0 168 2,275 59 1,100 4,141 255 1,080 95 8,213 100.0 1.0 9,173 lOOMo" Table II.—Case Load by Major Categories in the District Administrative Offices of Region VI as at March 31st, 1959 Category Abbots- ford Chilliwack Haney Langley Surrey White Rock Total 20 494 14 250 820 59 162 23 51 580 14 219 711 50 222 15 26 216 6 112 390 29 130 11 21 231 6 127 546 32 200 8 44 661 15 338 1,355 69 352 23 6 93 4 54 319 16 14 15 168 2,275 Blind Persons' Allowance Old-age Assistance 59 1,100 4,141 Disabled Persons Allowance. Child Welfare 255 1,080 Health and Institutional- 95 Totals 1,842 1,862 920 ■ 1,171 2,857 521 9,173 An outstanding highlight of the past year has been the manner in which all staff, stenographers and social workers, Provincial employees and municipal employees, have responded to the heavy demands made upon them. They have worked together with dedication and skill to provide the best possible service. Respectfully submitted. A. E. Bingham, Regional Administrator. REGION VII I submit herewith the annual report of the activities of the Department of Social Welfare in Region VII for the fiscal year 1958/59. The geographic boundaries of the region remained the same. The region still embraces the area from Milbanke Sound to the Alaska Border along the coast-line and from the Queen Charlotte Islands eastward to Endako on Highway No. 16. There was no change in the staff complement in the region either in numbers or distribution. We were, however, fortunate in having supervisory stability in the Prince Rupert-Terrace areas after a period of change and turnover in the previous year. The administrative arrangements with municipalities remained the same, with our Departmnet doing the social work in the City of Prince Rupert and the District Municipality of Kitimat on the usual per capita basis. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 27 The economic situation during the year was not as buoyant as previously experienced. The slump of early 1958 continued throughout 1958 and into 1959. Much of the activity in the region centres around the lumber industry, which suffered a market relapse in 1957/58, with recovery slowly appearing in early 1958. We were, in addition, affected by the recession in construction throughout the Province, so that aid to the unemployed unskilled labourer entering the region in search of work became extremely heavy. In Kitimat the abatement in aluminum production continued, with several more potlines being deactivated. The resultant lay-offs created some temporary financial difficulties for some families until they were re-employed as a result of natural staff turnover. The case load in the region increased a total of 611 cases or 35.6 per cent. The largest increase was in Social Allowance cases, which increased 451 or more than 100 per cent. It is significant, however, that in the same period the Child Welfare case load increased 103 or 25.5 per cent, with the greatest increase arising in the number of children admitted to care under the Protection of Children Act. Children of full or part native-Indian extraction made up over 60 per cent of these admissions to care. In December, 1958, the region became 1 year old, so that the interesting period of 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. In the Prince Rupert office structural changes in conjunction with an office reorganization inspired by the supervisor have led to a more pleasant reception area for the clients as well as a much more efficient office. In Kitimat, as a result of joint meetings with co-operative municipal officials, we were given office space in the municipal building, and the services of their receptionist in making appointments for the social worker from Terrace, who now maintains a regular visiting schedule. This has facilitated a greater output per social-work hour in the District Municipality of Kitimat. The recently innovated local research programme has led to some interesting findings, with particular reference to the difference in social problems in Region VII as compared with other regions. Aided by the Departmental Research Consultant, we have also begun some research into the effect on our services as a result of the movement of native Indians off the reserve. This cross-cultural movement results in many social breakdowns, especially in Prince Rupert, where the movement is the most accelerated in British Columbia. In Region VII we find that the regional case load differs a great deal, on a categorical percentage basis, from the Provincial picture. In January the average case load per worker in the Province was 346. The average Provincial case load contained 220 of the categories administered by the Old-age Assistance Board and 121 of the other categories, largely Social Allowance and Child Welfare. In Region VII the figures were nearly reversed. Our average case load in January was made up of 111 Old-age Assistance Board administered cases and 201 cases in other categories. This indicates that in the region the white population has a greater percentage of young people. It also indicates the demands on a social worker are apt to require greater experience, training, and skill to fulfil. In January we also determined that of the total Indian population in British Columbia, 23.8 per cent, nearly 8,000 persons, lived within the region. This means that nearly one-fifth of the population is of Indian status. The enfranchised group and those of mixed inheritance are not included. It is little wonder that we find ourselves working more and more closely with the Federal Department of Indian Affairs. We have this year held several joint meetings with Indian Agents in which O 28 BRITISH COLUMBIA closer co-operation and understanding on both sides has been achieved. In March we embarked on a study of the potential cases of neglected children in the Prince Rupert and Smithers area. It is hoped that the results will aid us in protecting Native children as well as white more wisely and effectively. It is hoped that in the coming year more resources for older citizens requiring nursing-home care will be developed in the North. Table I.—Case Load by Major Categories in the District Administrative Offices of Region VII as at March 31st, 1959 Category Burns Lake Prince Rupert Smithers Terrace Total 15 75 12 36 76 5 59 3 38 452 20 79 240 18 185 10 12 136 18 13 53 139 84 1 36 203 7 30 80 5 179 7 101 866 Blind Persons' Allowance 57 158 449 Disabled Persons' Allowance Child Welfare 167 507 21 Totals 281 1,042 456 547 2,326 Table II.—Numerical and Percentage Comparison of Case Load by Major Categories in Region VII for the Fiscal Years 1957/58 and 1958/59 1957/58 1958/59 Category Number Per Cent Number Per Cent 91 415 50 175 523 34 404 22 5.3 24.2 2.9 10.2 30.5 2.0 23.6 1.3 101 866 57 158 449 167 507 21 4.3 37.2 Blind Persons' Allowance... ... ..... 2.5 68 Supplementary assistance to Old Age Security 19.3 Disabled Persons' Allowance - .. Child Welfare 7.2 21.8 .9 1.715 I 100 0 2,326 100.0 In closing, it is with pleasure I thank municipal officials, school authorities, police, service clubs, members of the Bar, ministers of many religious groups, and many private citizens for their interest and help. Our increased family of foster parents deserve our special commendation. The staff have by their loyalty and devotion to the needs of the client maintained all urgently required services. Respectfully submitted. W. H. Crossley, Regional Administrator. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 29 PART III.—DIVISIONAL ADMINISTRATION FAMILY DIVISION I wish to present the annual report of the Family Division covering the services provided for families and individuals by the Department of Social Welfare as described in the provisions of the Social Assistance Act, the Mothers' Allowances Act, and the Family Service programme for the fiscal year April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959. SOCIAL ALLOWANCES SECTION For 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 normal reduction in Social Allowance case load might have been expected, the figures rose alarmingly. The increase between April and September was over 23 per 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 between April, 1958, and March, 1959, was 53 per cent approximately. There were 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 was, therefore, faced with the problem of dealing with this onslaught of applications. To the field staff, who " manned the ramparts " and dealt with the day-to-day volume of applications across their desks, this must have been the supreme challenge. The above figures are demonstrated by the following table, which shows case load and recipients by each month of the fiscal year. Table I.—Case Load and Total Number of Recipients in Pay on a Monthly Basis Heads of Families Dependents Single Recipients Total Case Load April, 1958 4,385 4,436 4.341 4,750 5.018 5,531 5.680 6,208 6.739 6.820 6,981 6,997 11,784 12,007 11.708 12,764 13.R60 14,858 15,648 16.876 18.706 19,234 19.619 19,745 6,944 6,932 6.765 7,501 8,103 8.160 8.779 9 540 10.029 10,058 10.384 10,335 23,113 23,375 22,814 25.015 26,981 28,549 30,107 32,624 35,474 36.112 36.984 37,077 11,329 May, 1958 June, 1958 July, 1958 August, 1958 . September, 1958 October, 1958 November, 1958- December, 1958 January. 1959 11,368 11,106 12,251 13,121 13,691 14,459 15,748 16,768 16,878 February, 1959—. 17,365 March, 1959 17,332 Of the total number of recipients of Social Allowance in the Province in March, 1959 (37,077), an increase of nearly 64 per cent over March, 1958, the totals according 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 of the Municipal Act. However, one municipality became responsible during the fiscal year, and where no figures are shown this indicates loss or assumption of responsibility. March, 1958, figures are shown in parentheses. O 30 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table II.—Regional Totals of Number of Recipients of Social Allowance in March, 1959 (March, 1958, Totals in Parentheses) Provincial Case Loads Region I— Alberni .... Courtenay Duncan Nanaimo . Victoria ... 250 (97) 804 (480) 289 (203) 745 (405) 472 (282) 2,560 (1,467) Municipal Case Loads Alberni City Courtenay Central Saanich Duncan Esquimalt Nanaimo North Cowichan Oak Bay Port Alberni „ _ Saanich Victoria 1,601 94 83 35 84 101 533 157 35 212 271 (60) (41) (12) (29) (69) (264) (89) (18) (116) (203) (993) 3,206 (1,894) 5,766 (3,361) Region II— New Westminster Vancouver Westview Region III— Kamloops Kelowna Penticton Salmon Arm Vernon Region IV Cranbrook Creston Fernie Grand Forks Nelson New Denver . Trail Region V Fort St. John _ Pouce Coupe Prince George Quesnel Vanderhoof Williams Lake 42 (46) 300 (196) 122 (54) 464 (296) 1,183 (874) 395 (226) 702 (376) 270 (174) 673 (354) 3,223 (2,004) 458 (313) 443 (251) 98 113 451 171 (42) (79) (530) (95) 430 (179) 2,164 (1,489) 225 (163) 346 (258) 550 (467) 163 (107) 146 (138) 301 (178) 1,731 (1,311) Burnaby 1,169 Coquitlam 378 Delta _ 177 New Westminster 832 North Vancouver City .... 300 North Vancouver District 148 Port Coquitlam 131 Port Moody 84 Powell River _ 169 Richmond 362 Vancouver 8,686 West Vancouver - 90 (708) (277) (181) (412) (171) (155) (94) (43) (117) (351) (4,873) (95) 12,526 (7,477) Armstrong 33 51 303 192 399 45 167 94 188 (18) (38) (15) (12) Kamloops (236) (109) Peachland .,, Penticton (13) (217) (36) (29) Salmon Arm District Spallumcheen Summerland Vernon .. (78) (29) (47) (125) 1,472 (1,002) Dawson Creek City Prince George Quesnel Fort St. John 12,990 (7,773) 4,695 (3,006) Cranbrook 279 (131) Fernie 47 (38) Grand Forks _. 66 (46) Greenwood _._ 11 (11) Kaslo —- (2) Kimberley 49 (33) Nelson ...... 235 (135) Rossland 67 (38) Slocan _ (8) Trail 331 (132) 1,085 (574) 143 (134) 366 (235) 65 (77) 46 (...) 620 (446) 3,249 (2,063) 2,351 (1,757) REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 31 Provincial Case Loads Region VI— Abbotsford 209 (119) Chilliwack 580 (284) Haney ... — 48 ( ) 837 (403) Region VII— Burns Lake ___ 167 (138) Prince Rupert 234 (155) Smithers 313 (229) Terrace 426 (121) Municipal Case Loads Chilliwack City 284 (190) Chilliwhack Township .... 710 (364) Kent (5) Langley 557 (369) Langley City _ 67 (62) Maple Ridge 523 (287) Matsqui 670 (302) Mission District 316 (183) Mission Town 93 (66) Pitt Meadows _ (49) Sumas 143 (74) Surrey 1,828 (1,162) White Rock 223 (187) 5,414 (3,300) Kitimat 565 (42) Prince Rupert 70 (287) 6,251 (3,703) 1,140 (643) 635 (329) 1,775 (972) 37,077 (22,635) The distribution of recipients of Social Allowance between organized and unorganized areas has remained relatively constant in that approximately 67 per cent resided 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 administered by Provincial district offices, while 45 per cent is administered and supervised 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 supervises one-half or 23 per cent approximately, of the total municipal case load. The following are the approximate percentages of the total number of recipients by region as at March, 1959, with March, 1958, figures for comparison. March, 1959 March, 1958 (PerCent) (Per Cent) Region I 15.6 14.8 Region II 35.0 34.3 Region III 12.6 13.3 Region IV 8.8 9.1 Region V 6.3 7.8 Region VI _ 16.9 Region VII 4.8 16.4 4.3 The following table provides a comparison of Social Allowance case loads, as well as recipients, as at March 31st for the past three years:— Table III.—Case Load and Total Number of Recipients March, 1957 March, 1958 March, 1959 3,695 6.029 4,284 6,857 6,997 10,335 9,724 9,397 11,141 11,494 17,332 19,745 19,121 22,635 37,077 From this table it will be observed that from the end of March, 1958, to the end of March, 1959, the Social Allowance case load had increased by 6,191 or slightly more than 55 per cent—alternatively, approximately twenty average case O 32 BRITISH COLUMBIA loads of 300 cases. This would be in addition to any increase in case loads in other case loads in the Departmental social welfare service. In September, 1958, the method of sharing and equalization of Social Allowance costs was changed, but in August, 1958, the distribution of recipients of Social Allowance on the basis of legal residence in accordance with the terms of the Residence and Responsibility Act was as shown in the following table:— Table IV.- —Legal Residence of Social Allowance Recipients March, 1957 March, 1958 August, 1958 10,299 8,822 11,804 10,831 14,566 Provincial responsibilities 12,415 Totals 19,121 22,635 26,981 Approximately 53 per cent of the recipients were municipal responsibilities and approximately 47 per cent were responsibilities of the Province. Effective April 1st, 1958, the basis of sharing Social Allowance costs was changed from 80 per cent/20 per cent by the Province with the municipalities to 85 per cent/15 per cent which continued until August 31st, 1958. On September 1st, 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 per cent/10 per cent ratio with the municipalities. The municipal portion was to be and is now chargeable to municipalities on a per capita basis. Following is a statement of expenditures made by the Social Welfare Branch for Social Allowances, medical services, etc., during the year April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959:— Table V.—Expenditures by the Province for Social Allowances, Medical Services, etc. Fiscal Year 1956/57 Fiscal Year 1957/58 Fiscal Year 1958/59" Cases who are the responsibility of a municipality (80 per cent paid by the Province) Cases who are the sole responsibility of the Province (100 per cent paid by the Province) Basic Social Allowances Repatriation, transportation within the Province, nursing- and boarding-home care (other than tuberculosis), special allowances and grants Emergency payments, such as where a family may lose its home by fire or similar circumstances Municipal and Provincial cases— (a) Tuberculosis, boarding-, nursing-, and private-home cases (b) Transportation of tuberculosis cases (c) Comforts allowance for tuberculosis cases.. Hospitalization of Social Assistance cases $2,633,636.62 2,521,431.47 1,505,034.90 37,163.45 327,432.07 2,868.16 8,924.75 13,927.70 Gross Social Allowance costs as per Public AccountS- Less municipal share of costs and sundry refunds.. Net Social Allowances $7,050,419.12 Administration and operation of project and pavilion for Japanese at New Denver Medical services and drugs , Totals $61,990.65 2,240,710.53 $2,781,941.03 2,919,033.33 1,640,054.12 47,555.23 298,322.92 3,342.22 6,626.00 30,980.20 $10,696,506.04 1,831,882.18 59,008.84 348,610.21 2,471.10 6,941.50 25,678.15 $12,971,098.02 843,215.72 $7,727,855.05! | $12,127,882.30 $36,480.08 2,422,614.32 $38,540.57 2,814,558.80 $9,353,120.30 |$10,186,949.45 | $14,980,981.67 1 Reconciliation with Public Accounts:—• Gross expenditure for Social Allowances as per Public Accounts. Less credits (excluding amount chargeable to Government of Canada).. $7,891,944.34 164,089.29 $7,727,855.05 2 Effective September 1st, 1958, the basis of sharing social welfare costs with municipalities was changed from 85 per cent/15 per cent to 90 per cent/10 per cent and the municipal share billed on a proportion of population rather than by individual residence responsibility. Consequently, social allowance costs for 1958/59 have been shown in gross with the municipal share deducted in total to arrive at net costs. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 33 For the fiscal year 1958/59 the Province received from the Federal Government re— Unemployment Assistance Agreement $5,984,364.66 Welfare assistance to immigrants 6,007.25 Welfare assistance to Hungarian refugees 3,695.40 Sundry 3,506.66 $5,997,573.97 Sponsorship for Physical Rehabilitation During this fiscal year the Social Welfare Branch, and responsible municipalities, where and when applicable, sponsored a total of eighty-nine trainees and patients in the G. F. Strong Rehabilitation and the Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society Medical Centre for approximately 4,400 days of resident care and training. Of these eighty-nine persons, nine suffered from some form of arthritis, and eighty were physically handicapped or orthopaedically disabled. Three required speech therapy. Forty-eight were in-patients and forty-one out-patients. In addition, some of the in-patients later became out-patients. There is an interesting age-span in this group, ranging from 12 years to 83 years of age. The age distribution is as follows:— 0-20 years 21-30 „ 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80 81-90 Not given. 12 18 16 15 14 8 1 1 4 89 With this age-span it is not anticipated that physical retraining or rehabilitation will also lead to economic rehabilitation. Many trainees do return to employment or receive vocational training for employment other than that in which they had previously earned their living. Others were helped to become more sufficient in self-help and care, thus eliminating the necessity of boarding- or nursing-home care. Others are trained to operate more efficiently in their own home, and in greater comfort. Vocational Training Again this year through the resource of the Dominion-Provincial Vocational Training Grants, administered by the Department of Education, many recipients of Social Allowance have received vocational training to enable them to achieve economic independence. The Branch participates financially in some instances and offers help with social planning to any trainees or their families requiring such help. This is an extremely valuable resource to the Branch. Developments in Social Assistance Programme 1. Effective April 1st, 1958, the new Social Allowance rates became effective, comprising a monthly increase of $5 for a single person, $10 for two persons, and $2 for each additional dependent. O 34 BRITISH COLUMBIA 2. On April 1st, 1958, the amendment to section 6 of the regulations to the Social Assistance Act came into effect, which provided that municipalities with a population of 15,000, rather than 10,000 as previously, or over employ at least one social worker. Responsible municipalities, as defined in section 639 of the Municipal Act and with a population of less than 15,000, may either appoint their own social worker or purchase social welfare services from the Social Welfare Branch at a fee of 30 cents per capita rather than 15 cents per capita as previously required. 3. On September 1st, 1958, as mentioned elsewhere in this report, the new method of sharing and allocating social assistance costs between the Province and municipalities came into effect. The basis of sharing became 90 per cent/10 per cent with the 10 per cent municipal share allocated on a per capita basis. One of the important effects of this new arrangement was to eliminate the necessity of establishing and confirming residence in a local area within the Province. The necessity of establishing and confirming inter-Provincial residence, however, continued to be necessary. 4. In December, 1958, the customary Christmas bonus to recipients of social allowance was granted—namely, $5 to heads of families and $2 for single persons. In accordance with section 13 of the regulations to the Social Assistance Act, thirty-four Boards of Review were established in this fiscal year. Under section 9 of the Residence and Responsibility Act, one meeting of the Board of Arbitration was called. MOTHERS' ALLOWANCES SECTION This fiscal year was to see a development concerning Mothers' Allowances which had been considered for a long time. As has been pointed out in previous Annual Reports, the case load had been consistently dropping for many years, and the provision of a categorical form of assistance known as Mothers' Allowance had become redundant in the light of the broader coverage and implementation of the Social Assistance Act. At the time of the inauguration of the new basis of sharing social welfare costs, mentioned in the Social Allowances section, it seemed also appropriate that the Mothers' Allowances case load be included. To this end, therefore, from September 1st, all current recipients of Mothers' Allowance commenced to receive their allowance from Social Allowance funds, administered through the local welfare offices, and no further applications were taken for Mothers' Allowance. This has meant no hardship whatever, as the rates for Mothers' Allowance and Social Allowance had been identical for many years, and administrative policies the same, and, what is even more important, the eligibility qualifications for Social Allowance have always been broader and less prohibitive since the passing of the Social Assistance Act in 1945. Thus passed into the history of social welfare in this Province a provision which had been in the beginning rightly hailed as a most advanced piece of social legislation and which for many years had admirably fulfilled its purpose. With the advance in social welfare philosophy and progressive programmes, however, this provision had outgrown its usefulness, and its purposes integrated into other programmes. This final report therefore covers the five-month period April 1st to August 31st, 1958, only, after which the case-load figures and costs are incorporated into the tables in the Social Allowances section. For the final five months the case-load continued to decrease, as had been the trend for many years. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH The following table illustrates this trend:— Table I.—Comparative Statement of Case Load As at March, 1957 284 As at March, 1958 243 As at August, 1958 232 O 35 On a monthly basis the case-load figures are as follows:— Table II.—Monthly Case Load, April 1st, 1958, to August 31st, 1958 Month Number of Allowances in Pay Number of Persons Incapacitated Husbands Mothers Children April, 1958 • ' 243 238 239 234 232 243 238 239 234 232 584 569 570 555 547 29 May, 1958 29 June, 1958 29 July, 1958 ... 29 August, 1958 30 The following table illustrates how applications and reapplications were dealt with in this five-month period:— Table III.—Statement of Applications Considered and Decisions Made Applications pending as at April 1st, 1958 8 New applications received to August 31st, 1958 11 Reapplications received to August 31st, 1958 2 Total 21 Decisions— Grants Refusals .__ Withdrawn 2 11 21 Applications pending as at August 31st, 1958 0 Total 21 Reasons for refusals— Property in excess Separation not granted by court Total Reasons for applications pending— No applications pending. O 36 BRITISH COLUMBIA Cancellations during the same period totalled nineteen, and for the reasons indicated in the following table:— Table IV.—Reasons for Cancellation of the Allowances Social Allowance preferable form of assistance 1 Mother earning in excess 7 Mother ineligible under section 7 of the Mothers' Allowances Act 4 Husband released from Penitentiary- Only child returned to mother's care.. Only child under 18 left school Older children maintaining Withdrawn 1 1 2 2 1 Total .19 Of the cancelled cases, the length of time each family had been in receipt of Mothers' Allowance is as follows:— Years 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Cases 4 3 1 3 2 1 __ 2 1 1 __ 1 Total cases, 19. Average length of time on allowance, 4.63 years. The mothers who were in receipt of Mothers' Allowance as at August, 1958, were eligible for allowance under specific qualifications defined by the Act, and their status was as follows:— Table V.—Status and Number of Mothers and Dependents in Receipt of Allowance as at August, 1958 Number of Children Total Qualifications Set by the Act 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 44 2 2 2 5 4 4 48 4 2 2 1 5 1 6 11 37 2 1 2 3 6 2 1 14 2 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 1 3 1 2 1 151 Penitentiary 10 3 6 Incapacitated husbands away Incapacitated husbands O.A.S., O.A.A., B.P., and D.P.A 7 17 2 Divorced Deserted 16 19 1 63 80 54 •51 1 5 1 _ I 11 in From the above table the following figures are derived:— Table VI.—Number of Individuals for Whom Allowance Granted Mothers 232 Husbands Children __ 6i 547 Total 785 i This figure applies only to those incapacitated husbands who reside in the home and who are included in the Mothers' Allowance payment. In addition, it will be noted that there is a total of twenty-seven incapacitated husbands in the mental hospital, out of the home, or in receipt of Old Age Security, Old-age Assistance, Blind Persons' Allowance, or Disabled Persons' Allowance. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 37 Costs of Mothers' Allowances The basic amount of Mothers' Allowances was determined by the Mothers' Allowances Act and had remained unchanged since the Act was proclaimed in 1920. It was necessary, therefore, to pay a supplementary allowance from the Social Allowance funds in order that the recipients of Mothers' Allowances would receive a monthly amount equivalent to the allowance payable to recipients of Social Allowance. This supplementary allowance, as well as the Mothers' Allowance, was a total charge on the Province. Because of the two sources of payment for Mothers' Allowance recipients it is necessary to present two financial statements in order to report total costs. Table VII.—Mothers' Allowances Financial Statement for the Five Months April 1st, 1958, to August 31st, 1958 Amount of allowance paid as follows:— Month April, 1958 May, 1958 June, 1958 Amount of Allowance . $11,342.47 10,829.47 11,125.72 July, 1958 10,950.97 August, 1958 9,755.82 $54,004.45 Reconciliation with Ledger Account in Controlling and Audit Branch: Amount advanced by Minister of Finance $54,004.45 The books and records of the Director of Welfare respecting Mothers* Allowances for five months' period ending August 31st, 1958, have been examined under my direction. C. J. FERBER, Comptroller-General. Table VIII.—Financial Statement of Supplementary Social Allowances Paid to Recipients of Mothers' Allowances (Vote 188) from April 1st, 1958, to August 31st, 1958. Amount of allowances paid as follows:- Month April, 1958 May, 1958 June, 1958 July, 1958 August, 1958 Amount of Allowance _ $14,214.80 __ 13,618.30 _ 13,895.25 _. 13,964.85 _ 12,461.65 $68,154.85 Reconciliation with Ledger Account in Controlling and Audit Branch: Amount advanced by Minister of Finance $68,154.85 The books and records of the Director of Welfare respecting Supplementary Social Allowances paid to recipients of Mothers' Allowances for five months' period ending August 31st, 1958, have been examined under my direction. C. J. FERBER, Comptroller-General. O 38 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table IX.—Statement Showing per Capita Cost to the Province Fiscal Year Total Expenditures Population at June of Each Year Per Capita Cost to the Province 1956/57 ... 1957/58 . . $321,342.76 282,383.05 122,159.30 1,398,464 1,487,000 1,544,000 .23 .19 April/58-August/58 .08 General Comments No amendments were made to the Mothers' Allowances Act or regulations to the Act during the year under review. On September 1st, 1958, it became non- operative as its provisions are no longer used nor required. At the time of the transfer to the Social Allowance case load the predominance of cases living in organized territory was still evident, as seen by the following table:— Table X.—Proportion of Applications and Grants in Organized Territory Total applications and reapplications received 13 Applicants residing in organized territory 13 Applicants having legal residence in organized territory-.. 12 Total grants made from April 1st, 1958, to August 31st, 1958 8 Recipients residing in organized territory 7 Recipients having legal residence in organized territory.-.. 8 Allowances in pay as at August 31st, 1958 232 Recipients having legal residence in unorganized territory 17 Recipients having legal residence in organized territory.— 215 Conclusions As this final annual report on the administration of the Mothers' Allowances Act concludes, it is perhaps fitting that some thought should be directed to all those mothers and children who were helped in some measure by the allowance which they required to help them face one of the most potentially disastrous hazards of life—namely, the loss by death, incapacitation, or absence from other causes of the support and strength of the husband, father, and breadwinner. The withdrawal of the provision of Mothers' Allowance was undertaken only after long, careful consideration of what this might mean to the welfare of families who were already receiving and might require such assistance in the future. It was, therefore, only in true sincerity and belief that their needs would be served equally as well and in many instances better that the administrative decision was made to eliminate a programme which had been in existence for nearly 40 years and predated many of our current social-assistance programmes. The allowance has never been a beneficent one, but special tribute should be paid to all those mothers who have used it wisely and well to maintain a happy and satisfactory home-life for their children, and thus fulfilled to the best of their ability the primary purpose of this legislation. FAMILY SERVICE SECTION " Family Service," as the term implies, is a casework service to families which the Branch is required to give in accordance with the terms and definitions of the Social Assistance Act. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 39 For administrative purposes the term is also used in a categorical sense to cover all those varied services given to individuals and families. It is the basic service of all others, because it is founded on a belief in the importance of the family unit in society and on the primary goal of all social work to preserve and strengthen family life. As has been explained previously its purpose is to try to save marriages threatening to dissolve, to help when separation seems inevitable, 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. Financial need is not always the criterion of eligibility or need for Family Service and counselling. But whether or not financial need exists, service to the family and its children offers us our greatest challenge and scope for preventive and rehabilitative work. In addition to the special skill and knowledge of the social worker the most important requirement is precious time for thoughtful, consistent, and helpful service. Without this latter no amount of skill or knowledge can compensate for its lack. Under inordinate pressure, however, this seems inevitably to be the area of service which first suffers. The financial and human costs are not immediately discernible, but they are, nevertheless, ever present and cumulative and compounded. The following table gives the monthly Family Service case load and activity in that case load for the fiscal year under review: — Table I.—Total of Family Service Cases, April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959 Total at Beginning of Month Opened Closed Total at End of Month Last Year July ______ October 1959 March — __ 1.296 1,287 1,274 1,268 1,252 1,258 1,248 1,305 1,263 1,263 1,268 1,315 145 173 145 205 174 191 208 158 120 194 208 163 154 186 151 221 168 201 151 200 120 189 161 161 1,287 1,274 1,268 1,252 1,258 1,248 1,305 1,263 1,263 1,268 1,315 1,317 1,454 1,484 1,448 1,462 1,393 1,360 1,390 1,397 1,400 1,365 1,325 1,296 The significant observation in these figures is that this case load declined in the previous fiscal year and has risen only slightly in the fiscal year under review, while other case loads have increased to such an outstanding degree. This seems to be an unnatural trend which requires further study from many aspects. It is hoped that this can be done in the ensuing year. Other Services Family Allowances The Family Division continues to serve as a channel for requests from the Family Allowances Division of the Department of National Health and Welfare for reports concerning a family's use of, or eligibility for, Family Allowances. O 40 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table II.—Requests Received from Family Allowances Division, April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959 Received during the fiscal year April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959, by months— April, 1958 7 May, 1958 17 June, 1958 2 July, 1958 8 August, 1958 11 September, 1958 5 October, 1958 10 November, 1958 , 6 December, 1958 4 January, 1959 11 February, 1959 5 March, 1959 9 Total requests received 95 These requests for reports were directed as follows:— Table III.—Referrals to District Offices and Other Agencies Referrals pending as at April 1st, 1958 (amended figure) 14 Requests forwarded during fiscal year April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959, by regions— Region I1 34 Region II1 24 Region III 7 Region IV 5 Region V 11 Region VI 11 Region VII 3 — 95 Total number of requests referred 109 1 Includes referrals to private agencies in Victoria and Vancouver. Table IV.—Referrals Completed within Fiscal Year, by Regions Region I 3 7 Region II 22 Region III 6 Region IV 4 Region V 11 Region VI 9 Region VII 3 Total 92 Total number of requests referred 109 Referrals pending as at April 1st, 1959 17 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 41 Third-party Administration of Family Allowances During this fiscal year there were no requests for third-party administration of Family Allowances. Old Age Security The Division also serves as a referral channel for the Old Age Security Division of the Department of National Health and Welfare for requests to assist elderly persons who encounter difficulties in completing their application for Old Age Security. Table V.—Requests Received from Old Age Security Division from April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959 Pending as at April 1st, 1958 (amended figure) 3 Received during fiscal year April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959, by months— April, 1958 1 May, 1958 4 2 2 1 1 1 1 June, 1958 July, 1958 August, 1958 September, 1958 November, 1958 December, 1958 13 Total case load 16 Table VI.—Requests Forwarded during Fiscal Year April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959, by Regions Region II 3 Region III 3 Region V 4 Region VI 3 Total number of requests 13 Pending as at April 1st, 1958 (amended figure) 3 Total 16 Region II Region III Region V _ Region VI Table VII.—Reports Completed by Regions Total reports completed. Total number of requests 3 3 6 3 15 16 Requests pending as at April 1st, 1959. O 42 BRITISH COLUMBIA The Family Division wishes to express sincere appreciation to the clerical staff, social workers, district supervisors, and Regional Administrators for their help and co-operation and gratitude for their loyalty and service, without which the purposes and responsibilities of the Division and Branch could not be fulfilled. This appreciation also goes to municipal welfare departments, other departments of Government, and voluntary agencies for their co-operation and advice whenever sought. Respectfully submitted. (Miss) Marie Riddell, Assistant Director of Social Welfare. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 43 CHILD WELFARE DIVISION Three thousand three hundred and thirty-seven children were in the care of the Superintendent of Child Welfare during the fiscal year and 2,586 remain as at March 31st, 1959. Of these, 2,243 are in foster homes throughout the Province, 193 are in care of a Children's Aid Society for special reasons, 87 have moved with relatives or foster-parents to another Province, 42 are in correctional institutions, and 21 are in Woodlands School, Provincial Mental Hospital, or Crease Clinic. In addition, the three Children's Aid Societies have in care 2,229 children. Table I.—Cost of Maintaining Children The cost to Provincial Government of maintaining children for the fiscal year was as follows:— Gross cost of maintenance of children in Child Welfare Division foster homes $1,025,368.63 Gross cost to Provincial Government of maintenance of children with Provincial residence in care of Children's Aid Societies. (This also includes children with municipal residence, effective September 1st, 1958.-)? 1,122,905.13 Gross cost to Provincial Government of maintenance of children with municipal residence in care of Children's Aid Societies (April 1st to August 31st, 1958)1 251,972.37 Gross cost of transportation of children in care of Superintendent 13,235.04 Gross cost of hospitalization of new-born infants being permanently planned for by Superintendent 30,315.00 Grants to sundry homes 1,100.00 Gross expenditure $2,444,896.17 Less collections and refunds 377,713.14 Net cost to Provincial Government as per Public Accounts $2,067,183.03 1 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 municipalities accordingly. O 44 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table II.—Legal Status and Whereabouts of Children in the Care of the Superintendent as at March 31st, 1959 P.C.A. Wards J.D.A. Wards C.A.S. Wards O.P. Wards Before the Court S.C.W. Non- wards Total Whereabouts— 205 264 350 151 216 297 158 10 13 8 7 5 16 5 20 22 11 7 26 4 1 3 2 6 5 9 3 21 17 24 10 39 28 17 22 39 59 18 15 71 19 264 356 Region III Region IV Region V Region VI — Region VII . 465 203 287 447 201 1,641 59 95 29 156 243 2,223 Placed with a C.A.S. for special reasons— C.A.S., Vancouver C.C.A.S.. Vancouver F.C.S., Victoria 62 25 33 2 3 2 3 5 3 2 7 20 13 13 89 46 58 Totals 120 7 ■ 11 9 46 193 In institutions— B.I.S. and G.I.S. Oakalla 17 12 17 3 5 5 1 1 1 1 23 19 Woodlands Essondale 17 3 1 49 10 ...... 2 1 1 63 Out of Province with foster-parents _ On active service or otherwise independent 48 8 2 1 35 9 1 1 2 87 20 1,866 79 139 43 167 292 2,586 STRENGTHENED PREVENTIVE SERVICES NEEDED The Superintendent of Child Welfare and the three Children's Aid Societies begin the new fiscal year with responsibility for 4,815 children—343 more than have ever been in agency care in this Province. For about 10 per cent of these 4,815 children, adoption placement with its promised benefits will be achieved fairly readily. About 20 per cent will return to their own parents in the course of the next year and a similar number will reach the age of 21 years or be married or legally adopted, at which time the societies' and Superintendent of Child Welfare's guardianship will terminate. Table III.—Age and Legal Status of Children in the Care of the Superintendent of Child Welfare as at March 31st, 1959 0-5 Months 6-11 Months 1-2 Years 3-5 Years 6-11 Years 12-13 Years 14-17 Years 18-21 Years Total 14 15 22 4 51 16 13 3 165 29 25 ...._ 13 1 268 29 37 13 4 554 86 39 2 31 7 187 34 7 10 7 431 64 21 48 29 17 196 19 3 19 38 7 1,866 292 167 Juvenile Delinquents Act— Wards and non-wards of C.A.S. in care of S C.W. 79 139 Wards of other Provinces 43 Totals 55 83 233 351 719 253 610 282 2,586 ADOPTION—A CHILD WELFARE SERVICE As is seen from Table III above, the majority of children in the care of the Superintendent of Child Welfare again this year are between the ages of 6 to 14 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 45 years. Many are sisters and brothers. Others have special needs as a result of physical handicap, race, colour, or creed and all have known upset and hurt far beyond the due of a child. Some of the national publicity about adoption and child- caring agencies of late fails to take these and other factors into account when it is claimed that through agency " red-tape " many children are being deprived of adopted parents. Adoption, to be successful, must ensure the continuing well- being of a child, and experience gained from similar publicity in the past points to the fact that all persons responding to such campaigns for adoption homes are not motivated solely by a love of children, nor are they all capable of understanding how early deprivation may seriously limit a child's capacity to form a relationship with new parents and develop satisfactorily in a family. Knowing 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 focussed publicity or other means as to what is involved in the process of finding the right home for each child jeopardizes the future of children, their parents, and those who earnestly want to adopt. Table IV.—Number and Age of Children Placed for Adoption, April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959 Region -J- a o tN 5 G O m I o ed 5 u > t-H a> > m fl M e_ V - __ a >* r- 00 (A CCJ fl> > OS _ O u U \\A rt OJ ;* a e_» y3 O H I I 33| 17 901 19 33 [ 11 231 8 141 6 30| 10 101 5 i 51 9 4 2 5 1 2 1 1 1 3 2 —- i ...... 11 5 3| 1 — 1| 1 3| 1 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 — i l l l 1 1 1 1 i i 1 1 i 1 1 77 II Ill. 14| 10| 7 21 31 4 156 IV 2| 8 2| 5 10| 8 31 1 6 1 4| 1 4 2 3| 1 .__!___ 49 V ... 36 VI VII . 78 37 Yukon l'2| 1| - ..._.|..._ ......|......| 3 Totals 233| 78 1 39! 44 I 32f 13| 10 1 I 15| 4 1 41 6] 4| 3| 1 1 1 1 1 2| 1 1 1 l 1| 1)493 1 1 Child Welfare Division, total adoption placements . C.A.S., total adoption placements _ __ C.C.A.S., total adoption placements F.C.S., total adoption placements Total adoption placements 493 186 63 94 836 Eight hundred and thirty-six children planned for through adoption—493 by the Department of Social Welfare and 343 by the three Children's Aid Societies— is the highest number of placements ever achieved in this Province in one year. The year is also memorable for the Department of Social Welfare, in particular, because of the number of older children, children of mixed racial origin or with a physical handicap, and children of family groups for whom adoption homes were found. MANY OLDER CHILDREN ADOPTED Three hundred and ninety-four of the children placed by Department of Social Welfare were under the age of 12 months, but 99 ranged in age from 1 to 19 years. Many of the latter had been in foster-home care for some time, and the answer to the 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 memories of his parents needs help before he can think in terms of another family to call his own. Parents who have failed to carry out their parental duties toward O 46 BRITISH COLUMBIA their 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 neither course proves possible, the Court must be satisfied by evidence supplied by the social worker that waiving the parental consent is in the child's best interests. Not until the parents' consent or conclusive grounds for waiving it are before the Court can the adoption order, terminating for all time the parent's right to his child and the child's right to his parent, be granted. SISTERS AND BROTHERS ADOPTED Eight sets of twins, ranging in age from 2 weeks to AV2 years, and five family groups with a total of twelve children were among those placed for adoption. In the latter was a family of three—two boys and a girl aged 4, 3, and 2 years. They were chronologically young but old in experiences; and they needed a great deal of help from their social worker before they were ready for adoption placement, even though the family chosen had already legally adopted their two older half- sister and brother. CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ADOPTED Fifty-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, an eye condition, and one suffered from celiac disease. All have responded to medical care, and the majority were or will be with their adopted parents throughout the entire period of required treatment. CHILDREN OF MIXED RACIAL ORIGIN ADOPTED The child with a physical handicap is a child with special needs, but it is still easier to find families capable of meeting these than it is to find them for another child with equally special needs—the child of mixed racial heritage. In Regions V and VII alone, 60 per cent of the almost 500 children in foster- home care are of Native Indian extraction, and yet but twenty-one of this origin were placed for adoption this year. This is more than was accomplished in years preceding, but resources for these children are still too few and the persistent shortage of Roman Catholic adoption homes places an additional limitation on workers' ability to plan for the part-Indian child through adoption. Eight children of part Chinese or Japanese background were placed, and four of 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 and Japanese communities have been bars to adoption of the child of Occidental- Oriental background. The East Indian community, too, is resistant to the adoption of the part East Indian child, and this year three children of this heritage were placed in homes of different background. This was true also for three part-Negroid children, a Syrian child, and a child of part Porto Rican parentage. Thus far, most persons adopting children of mixed racial origin in British Columbia are not of the same race and culture. As a result of these differences there 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 of race or colour, however, are problems which, without a family of one's own, could well prove insurmountable to a growing boy or girl. Adoption will not elimi- REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 47 nate them, but the support and understanding of a mother, father, and perhaps sisters and brothers by adoption can make facing them and coping with them wholly possible. There are risks in these placements for both the child and his adopted family, but until such time as adults of all races and culture are ready to make their contribution to the safety and well-being of children—regardless of race, colour, and creed—the risks are calculated and minimum compared with the hazards the child of mixed racial origin still faces in our society without the bulwark of a stable family life. ADOPTION—A BASIC PREVENTIVE SERVICE Adoption, when it is supported financially and morally by all communities providing for the child without a family of his own " The something, you somehow haven't to deserve." as Robert Frost described a home, is one of the most practical preventive measures against neglect, broken homes, delinquency, and other social ills which can be undertaken by a Province. Proof of this is not hard to find. All correctional 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, might the future have held for the 836 boys and girls placed with adopted parents this year if this plan had not been made for them? Six hundred and sixty-eight had been born to unwed mothers. Fifty-nine to married women separated from their husbands, who were not the child's father, and 109 were children of married couples unwilling or unable to accept their parental responsibilities. Much of the old social and legal prejudice against the out-of-wedlock child has disappeared, but not all, and it is still a difficult road, socially and economically, for the unwed mother. Boarding-home or day care are available to her for her baby, but if she must work, others in fact rear him. Replacements of the child are usually frequent, and he too often grows up confused as to whom he belongs to and with little of the all-important feeling of well-being and self-worth a loving and proud mother and father convey to their child in their every action toward him. The child born of an extra-marital union has almost a less place in his parents' lives than the child born to the unwed mother. His very existence is an added complication to the mother's hopes with respect to reconciliation with her husband or divorce, and the child, sensing her guilt and fear, may learn early to distrust himself and the world about him. A high number of the 109 children born to married parents and relinquished for adoption had first been removed by Court order from their care because of neglect. Some may bear emotional scars from these experiences all their lives, but, freed by adoption from their parents' irresponsible and sometimes cruel actions and attitudes, they have now opportunity to " put down roots " and grow to maximum potential. Eight hundred and thirty-six children placed with adopted families in one year is not a large number in the total population of the Province. However, this many or more placed each year for the next ten years becomes an important figure, and particularly so when thought of as this many boys and girls entering adulthood with opportunities through adoption to become valuable citizens who otherwise without a stable family to guide them would have had precarious upbringings and equally precarious adult lives. O 48 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table V.—Referrals to Child Welfare Division of Children Needing Adopted Parents Child Referred By Number Vancouver C.A.S. 145 Catholic C.A.S. 18 F.C.S. (Victoria) 3 S.W.D. Districts 327 Total. 493 ^ 1 Comprised of 253 boys and 240 girls. REGISTRY OF CHILDREN TO BE ESTABLISHED For several years the Children's Aid Societies, district offices, and Child Welfare Division have endeavoured to share the resources of the entire Province and, on occasion, those of other Provinces and the Yukon for children needing adopted parents. The results have been excellent. As shown in Table V, 166 children were referred this year to Child Welfare Division by a Children's Aid Society and placed in an adoption home in one of the Department of Social Welfare's regions. To extend this plan and further ensure that every child in care of the Superintendent of Child Welfare who should be placed for adoption has parents found for him, a central registry will be established next year in the adoption placement section of the Division. The registry will be of value to administration in assessing staff needs of field and Division and in assigning case loads, and it should prove an asset in the utilization of all resources for each child registered. Some, because of their special needs, may remain on the registry a long time, but through it they will be considered constantly as newly approved adoption homes throughout the Province are also registered. MOST ADOPTED CHILDREN PLACED BY A SOCIAL AGENCY It is a satisfaction again this year to report a remarkably low number of children adopted who had been placed by unauthorized persons. Table VI.—Legally Completed Adoptions throughout the Province, According to the Type of Placement, during the Fiscal Year Agency Blood Relative Unauthorized Person 37 7 85 26 19 4 13 3 16 8 61 9 15 6 Total Region I Region II ... Region III... Region IV Region V Region VI _ Region VII 73 144 78 47 36 60 21 Totals . 459 246 63 Vancouver Children's Aid Society- Catholic Children's Aid Society—.. Victoria Children's Aid Society Totals 205 55 85 345 Child placed in Province but order granted elsewhere.. Total adoptions for year 805 92 32 12 3 49 8 153 399 106 117 255 101 63 60 130 42 768 329 70 142 541 1 1,310 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 49 In addition to the 1,310 adoptions completed this year, 909 legal notices of intention to adopt were received, 88 applications to Court were processed but withdrawn for various reasons by the petitioners, and 171 other adoption inquiries as interprovincial and international adoption matters were handled by Divisional staff. Table VII below shows the steady rise in Court hearings throughout the past five years. Table VII.—Adoptions Completed by Court Order Number Year Completed 1958/59 1,309 1957/58 1,168 1956/57 1,177 1955/56 1,152 1954/55 1,102 PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND RELATED SERVICES With the decentralization of protective authority and services to the field in April, 1958, the Division was relieved of supervisory responsibility on the individual case basis. However, decentralization of authority and services necessitated the establishment of certain controls in the Division by which standards of service could be appraised and through which the field could seek and obtain the help of the Divisional staff. Decentralization also requires that a consultative service be available to the field through both correspondence and personal contact, and the final responsibility of seeing that the legal requirements of the Protection of Children Act are being met must still rest with the Division. Decentralization, therefore, did not relieve the Division of work but rather changed the nature of the work carried by broadening its purpose. The Division is appreciative of the interest and assistance extended to the Division of the Attorney-General's Department in the many problem cases which arose out of the administration of the Protection of Children Act. The field, and rightly so, is also looking more and more to the Division for help in planning for children who require special placement resources. In an effort to enable 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 agencies in the Province and will be in a better position to act as liaison between the field and these agencies. Interdepartmental negotiations have made it possible to have a much higher number of children admitted to Woodlands School, Crease Clinic, and Provincial Mental Hospital, and this has eased a heavy burden from the foster-home programme for the field. Services related to protection of children, as custody, legitimation, immigration, repatriation, and " sundry cases " which, in the main, consist of interprovincial and international problems relating to families and children, have been much in demand this year. The total handled has been about three times as many as in any year preceding. O 50 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table VIII.—Services Related to Child Protection Carried Over New Total Incomplete as at March 31, 1959 Custody Immigration Legitimation .... Repatriation Sundry Totals.. 19 80 2 13 105 69 65 10 83 294 145 12 96 399 521 740 25 21 3 9 66 ADMINISTRATION OF THE CHILDREN OF UNMARRIED PARENTS ACT A total of $76,024.57 was received and disbursed under this Act this year, $16,426.82 more than last year. Seventy-two new agreements, twenty-seven new affiliation orders, and ten settlements were obtained. SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS For the first time in a number of years the Division of Vital Statistics reports a decrease in the number of births out of wedlock registered, although there were sixty-seven more than last year in the non-Indian group. Table IX.- —Children Born Out of Wedlock Total Under 15 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-39 40 and Over a a c c e c e Year •B x> •3 •3 •3 -3 .2 Total S a e ■? c _ c jjj a 9 a c c c c ■o c xj a ■a c •_ c XI - XI a ■o B ti Z a Z Z Z Z z Z 1956/57... - - 481 1,695 4 7 121 477 149 457 99 337 1 96 374 12 43 2,176 535 1,975 3 16 134 584 174 553 175 376 88 400 11 46 2,510 1958/59 442 2,042 4 17 111 608 144 586 96 371 77 405 15 55 2,484 Judging from the number of unwed mothers who sought help for themselves and child from a Children's Aid Society or the Department of Social Welfare, and the 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- third of the total 2,484 children born out of wedlock remained with their parent or parents or were placed by them in the home of a blood relative. It is suspected that a fairly high percentage of this group of children were born to persons living together as man and wife but not legally married to each other. Each year a number 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 ways different to those encountered by the child and his unwed mother alone. Cultural differences within certain racial groups has bearing upon the incidence of births out of wedlock as has the integration of other races into white communities. Whatever the causes, British Columbia's rate of births out of wedlock continues high compared to the national figure, and the number of unwed mothers each year who are under the age of 15 years remains cause for deep concern. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 51 Table X.—Births Out of Wedlock for Mothers 12 to 16 Years of Age, 1948 to Fiscal Year 1958/59 Year 12 Years 13 Years 14 Years 15 Years Total Indian Total Ind. N/Ind. Ind. N/Ind. Ind. N/Ind. Ind. N/Ind. N/Ind. 1948 - . 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 3 1 2 3 2 4 4 3 1 2 3 5 2 2 4 6 5 11 11 13 2 6 1 9 6 6 11 6 11 6 9 12 18 21 16 20 28 34 4 8 4 11 11 10 16 8 15 9 9 1949... 15 1950 16 1951 1952 1953 23 26 25 1954..... 26 1955 39 1956 46 1957 7 | 41 54 Totals — .... | .... 96 279 1958/59 (under the age of 15 years) i_ Indian 4, Non-Indian 17 1 Complete statistics from Division of Vital Statistics not yet available. The majority, if not all, of the non-Indian and many of the Indian adolescent girls represented in Table X were brought to the attention of a Children's Aid Society or the Department of Social Welfare. In some instances the police preferred charges against the adults involved, but most of these young persons were found to have lacked parental supervision and guidance and with few exceptions their home-life was wanting stability and purpose. IMMIGRANT CHILDREN UNDER THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN ACT There are but eight Fairbridge boys under the age of 21 years remaining in care as at March 31st, 1959, and most of them are self-supporting or soon will be. Of the thirty-six other immigrant children in care during the year, twenty-nine remain—twenty-eight Hungarian and one Danish. Of the eight discharged during the year, seven reached their majority or married and one returned to Europe at his own insistence. The Hungarian boys and girls who came to British Columbia are not finding their niche readily, and years of living " by their wits " in revolt-tom Hungary has left many unprepared for study or industrious pursuits. HEALTH OF CHILDREN Despite the large number of children in care during the year, the general health of 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- half-old child awaiting admission to Woodlands School for retarded children died when complications developed out of his congenital physical condition. O 52 BRITISH COLUMBIA FAMILY ALLOWANCES A total of $65,867.24 was received from the Family Allowances Division this year on behalf of 1,695 children in care. Disbursements were as follows:— Table XI.—Family Allowance Disbursements Balance on hand as at January 1st, 1958 $51,909.49 Receipts for the period January 1st, 1958, to December 31st 1958 65,867.24 Expenditures for the above period 57,170.12 Parents— Foster-mothers $32,543.00 Adopting mothers 4,138.43 Natural parents _ 5,262.27 Transferred to Children's Aid Societies 2,419.09 Refunds to Family Allowance Board.. 300.50 Recreational equipment, etc. 8,303.39 Paid to children on discharge 1,766.09 Educational 367.15 Gifts 170.03 Special clothing 629.58 Miscellaneous 1,270.59 $57,170.12 Balance on hand as at December 31st, 1958 60,606.61 Number of children involved in the accumulated balances, 1,695. The Child Welfare League of America held its first conference in Canada in Vancouver this year, and the Divisional staff authorized to attend enjoyed and benefitted from the experience. In conclusion, my sincere thanks to the clerical and social work staffs throughout the Department. They have met the unprecedented pressures in child welfare this year admirably and well. I am appreciative, too, of the help and support received from the three Children's Aid Societies and the six organizations in British Columbia which offer institutional care to children. Their joint participation and regular attendance at the meetings of the Committee on Child Care, formed at the request 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 tangible expression of the Department's recognition of the dedicated service given by foster-parents throughout this Province. Theirs is a special and unique contribution to the child without which no child-welfare programme could exist. Respectfully submitted. (Miss) Ruby McKay, Superintendent of Child Welfare. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 53 OLD-AGE ASSISTANCE, BLIND PERSONS' ALLOWANCES, DISABLED PERSONS' ALLOWANCES, AND SUPPLEMENTARY ASSISTANCE GENERAL The Old-age Assistance Board is a division of the Department of Social Welfare. The Board consists of three members appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor. These same three members also comprise the Blind Persons' Allowances Board and the Disabled Persons' Allowances Board. The Boards are charged with the administration of the respective Federal and Provincial Acts and regulations, including the consideration of applications and the payment of assistance. The Boards also consider applications for Supplementary Assistance and Health Services and grant these additional Provincial benefits where applicable. During the fiscal year under review Mr. Robert Talbot resigned his position as a member of the Board on his appointment as Director of Social Welfare of the Province of Saskatchewan, and Mr. Herbert E. Blanchard was appointed to replace him. Mr. Talbot will long be remembered by the members and staff of the Old-age Assistance Board for his sincere and friendly interest in the administration. The work has become more stabilized, although a steady increase in the actual number of persons receiving assistance has provided increased activity in the processing and the adjusting of cases. The effects of major internal administrative changes in the early part of the year were felt throughout the year. A composite application form was devised to facilitate the taking of applications. The staff was reorganized, but not increased in number, 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 categories. With the increased number receiving assistance and the increased basic rates payable resulting from the legislative enactments of the previous year, the amounts expended in all categories have reached an all-time, high. The cost of the Old-age Assistance programme, including supplementary assistance, was up over $600,000 to a total of nearly $6,000,000 in this Province alone. Payments to the Blind increased about $50,000 to a total of close to $450,000, while payments to the Disabled advanced $350,000 to an all-time high of over $1,325,000. The total amounts include the supplementary assistance payments by the Province to recipients of assistance or allowance. Supplementary assistance payments to recipients of Old Age Security pension alone have not increased appreciably over the $6,000,000 of the past two years. To-day the medical services available to recipients and their dependents in the Province, provided by the doctors and the Government, who share the cost of these services, is meeting with wide approval. Housing for elderly persons in the urban areas is the big problem and will undoubtedly be for some years to come. GRAPHIC PRESENTATIONS COVERING THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 1st, 1952, TO MARCH 31st, 1959 Two graphic presentations on the following pages cover the various aspects of the administration in this Province of Old-age Assistance since January 1st, 1952, when the Old-age Assisance Act became effective. The first, a line graph, shows the relationship between the total cost and the number of applications received and granted. Detailed explanations have been given in previous years and no significant changes for the current fiscal year are O 54 BRITISH COLUMBIA revealed. The second, a bar graph, reveals the relationships among the number of cases on the payroll, the number of applications received, the number granted, and the number rejected as of March 31st of each fiscal year. The bar graph brings to light different relationships from that given in the line graph:— 1. In the fiscal year 1953, the number of cases granted exceeds the number of applications received. This unusual situation is caused by a carry-over into the new fiscal year of a large number of applications received in 1951 and in the early part of 1952, when the Act first came into force, providing for assistance to all eligible persons between 65 and 69 years of age. 2. The bar graph also clearly reveals the constant decrease of cases in receipt of Old-age Assistance from 1954 to 1957. This is due to the fact that all cases that were initially granted in 1952 were transferred to Old Age Security by 1957. This also marks the end of the first five-year cycle. 3. The second five-year cycle, commencing with 1957, shows a steady increase in persons applying for Old-age Assistance, reflecting economic conditions generally. 4. 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 each fiscal year. The trend indicated by both the line and the bar graphs is a steady increase in the total case load. This increase in numbers of elderly people may focus attention on the need for housing and many additional ancillary services to the aged. 7,032 4,500 4,200 3,900 | OLD AGE ASSISTANCE --BRITISH COLUMBIA-. JANUARY 1, 1,52 TO MARCH 11. m* 1 i 1, \\ 1, 300 units per squar- _ 3,300 3,000 2,700 lj x -___::; ;,js_,_,. »,,*;,'.' __zr__;_" | . Recipient, Translerred to Old A*. Security 100 units per square S \\ II 2,100 1,800 1,500 1,200 900 600 300 0 ! :.>• -"' ; __— ■-..^ /. ; _.v ~-~"~ ' -,- | A \\ / \\ !/ - / —i .._. >->-, :_**= S-= -:.- ..._ -- __.-. >c. 2S*- -fe= ;-■ '=— —. *** -- -- — — — — • — — — — ■ —- -S tN m m ON Os CA CA m in Os Os CA m m m m rt XT XT XT in m m m m m m m Os Os Os Os Os SO \\D *<0 ^O m mi m v. m v. OO CO 00 Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os Os mm mOsm mm TAm^A CO m o m ci mOsm m O THlTlr- o g Q % n s 0 s a s 0 s c £ REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 55 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 B.C. RECIPIENTS: No. on the Poyroll No. of Applications 1 No. Granted Assistance. No. Rejected 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 Fiscal year ending March 31st of each year. STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31st, 1959 Old-age Assistance Table I.—Disposition of Applications New applications received 2,687 Applications granted 2,7021 Applications not granted (refused, withdrawn, etc.) 471 Includes some left over from previous year. O 56 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table II.—Miscellaneous (a) British Columbia recipients— Returned to British Columbia Reinstated Suspended Deaths 25 119 223 293 58 1,885 7,096 84 41 10 9 69 55 (c) Total number of British Columbia and other-Province recipients on payroll at end of fiscal year 7,276 Transferred to other Provinces Transferred to Old Age Security Total number on payroll at end of fiscal year. (b) Oher-Province recipients— Transferred to British Columbia Reinstated Suspended Deaths Transferred out of British Columbia Transferred to Old Age Security Table III.—Reasons Why Applications Not Granted Not of age Unable to prove age Not sufficient residence Income in excess Unable to prove residence Transfer of property Receiving War Veterans' Allowance Information refused Application withdrawn Applicants died before grant Whereabouts unknown Eligible for Old Age Security Assistance from private sources Receiving Old Age Security Miscellaneous Totals umber Per Cent 70 14.86 5 1.06 1 0.21 216 45.86 30 95 24 10 13 6 1 471 6.37 20.17 5.10 2.12 2.77 1.27 0.21 100.00 Table IV.—Sex of New Recipients Male _~ Female Number Per Cent 1,272 47.08 1,430 52.92 Totals 2,702 100.00 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 57 Married _. Single Widows __. Widowers Separated Divorced Table V.—Marital Status of New Recipients Number Per Cent 1,130 41.82 363 13.43 604 22.35 151 5.59 396 14.66 58 2.15 Totals 2,702 100.00 Table VI.—Birthplace of New Recipients British Columbia Other parts of Canada British Isles Other parts of British Commonwealth United States of America Other foreign countries Totals umber Per Cent 258 9.55 575 21.28 282 10.43 883 32.68 692 25.61 12 0.45 2,702 100.00 Age 65 Age 66 Age 67 Age 68 Age 69 Table VII.—Ages at Granting of Assistance Number Per Cent 1,221 45.19 482 17.84 357 13.21 348 12.88 294 10.88 Totals 2,702 100.00 Table VIII.—Ages of Recipients at Death Age 65 Age 66 Age 67 Age 68 Age 69 Totals Number Per Cent 29 9.67 23 7.66 54 18.00 81 27.00 113 37.67 300 100.00 O 58 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table IX.—With Whom New Recipients Live Number Per Cent Living alone 834 30.87 Living with spouse 979 36.23 Living with spouse and children 109 4.03 Living with children 356 13.18 Living with other relatives 213 7.88 Living with others 127 4.70 Living in public institutions 67 2.48 Living in private institutions 17 0.63 Totals 2,702 100.00 Table X.—Where New Recipients Are Living Number Per Cent In own home 1,164 43.08 In rented house 266 9.84 In children's home 346 12.81 In home of other relatives 83 3.07 Boarding 72 2.67 In boarding home 25 0.93 In housekeeping room 337 12.47 In single room (eating out) 130 4.81 In rented suite 197 7.29 In institutions 82 3.03 Totals 2,702 100.00 Table XL—Economic Status of New Recipients (a) Holding real property ol value— Number Percent $0 1,557 57.62 $1 to $250 28 1.04 $251 to $500 55 2.04 $501 to $750 69 2.55 $751 to $1,000 94 3.48 $1,001 to $1,500 257 9.51 $1,501 to $2,000 208 7.70 $2,001 and up 434 16.06 Totals 2,702 100.00 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 59 (_>) Holding personal property of value— $0 $1 to $250 $251 to $500 $501 to $750 $751 to $1,000 __ $1,001 to $1,500 $1,501 to $2,000 $2,001 and up—... Number Per Cent 1,192 44.12 754 27.91 228 8.44 141 5.22 112 4.14 123 4.55 63 2.33 89 3.29 Totals 2,702 100.00 Table XII.—Number of Recipients Living in Other Provinces as at March 31st, 1959, Whose Assistance Is Paid by British Columbia Alberta Granted by British Columbia 22 Granted by Other Provinces 14 Saskatchewan 6 9 Manitoba 5 3 Ontario 16 11 Quebec 1 4 New Brunswick 1 Nova Scotia 1 Prince Edward Island Newfoundland Northwest Territories Yukon Territory Totals 51 42 Table XIII.—Distribution of British Columbia Recipients According to the Amount of Assistance Received (Basic Assistance, $55) Amount of Assistance $55 Per Cent ' 81.72 $50 to $54.99 4.45 $45 to $49.99 3.33 $40 to $44.99 2.20 $35 to $39.99 . . 1.92 $30 to $34.99 . ... 1.82 $25 to $29.99 - .... ... 1.40 $20 to $24.99 1.11 Less than $19.99 2.05 Total 100.00 o 60 british columbia Blind Persons' Allowances Table I.—Disposition of Applications New applications received 80 Applications granted 611 Applications refused, withdrawn, etc. 262 1 Includes some left over from previous year. 2 Number still pending not included. ■ Table II.—Miscellaneous (a) British Columbia recipients— Suspended Reinstated _ Transferred to other Provinces Returned to British Columbia Transferred to Old Age Security Deaths (_>) Other-Province recipients— Transferred to British Columbia Reinstated Transferred out of British Columbia or suspended Deaths (c) Total on payroll at end of fiscal year— British Columbia Other Province 20 13 4 3 19 7 9 1 5 1 505 25 530 Table III.—Reasons Why Applications Not Granted Not blind within the meaning of the Act Income in excess Applications withdrawn Eligible for Old Age Security Died before grant Receiving War Veterans' Allowance Information refused Assistance from private sources Receipt of Old Age Security Whereabouts unknown Number „ 14 _ 6 ._ 4 .. 2 Per Cent 53.85 23.08 15.38 7.69 Totals 26 100.00 Table IV.—Sex of New Recipients Male _ Female Number .__ 32 _ 29 Totals 61 Per Cent 52.46 47.54 100.00 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH Table V.—Marital Status of New Recipients O 61 Married Number „ 30 Per Cent 49.18 Single Widows 16 4 26.23 6.56 Widowers 5 8.20 Separated 6 9.83 Divorced 61 Totals 100.00 Table VI.—Birthplace of New Recipients Number _______ 25 13 7 Other parts of British Commonwealth 3 United States of America 3 Other foreign countries 10 British Columbia Other parts of Canada British Isles Totals 61 Per Cent 40.98 21.31 11.48 4.92 4.92 16.39 100.00 Table VII.—Ages at Granting of Allowance Number Per Cent Ages 18 to 21 5 8.20 Ages 22 to 30 5 8.20 Ages 31 to 40 7 11.48 Ages 41 to 50 10 16.39 Ages 51 to 60 15 24.59 Ages 61 to 69 19 31.14 Totals 1 61 100.00 Table VIII.—Ages of Recipients at Death Number Age 21 Ages 22 to 30 Ages 31 to 40 Ages 41 to 50 Ages 51 to 60 2 3 Ages 61 to 69 3 Per Cent 25.00 37.50 37.50 Totals 100.00 O 62 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table IX.—With Whom New Recipients Live Number Per Cent Living with parents 6 9.84 Living alone 10 16.39 Living with spouse 23 37.70 Living with spouse and children 4 6.56 Living with children 8 13.11 Living with other relatives 2 3.28 Living with others 3 4.92 Living in public institutions 4 6.56 Living in private institutions 1 1.64 Totals 61 100.00 Table X.—Where New Recipients Are Living Number Per Cent In parents' home 5 8.20 In own home 24 39.33 In rented house 7 11.47 In rented suite 3 4.92 In children's home 5 8.20 In home of other relatives 4 6.56 Boarding 2 3.28 In housekeeping room 4 6.56 In boarding home In institutions 5 8.20 In single room (eating out) 2 3.28 Totals 61 100.00 Table XI.—Economic Status of New Recipients (a) Holding real property of value— Number Percent $0 42 68.84 $1 to $250 . 2 3.28 $251 to $500 1 1.64 $501 to $750 1 1.64 $751 to $1,000 2 3.28 $1,001 to $1,500 3 4.92 $1,501 to $2,000 4 6.56 $2,001 and up 6 9.84 Totals 61 100.00 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 63 (Z)) Holding personal property of value— Number Percent $0 42 68.84 $1 to $250 2 3.28 $251 to $500 1 1.64 $501 to $750 1 1.64 $751 to $1,000 2 3.28 $1,001 to $1,500 3 4.92 $1,501 to $2,000 4 6.56 $2,001 and up 6 9.84 Totals 61 100.00 Table XII.- -Number of Recipients Living in Other Provinces as at March 31st, 1959, Whose Allowances Are Paid by this Province Alberta Granted by British Columbia 3 Granted by Other Provinces 1 Saskatchewan 1 2 Manitoba Ontario . Quebec " ... New Brunswick __.. 1 Nova Scotia Prince Edward Island Newfoundland Northwest Territories Yukon Territory — Totals 5 3 Table XIII.—Distribution of British Columbia Recipients According to the Amount of Allowances Received (Basic Allowance, $55) $55 Per Cent 91.57 $50 to $54.99 1.85 $45 to $49.99 1.44 $40 to $44.99 1.03 $35 to $39.99 .82 $30 to $34.99 1.23 $25 to $29.99 .82 $20 to $24.99 .21 $19.99 and less 1.03 Total 100.00 O 64 BRITISH COLUMBIA Disabled Persons' Allowances Table I.—Disposition of Applications New applications received Applications granted Applications refused, withdrawn, etc. 1 Includes some left over from previous year. 418 3791 162 Table II.—Miscellaneous (a) British Columbia recipients— Suspended Reinstated Transferred to other Provinces Returned to British Columbia Transferred to Old Age Security Deaths (_>) Other-Province recipients— Transferred to British Columbia Transferred out of British Columbia or suspended Reinstated Deaths (c) Total on payroll at end of fiscal year— British Columbia Other Province 1,551 34 73 36 5 5 1 43 17 8 3 2 1,585 Table III.—Reason Why Applications Not Granted Not 18 years of age Unable to prove age Not sufficient residence Unable to prove residence Too much income Transfer of property Refused information Whereabouts unknown Allowance under Blind Persons Act Assistance under Old-age Assistance Act Allowance under War Veterans' Allowance Act Pension under Old Age Security Act Mothers' Allowance Unable to meet medical test Referred for rehabilitation Tuberculosis sanatorium Mental hospital Home for the Aged Infirmary Institution for incurables Hospital Nursing home Number 1 17 8 1 1 111 4 2 Per Cent .62 10.49 4.93 .62 .62 .62 68.52 .62 2.47 1.23 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 65 Other institutions Application withdrawn Died before grant Totals 1 .62 9 5.55 5 3.09 162 100.00 Table IV.—Primary Causes of Disability on Accepted Cases Number Per Cent Infective and parasitic diseases 23 6.57 Neoplasms 2 .57 Allergie, endocrine system, metabolic, and nutritional diseases 11 3.16 Diseases of blood and blood-forming organs 2 .57 Mental, psychoneurotic, and personality disorders ... 121 34.69 Diseases of the nervous system and sense organs 102 29.24 Diseases of the circulatory system 34 9.75 Diseases of the respiratory system 5 1.43 Diseases of the digestive system 1 .28 Diseases of the genito-urinary system 1 .28 Diseases of the skin and cellular tissues 2 .57 Diseases of the bones and organs of movement 22 6.31 Congenital malformation 7 2.00 Symptoms, senility, and ill-defined conditions Accidents, poisoning, and violence (nature of injury) 16 4.58 100.00 Totals 349 Table V.—Sex of New Recipients Male ___ Female Number Per Cent 216 57.75 158 42.25 Totals 374 100.00 Married . Table VI.—Marital Status of New Recipients Number ... 79 Per Cent 21.12 Single 238 63.64 Widow .... _ 23 6.15 Widower . 11 2.94 Separated 18 4.81 Divorced 5 1.34 Totals 374 100.00 O 66 BRITISH COLUMBIA Table VII.—Birthplace of New Recipients Number British Columbia . 140 Per Cent 37.43 Other parts of Canada 141 37.70 British Isles 39 10.43 Other parts of British Empire United States of America 20 5.35 Other foreign countries _ 34 9.09 Totals 374 100.00 Table VIII.—Ages at Granting of Allowance Number Per Cent Ages 18 to 19 48 12.83 Ages 20 to 24 34 9.09 Ages 25 to 29 27 7.22 Ages 30 to 34 33 8.82 Ages 35 to 39 24 6.42 Ages 40 to 44 36 9.63 Ages 45 to 49 35 9.36 Ages 50 to 54 31 8.29 Ages 55 to 59 53 14.17 Aees 60 to 64 51 13.63 Ages 65 to 69 ... 2 .54 Ages over 70 .. Totals 374 100.00 Table IX.- Ages 18 to 19 —Ages of Recipients at Death Number Per Cent Ages 20 to 24 1 2.27 Ages 25 to 29 3 6.82 Ages 30 to 34 2 4.54 Ages 35 to 39 Ages 40 to 44 . Ages 45 to 49 4 9.09 Ages 50 to 54 7 15.91 Ages 55 to 59 10 22.73 Ages 60 to 64 10 22.73 Ages 65 to 69 7 15.91 Ages over 70 . 44 Totals 100.00 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 67 Table X.—With Whom Recipients Live Living with parents Living alone Living with spouse 62 Living Living Living Living Living Living in private institution ; with spouse and children with children with other relatives _ with others in public institution Number Per Cent 171 45.72 36 9.63 62 16.58 16 4.28 22 5.88 45 12.02 . 18 4.81 2 .54 2 .54 Totals 374 100.00 Table XI.—Where New Recipients Are Living Number In parents' home 122 In own house 83 In rented house 29 In rented suite 21 In children's home 14 In home of other relatives 77 In housekeeping room 12 In boarding home In institutions 4 In single room (eating out) 12 Totals 374 Per Cent 32.62 22.19 7.75 5.62 3.74 20.59 3.21 1.07 3.21 100.00 Table XII.—Economic Status of New Recipients (a) Holding real property of value— $0 $1 to $250 $251 to $500 $501 to $750 $751 to $1,000 $1,001 to $1,500. $1,501 to $2,000. $2,001 and up Number Per Cent 293 78.34 3 .80 2 .54 7 1.87 2 .54 26 6.95 11 2.94 30 8.02 Totals 374 100.00 O 68 BRITISH COLUMBIA (_>) Holding personal property of value— $0 $1 to $250 $251 to $500 1 8 $501 to $750 $751 to $1,000 7 $1,001 to $1,500 $1,501 to $2,000 $2,001 and up Totals Number Per Cent 262 70.05 58 15.51 18 4.81 9 2.41 7 1.87 7 1.87 4 1.07 9 2.41 374 100.00 Table XIII.—Number of Recipients Living in Other Provinces as at March 31st, 1959, Whose Allowances Are Paid by This Province Granted by Granted by British Other Columbia Province- Alberta 2 1 Saskatchewan 4 Manitoba 1 Ontario 1 5 Quebec 1 New Brunswick Nova Scotia Prince Edward Island Newfoundland Totals 4 11 Table XIV.—Distribution of British Columbia Recipients According to the Amount of Allowance Received (Basic Allowance, $55) Per Cent $55 93.18 $50 to $54.99 2.33 $45 to $49.99 1.01 $40 to $44.99 1.14 $35 to $39.99 0.57 $30 to $34.99 0.63 $25 to $29.99 0.32 $20 to $24.99 0.32 $19.99 and less 0.50 Total 100.00 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 69 Supplementary Assistance and Health Services to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled New Applications Number received 1,806 Number granted supplementary assistance and health services 1,074 Number granted supplementary assistance only 21 Number granted health services only 121 Number who died before application was granted 18 Number of applications withdrawn 61 Number of applicants inehgible 224 Number of applications pending 287 Total 1,806 General Information Former old-age pensioners still receiving supplementary assistance on March 31st, 1959 10,332 Old-age Assistance recipients transferred to Old Age Security receiving supplementary assistance on March 31st, 1959 ___ 9,307 New Old Age Security pensioners receiving supplementary assistance on March 31st, 1959 , 6,853 Blind persons in receipt of Old Age Security receiving supplementary assistance on March 31st, 1959 208 Disability pensioners over 70 receiving supplementary assistance on March 31st, 1959 4 O 70 BRITISH COLUMBIA FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The Old-age Assistance Act, Year Ended March 31st, 1959 Supplementary Social Assistance Assistance Total Total amount paid receipients in British Columbia $4,621,534.89 $1,358,868.96 $5,980,403.85 — . — — Less amount of refunds from recipients— Overpayments refunded $22,167.78 $3,577.19 $25,744.97 Miscellaneous refunds 330.00 120.00 450.00 Totals $22,497.78 $3,697.19 $26,194.97 Net amount paid to recipients in British Columbia $4,599,037.11 $1,355,171.77 $5,954,208.88 Add amount paid other Provinces on account of recipients for whom British Columbia is responsible... 29,439.77 5,252.38 34,692.15 Less amount received by British Columbia on account of recipients for whom other Provinces are responsible 82,472.65 10,597.16 93,069.81 Less amount refunded by the Federal Government 2,299,518.55 2,299,518.55 Total amount paid by British Columbia $2,246,485.68 $1,349,826.99 $3,596,312.67 report of social welfare branch o 71 The Blind Persons Act, Year Ended March 31st, 1959 Supplementary Social Allowances Assistance Total Total amount paid recipients in British Columbia $333,526.91 $113,571.27 $447,098.18 Less amount of refunds from recipients— Overpayments refunded $1,738.98 $450.37 $2,189.35 Miscellaneous Refunds 32.00 20.00 75.00 Totals $1,770.98 $470.37 $2,264.35 Net amount paid to recipients in British Columbia $331,755.93 $113,100.90 $444,833.83 Add amount paid other provinces on account of recipients for whom British Columbia is responsible 1,293.19 540.00 1,833.19 Less amount received by British Columbia on account of recipients for whom other Provinces are responsible 5,411.12 2,903.50 8,314.62 Less amount refunded by the Federal Government 248,799.72 248,799.72 Total amount paid by British Columbia $78,838.28 $110,737.40 $189,552.68 The Disabled Persons Act, Year Ended March 31st, 1959 Supplementary Social Allowances Assistance Total Total amount paid recipients in British Columbia $981,767.76 $345,235.87 $1,327,003.63 Less amount of refunds from recipients— Overpayments refunded 1,454.88 349.75 1,804.63 Net amount paid to recipients in British Columbia $980,312.88 $344,886.12 $1,325,199.00 Add amount paid other Provinces on account of recipients for whom British Columbia is responsible 4,966.74 940.00 5,906.74 Less amount received by British Columbia on account of recipients for whom other Provinces are responsible 20,507.37 20,507.37 Less amount refunded by the Federal Government 490,156.46 490,165:46 Total amount paid by British Columbia $474,615.79 $345,826.12 $820,441.91 O 72 BRITISH COLUMBIA Old Age Security Recipients, Supplementary Social Assistance, Year Ended March 31st, 1959 Total amount paid recipients in British Columbia $6,170,216.13 Less amount of refunds from recipients— Overpayments refunded 22,698.61 Miscellaneous refunds 164.93 Total $22,863.54 Net amount paid to recipients in British Columbia $6,147,352.59 Add amount paid other Provinces on account of recipients for whom British Columbia is responsible 50,279.46 Less amount received by British Columbia on account of recipients for whom other Provinces are responsible 174,422.59 Total amount paid by British Columbia $6,023,209.46 The Old Age Pensions Act, Year Ended March 31st, 1959 Supplementary Social Pensions Assistance Total Amount of refunds received from pensioners' estates $3,484.50 $3,484.50 Less amount refunded to the Federal Government 2,613.36 2,613.36 Total net refunds received by British Columbia $871.14 $871.14 Administration Expenses Salaries and special services $185,762.21 Office expenses 49,818.16 Travelling expenses 315.25 Incidentals and contingencies 744.49 Equipment and furniture 960.15 Medical examinations 228.66 Total _____ $237,828.92 Summary Administration and Assistance Administration $237,828.92 Old-age Assistance Act 2,246,485.68 Blind Persons' Allowances Act 78,838.28 Disabled Persons' Allowances Act 474,615.79 Old Age Pensions Act (credit) 871.14 As per Public Accounts $3,036,897.53 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 73 Supplementary Social Assistance Old-age Assistance Act Blind Persons' Allowances Act Disabled Persons' Allowances Act Universal Old Age Security As per Public Accounts $1,349,826.99 110,737.40 345,826.12 6,023,209.46 $7,829,599.97 MEMBERS OF BOARD The following are the members of the Old-age Assistance Board of the Province of British Columbia:— Chairman: Mr. E. W. Berry. Members: Mr. J. A. Sadler, Director of Social Welfare; Mr. H. E. Blanchard, Administrator, Region II, Department of Social Welfare. CONCLUSION In concluding this report the Board wishes to express its sincere appreciation for the loyal and efficient work of the office and field staffs throughout the year and for the continued co-operation of other departments of Government and many outside agencies. Respectfully submitted. E. W. Berry, Chairman. O 74 BRITISH COLUMBIA MEDICAL SERVICES DIVISION I submit the annual report of the Medical Services Division for the fiscal year 1958/59. Table I.—Gross Costs for Fiscal Years 1952/53 to 1958/59 Year Medical Drugs 2 Optical Transportation Other Total 1952/53. 1953/54. 1954/55. 1955/56. 1956/57. 1957/58 1958/59 51,202,759.51 1.219.968.71 1.362.928.21 1,523,658.40 1.486 400.99 1,503.964.91 1,587,997.03 $622,431.21 657,840.68 752.948.50 893,356.88 961,405.50 1 106.153.01 1,281.107.27 $73,010.09 $44,858.20 $16,765.41 86,717.17 44 350.50 17,380.03 112,719.03 48 074.34 | 23 891.75 119,512.74 48,341.91 j 22,504.83 129.267.56 | 50,565.61 | 23 359.27 148,223.72 j 55 440.66 ! 25 763.04 168,051.06 ] 57,050.37 I 41,329.60 $8,492.14 11,100.36 13.454.81 12,733.72 14,421.86 16.983.77 $1,968,316.56 2 037 357.45 2,314 016.64 2 620 108.48 2,665,420.79 2,856 529.11 21,374.78 | 3,156,910.11 1 1 Not included in these figures is the cost of drugs purchased by the dispensary for welfare institutions. Table II —Payments to British Columbia Doctors (Gross Costs) Fiscal Year Medical Agreement Immigrant Other Total 1955/56 1956/57. $1,518,274.51 1.479.661.21 $701 89 1.836 78 $4,682.00 4.903.00 $1 523,658 40 1.486 400 99 1957/58 1.492.741.27 1 6 951.51 4.272.13 I 1.503.964.91 1958/59 1,580,815.44 1 330.62 5,850.97 1,587,997.03 Table III.—Categorical Breakdown of Medical Coverage With Average Numbers of Recipients Fiscal Year Social Allowance x Child Welfare Division Old Age Security Bonus and Blind Old Age Assistance Disab'ed P-rsons' Allowance Total Average Monthly Coverage 1955/56 1956/57 1957/58 1958/59 19.273 18,165 18,363 19,914 3.208 3,303 3,546 3,814 36 731 36 240 36.440 36,191 8.448 7,739 7.195 7,150 1 453 68,113 974 66 421 1,221 66 765 1,516 68,585 1 Until August 31st, 1958, there was a Mothers* Allowance case load, but effective September 1st, 1958, these cases became Social Allowance cases. So that figures from 1958/59 will be comparable with previous years, Mothers' Allowance and Social Allowance recipients have been combined in this statement under the heading " Social Allowance." Table IV.—Drug Costs Number of Prescriptions Costs of Medicines Fiscal Year Provincial L t Pharmacy " Total Provincial Pharmacy 1 Drug-stores Total 1955/56 15.931 1 393 367 409 298 $70,353.98 88.259.99 113.841.90 137,255.34 $823,002.90 873,145.51 992,311.11 1,143,851.93 $893,3C6.88 1956/57 1957/58 1958/59 19,572 | 398.355 23,487 I 458002 30,140 i 534,352 F 417 927 481,489 564,492 961 405 50 1.106 153.01 1,281,107.27 1 Not included in these figures is the cost of drugs purchased by the dispensary for welfare institutions. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 75 DENTAL PROGRAMME There was no significant change from the annual increment in costs nor in the emphasis on each part of the programme. However, it is encouraging to note that the age-limit for children eligible to take part in the preventive programme of the Health Branch was raised from 12 to 13 years as of February 1st, 1959. Table V.—Dental Expenses Fiscal Year Prophylaxis Extractions Dentures Total 1955/56 $15,385.80 24,996.66 28,430.52 34,115.73 $8,570.90 7,596.04 9,589.80 12,138.92 $95,556.04 96,674.86 110,203.40 121,796.41 $119,512.74 1956/57 -- 129,267.56 1957/58 148,223.72 1958/59 168,051.06 OPTICAL SERVICES There was but a slight increase in the costs of these services during the past fiscal year. Perhaps this represents a levelling off due to these services approaching an adequate level. One would hope that this is the case, not merely from a cost factor, but as an indication that there was no lack of proper optical care in the welfare programme. Table VI.—Optical Costs Fiscal Year Optometric Examinations Glasses Total 1955/56 $9,096.05 $39,245.86 9,213.65 | 41,351.96 9,896.45 45.544.21 9.735 50 i 47.314.87 $48,341.91 1956/57 50,565.61 1957/58 55,440.66 1958/59 — 57,050.37 As for most other services, there has been no lessening in the providing of transportation 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 awareness by doctors and the field staff of the availability of such assistance through the Medical Services Division. Although no tabulation has been kept of welfare patients seen by the various travelling clinics of the British Columbia Cancer Clinic, Children's Hospital, and the Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society, considerable numbers of such persons require financial aid to attend these clinics or for treatment at their respective centres. The travelling costs in such instances cannot be measured in dollars and cents but in the benefits of improved health and also frequently the return to self-maintenance. In conclusion, we would express our appreciation of the services of the various professional associations, hospitals, and other institutions, without which the health services benefits of the Department could not be effected. We refer particularly to the Canadian Medical Association (British Columbia Division), the British Columbia Dental and Pharmaceutical Associations, the Vancouver and St. Paul's Hospitals, the British Columbia Cancer Institute, the Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society, and the G. F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre. It is to be hoped that further efforts can be made in making use of these and other varied facilities, not only in treating the patients concerned, but also in assisting them wherever possible to return to a position of self-independence. Respectfully submitted. G. Wakefield, M.D., Director, Medical Services Division. O 76 BRITISH COLUMBIA PART IV.—INSTITUTIONS INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS I beg to submit the annual report for the Brannen Lake School for Boys for the period ending March 31st, 1959. Fiscal Year o m -». Ov Os *_ o m ov in 0* in OV in m OS «n ■*- ov in V. in in o\\ >n ) Those whose delinquent behaviour pattern had become too firmly established and who had no desire to change and therefore were beyond help in an open training school 15 (c) The more seriously disturbed child requiring treatment in a more protected and probably a psychiatric setting 11 Plus Woodlands School waiting list 1 81 This report would not be complete without a backward glance over the last forty-five years. This old School was built in 1913 and officially opened on April 3rd, 1914, by Honourable the Attorney-General W. J. Bowser, K.C. The first girl was admitted on February 28th, 1914, and was sentenced for seven years. The others sent in during the same year were all for " an undefined period of not less than two years." Since that date to the end of the present fiscal year fourteen hundred and seventy-one girls 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 passed away this spring at the age of 93); Miss Margaret W. Bayne, deceased, 1918-29; Mrs. A. G. Westman, 1929-44; Miss Maude V. Fleming, 1945-48; Miss Willa Broderick, 1948-49; Miss Ayra E. Peck, 1949-55. Miss Peck had also served as teacher and Assistant Superintendent, with a total of twenty years on staff; and the present incumbent since March, 1955. In more recent years the School has been described as a " house of horror " and, while there have been days when those of us within could agree, there has never been a day without a bright spot somewhere and there were years when reports said it was a comfortably furnished home without the appearance of an institution. To many of the girls who have passed through its doors it has meant a new lease on life. In conclusion, we take this opportunity to express our appreciation and thanks to all the volunteers—individuals and groups—who have taken such a keen interest in our girls and given so generously of their time in assisting the staff with our programme throughout the year. We are greatly indebted to them. May I take this opportunity of expressing my sincere thanks to the senior administration for their support and encouragement and to my staff for work well done. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 83 STATISTICAL INFORMATION Population of the School, March 31st, 1959 On roll, April 1st, 1958 69 Girls admitted during April 1st, 1958, to March 31st, 1959 81 — 150 Officially released 71 Transferred to other institutions with subsequent official release from Girls' Industrial School 1 Transferred to other institutions but not officially released 72 Total unreleased, March 31st, 1959 78 Financial Statement, 1958/58 Salaries $124,863.61 Office expense Travelling expense Heat, light, power, and water Medical services Clothing and uniforms 3,241.69 1,23 3.92 6,045.73 6,016.65 3,003.37 Provisions and catering _ 20,497.40 Laundry and dry-goods Good Conduct Fund Equipment and machinery Medical supplies Maintenance of buildings and grounds Transportation Maintenance and operation of equipment ... Incidentals and contingencies Vocational and recreational supplies, etc. __. Sundry expense re operation of new School Less— Rentals Board Sundry receipts 212.85 1,553.01 326.10 1,813.38 849.19 1,613.92 113.04 316.74 1,308.93 2,542.88 $175,552.41 $45.00 441.00 73.00 559.00 Add decrease in inventory— Inventory at March 31st, 1958 $5,203.58 Inventory at March 31st, 1959 4,350.14 $174,993.41 853.44 $175,846.85 Add Public Works expenditure 14,741.21 $190,588.06 Per capita cost per diem: $190,588.06-hl8,765=$10.16. O 84 BRITISH COLUMBIA Reconciliation Net expenditure as per Public Accounts $157,880.35 Add— Salary revision $17,113.06 Decrease in inventory 853.44 Public Works expenditure 14,741.21 32,707.71 $190,588.06 Respectfully submitted. (Miss) Winifred M. Urquhart, Superintendent. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 85 PROVINCIAL HOME, KAMLOOPS I herewith submit the annual report of the Provincial Home for the Aged and Infirm, Kamloops, for the fiscal year 1958/59. BUILDINGS The interior of the Home received some attention during the year and the improvements made are enjoyed. Bathrooms in three wards have been modernized. For the sick ward, added conveniences were completed, chiefly by modernizing the bathroom and installation of a shower. The kitchen was redecorated, also new tile for the floor. Some decorating was done in the rooms. HEALTH SERVICES The Home continues to provide good patient care. Medical and surgical services were again provided by the Irving Clinic and medical supplies purchased from the Provincial Pharmacy. The diet has been improved with the assistance of the nutrition consultant and the dietician from Tranquille. An evening snack was commenced and proved satisfactory, resulting in better rest. The daily bed-patient average is 12. The average number of patients examined weekly by the attending physician is 18. All acute cases receive hospitalization. ENTERTAINMENT Concerts and religious services were again presented by local organizations throughout the year, particularly at Easter and Christmas. Special effort was made for decorating at Christmas time. The highlight of the year was H.R.H. Princess Margaret as she passed by the Home. Bingo games are popular and are played twice a month. Television is appreciated. A picture show is held weekly. EQUIPMENT Equipment received during the year was a desk, steno chair, and filing cabinet for the dispensary, new heating elements and plates for the kitchen range, fifty stacking chairs for a recreation-room, and forty-eight lockers for the staff and inmates. GENERAL A limited canteen was started and is worth while, allowing the more feeble to purchase extras. The laundry was again processed at the Home after Tranquille closed. Fire-protection for the Home is always in the fore. The Provincial Home cemetery was accepted by the Department of Public Works for maintenance and care. Ground-floor space is still at a premium as a number of new admittances are feeble old men and, when stronger, are transferred upstairs. The staff is continually active in helping to create good relations among the inmates, resulting in them helping each other. The population in the Home consists of twenty-five nationalities. There are fourteen different religions. Presently there are only ten inmates under 70 years of age and only six not receiving a pension. O 86 BRITISH COLUMBIA The population, by birthdates, is divided as follows:— Birthdates 1900-1910 Number of Inmates l Average Age 51 1895-1899 3 63 1890-1894 6 66 1885-1889 _ .„ 22 72 1880-1884 .... _ 38 76 1875-1879 33 82 1870-1874 17 86 18 65-18 69 10 90 FINANCIAL STATEMENT, 1958/59 Salaries Office expense Travelling expense Heat, light, power, and water Medical services Clothing and uniforms Provisions and catering Laundry and dry-goods Equipment and machinery Medical supplies Maintenance of buildings and grounds Transportation Burials Maintenance and operation of equipment Incidentals and contingencies $95,701.02 690.81 141.91 1,809.47 6,283.10 1,933.41 29,502.05 4,772.50 1,673.86 2,711.56 1,181.42 253.69 1,375.00 394.55 1,854.81 $150,279.16 Less- Board Rent . $1,125.00 420.00 1,545.00 $148,734.16 Summary Provincial Home expenditure $148,734.16 Public Works expenditure 11,472.50 $160,206.66 Cost per capita per diem: $16O,206.66-=-43,329==$3.70. Pensions paid to Government Agent, Kamloops, $76,776.19. REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 87 Reconciliation Net expenditure as per Public Accounts $70,765.96 Add salary revision 10,962.87 Add maintenance receipts— Pensions Municipalities $81,728.83 Transfers from Provincial Home Trust Account Other collections $76,776.19 4,492.84 2,442.60 327.92 84,039.55 $165,768.38 Add Public Works expenditure 11,472.50 Less— Pensioners' Comforts $7,352.75 Proportion of excess of disbursements over receipts for Tranquille Farm 9,681.47 $177,240.88 17,034.22 $160,206.66 I wish to thank all staff members, co-workers, and senior administration for their assistance and support during the year. Respectfully submitted. G. P. Willie, Superintendent. O 88 BRITISH COLUMBIA WELFARE INSTITUTIONS BOARD I herewith submit the annual report of the administration of the Welfare Institutions Licensing Act for the year 1958. As licences are issued on the basis of the calendar year, this report covers the period from January 1st, 1958, to December 31st, 1958. LICENCES The total number of cases dealt with during the year was 1,058, made up of 656 licensed institutions and 402 pending applications. Of the licensed institutions, 84 closed during the year and 313 pending applications were closed or withdrawn. The total case load at December 31st, 1958, was 717, made up of 572 licensed institutions and 145 pending applications. BOARD MEETINGS Eight Board meetings were held during the year. In April Dr. J. L. M. Whitbread replaced Dr. A. A. Larsen as the representative from the Health Branch, Department of Health and Welfare. The members of the Board for 1958 were:— Chairman: Mr. J. A. Sadler, Director of Welfare. Members: Mr. F. P. Levirs, Chief Inspector of Schools, Department of Education; Miss Ruby McKay, Superintendent, Child Welfare Division; Mr. A. A. Shipp, Assistant Administrator, Region II, Social Welfare Branch; and Dr. J. L. M. Whitbread, Director, Environmental Management, Health Branch. Chief Inspector: Mrs. Edna L. Page. WELFARE INSTITUTIONS FOR CHILDREN A. Full-time Care of Children There were no changes in the number of institutions licensed for children or type of service given. A committee of representatives from these institutions, under the chairmanship of the Superintendent of Child Welfare, continued to meet during 1958. The purpose of this committee is to look into present legislation, as set down in the Welfare Institutions Licensing Act and regulations, and to ascertain whether this legislation is adequate to meet the present and future needs of children in this Province. There was no appreciable change in the number of private boarding homes for children licensed in 1958. These homes continue to give good service to parents needing to board their children. The Advisory Committee on Private Boarding Homes for Children, under the chairmanship of the Senior Medical Health Officer, City of Vancouver, met regularly to discuss children's boarding homes in the Vancouver area. The other members of this committee were representatives from the Children's Aid Society, Catholic Children's Aid Society, Foster Day Care Association, and Welfare Institutions Office. B. Day Care of Children Foster Homes for Day Care During the year an acting executive director was appointed to the Foster Day Care Association, Vancouver, to replace Mrs. Kathleen Smith, who had given long and faithful service to this agency. A home-finder was also appointed, and this resulted in the licensing of a large number of new and suitable homes offering this service. The finding of safe homes where working mothers can place their REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 89 children is an important and necessary community programme. This service was expanded considerably during 1958 as a result of the work done by the Foster Day Care Association, which supervised this programme in the Vancouver area. Kindergartens, Play-schools, etc. The private kindergarten and pre-school programme continued to expand in British Columbia. Because a well-established training programme is set up, more qualified persons are now available for positions as pre-school supervisors. The British Columbia Pre-school Education Association continued to meet regularly, and the future aims of the group were consolidated. Schools for Retarded Children There was a sharp increase in the number of schools of this type licensed in 1958, as interest in the retarded child grew in the Province. The British Columbia Association for Retarded Children expanded its membership and services. The association 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 same basis as the normal child. MATERNITY HOMES There was no change in the status or programme of the three maternity homes serving the Province. AGED-CARE During 1958 there was considerable public interest in boarding homes and nursing homes for the elderly. Throughout the Province several local societies were incorporated, having as their aim to raise money to provide housing for the aged. Non-profit groups such as these can apply for financial grants from the Provincial Government under the terms of the Elderly Citizens' Housing Aid Act to help cover the cost of construction. During 1958 a start was made on the Dr. F. W. Greene Memorial Home for the aged in Cranbrook. Several new privately operated boarding homes were licensed during the year, and this type of establishment offers a home-like atmosphere to the elderly. Many of these homes are doing a very worth-while job in caring for persons in receipt of public assistance in their area. UNEMPLOYED ADULTS One of the five homes licensed for this type of care was closed in 1958. The Bethel Girls' Home, operated by the Mennonite Church, which had provided a home for girls seeking jobs and to become established, discontinued this service. The Narcotic Addiction Foundation of British Columbia opened a home as a treatment centre for addicts. There is residential care for four persons in the home and out-patient treatment is also offered. The programme consists of therapy and counselling from professional staff. SUMMER CAMPS Clear, through the gathering dusk, a bugle sounds, In quick response the campers turn from play; While through the silent hills the call resounds, They stand erect to honour close of day. A large number of new applications for licences for summer camps were received in 1958 as more organizations became interested in providing a camping O 90 BRITISH COLUMBIA experience for children. Continuing efforts to improve camping standards were made by the Department of Health and Welfare together with the Provincial Fire Marshal's office. This year, also, those camps which have electrical installations were inspected by the Provincial Electrical Energy Department for the first time. The British Columbia Camping Association continued to offer co-operation and advice to those interested in camping. A camp directory was published and the camp referral programme made it possible for underprivileged children to attend a camp. STATISTICAL INFORMATION Table I.—Showing a Comparative Summary of Information Regarding Licensed Welfare Institutions 1955 1956 1957 1958 Children—Total Care (Excluding Summer Camps) Number licensed—■ 10 58 500 150 596 189 92,264 37,316 58 3,765 15,861 149,616 222 10 59 452 142 516 171 89,678 38,058 67 4,214 16,736 165,867 221 8 33 5,637 180 104 9,636 162 237 781,558 21,374 19,628 163 2,510 3,645 761,642 5 75 504 17,338 3 115 278 209 26,307 9 54 385 120 468 155 91,446 33,089 73 4,891 21,578 200,516 243 13 35 6,310 227 140 11,022 227 277 883,865 27,017 23,879 170 2,671 3,775 803,705 5 75 557 19,809 3 115 319 235 29,309 9 46 Capacity—■ Institutions - 357 105 Number of children under care— 397 126 Number of days' care— 82,788 30,557 Summer Camps 74 5,280 Number of persons attending - 22,695 233,565 Children—Day Care Number licensed— 260 25 32 5,295 50 Capacity- 6,724 358 Foster day care Number of children enrolled— 154 8,640 247 745,563 20,087 167 2,426 3,612 724,980 4 69 411 17.012 3 115 271 201 26,671 172 11,392 340 320 Number of attendance days— Kindergartens . . - - — 940,628 42,917 Foster day care- Adults—Infirm and Unemployables 27,754 184 2,805 3,851 859,962 Adults—Employable 5 Capacity - _ 72 473 16,208 Women—Maternity 3 115 Number of persons under care—■ 327 Infants ... Number of days' care - .,: 259 28,795 REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 91 Table II.—Case Load Showing the Total Number of Licensed Institutions and Pending Applications, 1958 Licensed Licensed Jan. 1, 1958 Licensed in 1958 Licensed Insti- tions Closed in 1958 Total Cases Licensed at Dec. 31,1958 Children—total care— 43 9 72 217 12 30 111 34 5 3 3 2 43 13 20 38 1 6 2 36 5 10 23 1 1 40 9 72 Children—day care— 224 20 40 Aged— 126 34 Adults—employable - - _ 4 3 Totals 536 1 120 84 572 Licensed January 1st, 1958 Licensed in 1958 Closed 536 120 656 84 572 Licenses Pending Pending Jan. 1, 1958 New Cases in 1958 Closed in 1958 Total Pending Dec. 31,1958 Children—total care— 13 8 34 10 18 23 3 ___ 28 15 106 15 80 98 5 2 31 3 103 17 78 79 2 10 2. Inst'tutions. _. _ 3. Camps Children—day care— 1. Kindergartens 2. Schools for retarded children 3. Foster day care Aged— 20 37 8 20 42 6 2 Homes—maternity _ _ Totals _ 109 349 313 145 Carried from January 1st, 1958 New cases Closed Total Case Load Licensed Pending _ CONCLUSION 109 349 458 313 145 572 145 717 Sincere thanks and appreciation is extended to all who helped with the administration of this Act. Respectfully submitted. (Mrs.) Florence L. Ireland, Social Worker, on behalf of the late Mrs. E. L. Page. O 92 BRITISH COLUMBIA PART V.—MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK SERVICES SOCIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT, DIVISION OF - TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL During the year ending March 31st, 1959, the Division of Tuberculosis Control has continued to adapt service to the changing situation in relation to the treatment of tuberculosis. As shorter hospital-treatment time is required, the number of beds needed for in-patient treatment continues to decrease, but, of course, the turnover is faster. The plan to accommodate all patients requiring in-patient treatment in the Vancouver area was realized in October, 1958, when Tranquille Sanatorium closed after some fifty years of operation as a tuberculosis sanatorium. The closing of Tranquille had taken place gradually, beginning in 1954, when 300 patients were under treatment there, to September 23rd, 1959, when the remaining patients were transferred to the Vancouver units. Present treatment facilities for those patients requiring hospital care comprise 367 beds, of which 264 are at Pearson Tuberculosis Hospital and 103 at Willow Chest Centre. There were 734 admissions in 1958 and 831 discharges. In addition to offering hospital treatment, the Tuberculosis Division continues to serve all areas of the Province with diagnostic and follow-up service through stationary and travelling clinics, in co-operation with the Provincial Public Health Service. The 1958 annual report for the Division of Tuberculosis Control showed that there was an increase in the number of tuberculosis cases found by the survey clinics from 226 in 1957 to 265 in 1958, despite the fact that the number of X-rays taken was reduced by 90,000. This reduction in X-rays taken was due to greater selection of cases to be examined and the introduction of tuberculin testing as a screening method, but was due also in a large part to the fear of radiation. The number of new reported cases in the calendar year 1958 was 1,128, of which 754 were diagnosed as active. Major changes in the Social Service Department accompanied the consolidation of the in-patient treatment programme in the two Vancouver units. At the beginning of this year the position of Provincial Supervisor was deleted, and the administrative duties which remained became the responsibility of the Casework Supervisor. Social Service staff complement was established at three—a Casework Supervisor and two caseworkers. The Department was permitted time to accomplish this change to reduced staff so that service to patients could be maintained during the period of adjustment. By the end of July, 1958, the necessary staff reduction had taken place and there have been no staff changes since that time. One social worker is assigned to Willow Chest Centre, where service is offered to both hospital and clinic patients, and one social worker is assigned to Pearson Unit, where the case load consists of in-patients. The Supervisor carries a case load at Pearson unit but spends regular hours each week at Willow Chest Centre, where the headquarters of the Tuberculosis Division is located. The interdepartmental referral procedure described in the previous report has continued in use and is proving to be a satisfactory method of bringing the service of the Department to those patients who require help with social or emotional aspects of their illness, and has also been helpful in planning economical use of staff time. The Department has continued to place concise recordings of Social Service activity on medical records for the information of treatment personnel, and on all new admissions makes a note of potential areas of difficulty as revealed by home reports. The year's statistics indicate an increase in interstaff discussion in regard to planning for patients, as compared with the previous year. It can be assumed REPORT OF SOCIAL WELFARE BRANCH O 93 that both the referral procedure and the chart recording have contributed to this valuable 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 treatment plan of the patient. The Social Service Department has continued to use community resources on behalf of patients and their families and has worked co-operatively with many district Social Welfare offices, as well as with Greater Vancouver public and private social agencies, both in referring patients for service and in receiving requests for service from other agencies. The Social Service Department wishes to acknowledge the continued financial contributions from the British Columbia Tuberculosis Society and the Mt. Garibaldi Chapter and the Municipal Chapter of the I.O.D.E. These contributions are used to meet emergency needs of patients for whom no other resources are available. During the year staff participated in the education programmes of the nursing education department of the Tuberculosis Division and in the training programme of the Social Welfare Branch. Total number of casework interviews with patients by staff in all units was 1,726. Total number of conferences with other professional workers was 1,953. Respectfully submitted. (Mrs.) M. Titterington, Casework Supervisor. ' O 94 BRITISH COLUMBIA PART VI.—ACCOUNTING DIVISION The functions of the Accounting Division are to control expenditures, process accounts for payment, account for revenue, forecast expenditures, and prepare the Departmental estimates of revenue and expenditures in their final form. The gross expenditure increased from $28,888,200 in 1957/58 to $35,264,700 in 1958/59, or $6,376,500. This was an increase of slightly more than 22 per cent, and the large increase in Social Allowances was due not only to an increase in case load but also to an increase in basic rates effective April 1st, 1958. Proportion of Total Welfare Expenditure Main Service 1957/58 1958/59 Per Cent Value Per Cent Value 1.7 2.8 4.5 7.6 9.9 28.6 44.9 $497,500 816,800 1,289,700 2,185,000 2,853,900 8,259,300 12,986,000 1.4 2.2 3.5 6.9 9.0 37.4 39.6 $495,700 771,800 1,255,000 2,444,900 Medical services, drugs, optical, etc. ' — 3,156,800 13,177,000 Old-age Assistance, Blind Persons' Allowance, Disabled Persons' Allowance, and supplementary social assist- 13,963,500 100.0 $28,888,200 100.0 $35,264,700 It is interesting to note that expenditure on Social Allowance in 1958/59 is nearly as large as that on Old-age Assistance, Blind Persons' Allowance, Disabled Persons' Allowance, and supplementary social assistance for the aged and handicapped. The allowances paid directly to the individuals receiving the benefit (Old-age Assistance, Disabled Persons' Allowance, Blind Persons' Allowance, and supplementary social assistance for the aged and handicapped, Social Allowance, and Mothers' Allowance) formed 77 per cent of the total expenditure. Payments to foster-parents, health services, institutional care, and the cost of social workers' services were 21.6 per cent of the total expenditure. The balance, 1.4 per cent, was for operations which were solely administrative. The Accounting Division continued to produce a monthly report on case loads and 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. During the year the total mileage on cars driven by staff members was 991,613, including eighty-nine Government-owned cars driven 581,568 miles and ninety- eight privately owned cars driven 410,045 miles paid for on a mileage basis. Respectfully submitted. J. McDiarmid, Departmental Comptroller. Printed by Don McDiarmid, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in right of the Province of British Columbia. 1960 1,060-1259-1831 """@en ; edm:hasType "Legislative proceedings"@en ; dcterms:identifier "J110.L5 S7"@en, "1960_V02_07_O1_O94"@en ; edm:isShownAt "10.14288/1.0355697"@en ; dcterms:language "English"@en ; edm:provider "Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library"@en ; dcterms:publisher "Victoria, BC : Government Printer"@en ; dcterms:rights "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 ; dcterms:source "Original Format: Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Library. Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia"@en ; dcterms:title "Annual Report of the Department of Social Welfare for the YEAR ENDED MARCH 31ST 1959"@en ; dcterms:type "Text"@en ; dcterms:description ""@en .