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British Columbia Historical Books Collection
Service Clubs of Vancouver City
British Columbia Child Welfare Survey Committee
"Child care and protection in B.C., with short accounts of the different agencies involved."-- Edwards, M. H., Lort, J. C. R., & Carmichael, W. J. (1975). A bibliography of British Columbia: Years of growth, 1900-1950. Victoria, BC: University of Victoria, p. 28.
92 pages ; 23 cm
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H- SUjmri of % Irtttalj Ototatttbta INITIATED BY THE SERVICE CLUBS OF VANCOUVER CITY 1927 Published by THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CHILD WELFARE SURVEY COMMITTEE Vancouver, B. C. N.B.—For additional copies of this report write The Canadian Council on Child Welfare, 408 Plaza Building, Ottawa, Ontario. Stejmrt of % Irtttjsij (Entombta INITIATED BY THE SERVICE CLUBS OF VANCOUVER CITY 1927 Published by THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CHILD WELFARE SURVEY COMMITTEE Vancouver, B. C. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION— I. Letter of Transmittal. II. British Columbia Child Welfare Survey Committee. III. Preface. IV. British Columbia Child Welfare Survey. V. Personnel—B. C. Child Welfare Survey Staff. SURVEY REPORT— I. General Report. 1. General Background of Chilct Care and Protection in British Columbia; Existing Facilities for Child Care and Protection in British Columbia; Municipal and Provincial Responsibilities for Child Care and Protection; Problems of Infant Care and Unmarried Parenthood; Institutional Care of Children. 2. Recommendations. II. The Field of Family Service. I III. Catholic Welfare Work. | IV. Co-ordination of Social Work in Vancouver. V. Child Welfare Legislation. 1. General Comment. 2. The Infants' Act. *j 3. The Adoption Act. 4. The Children of Unmarried Parents'- Act. 5. Miscellaneous Legislation. VI. British Columbia's Child Caring Agencies. 1. Children's Aid Society, Vancouver. 2. Children's Aid Society, Victoria. 3. Roman Catholic Children's Aid Society, Vancouver, j 4. The Monastery, Vancouver. v 5. St. Ann's Schools, Nanaimo and Duncan, i 6. Providence Orphanage, New Westminster. 1 7. Protestant Orphans' Home, Victoria. 8. Loyal Orange and True Blue Home, New Westminster. 9. Alexandra Home, Vancouver. 10. Ridley Home, Prince Rupert. H. Home for Orientals, Victoria. 12. United Church Home for Girls, Burnaby. 13. Salvation Army Home, Vancouver. 14. W.C.T.U. Protective Home, Victoria. 26 Fairfield Building, Vancouver, B. C. June 1st, 1927 C. J. McNeely, Esq., Chairman, The British Columbia Child Welfare Survey Committee, Vancouver, B. C. Dear Mr. McNeely: I have the honour of presenting, herewith, the Report of the British Columbia Child Welfare Survey. The preface and introductory statement explain in detail the method followed in making the Survey. On behalf of the Executive of the Canadian Council on Child Welfare, Mr. Robert E. Mills, Director of the Survey, and our Colleagues in the undertaking, may I express our sincere appreciation of the courtesy, co-operation and splendid support accorded the staff during our work in your province. We wish especially to record the sympathetic treatment which our work has received from the press of British Columbia. Mention should also be made of the valuable co-operation received from the executive officers of the social agencies, and from the public officials in charge of municipal and provincial administration in the field in which we were engaged. If the work, which we have been privileged to do in British Columbia, prove of any permanent value it will be due in no small measure to the generous spirit in which we were received and assisted by the citizens and agencies of your province. Yours very truly, CHARLOTTE WHITTON, Executive Secretary CANADIAN COUNCIL ON CHILD WELFARE. BRITISH COLUMBIA CHILD WELFARE SURVEY COMMITTEE C. J. McNeely, Esq., Chairman , Vancouver, B. C. A. R. McFarlane, Esq., Secretary-Treasurer Vancouver Rotary Club Geo. Gamble, Esq Vancouver Kiwanis Club H. G. Wright, Esq Vancouver Lions Club Rev. A. H. Sovereign Vancouver Gyro Club Percy White, Esq I Kinsmen Club of Vancouver H. M. Drost, Esq Vancouver Knights of the Round Table Fred. Mason, Esq United Commercial Travellers of British Columbia Joseph Morris, Esq '. ....Vancouver Elks Club Fred. Dietrich, Esq Vancouver General Hospital Mrs. E. D. Carder Vancouver General Hospital, Infants' Department Major A. Layman Salvation Army Rev. Father O'Boyle Roman Catholic Charities Mrs. E. Caspell Local Council of Women Mrs. A. U. dePencier Provincial Chapter, Imperial Order, Daughters of the Empire Mrs. J. Z. Hall. Vancouver Victorian Order of Nurses Dean M. L. Bollert Canadian Federation of University Women Dr. Isabel Day University Women's Club, Vancouver Mrs. Joseph Morris Harmony Service Club, Vancouver H. R. Glass, Esq , Children's Aid Society, Vancouver John Dougherty, Esq Roman Catholic? Children's Aid Society W. H. Leckie, Esq United Church Protective Home, Burnaby H. H. Morris, Esq Alexandra Orphanage, Vancouver W. W. Hilton, Esq Loyal Orange and True Blue Home, New Westminster Max Grossman, Esq | Vancouver, B. C. A. Z. DeLong, Esq Vancouver, B. C. VICTORIA MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE R. S. Anderson, Esq., Sub-Chairman Social Service League, Victoria Mrs. James Pilgrim Friendly Help Association Mrs. Walker Protestant Orphanage Mrs. C. D. Schofield Central Council of Social Agencies Mrs. John Hall, W.C.T.U. Protective Home Miss Oldfield Victorian Order of Nurses W. E. Nachtrieb, Esq «. Victoria Rotary Club Rev. W. M. Scott Victoria Kiwanis Club Mrs. J. Hebden-Gillespie 1 Mrs. Miles / MumciPal Chapter, I.O.D.E. Mrs. Wm. McManus Catholic Women's League Dr. Price, M.H.O. ; Victoria Mrs. Denton Holmes ; ; . Victoria Mr. Merrix * Victoria Miss Olive Snyder, Secretary Victoria PREFACE HE purpose of the survey has been not merely, nor even primarily, to write a report but rather to get results. The fact that the child welfare, problems of British Columbia will necessarily have to be worked out by British Columbia has been constantly kept in mind and the Survey has endeavoured to be stimulating and constructive as well as merely informative. Throughout the more or less extended periods during which the various members of the staff have been studying local conditions on the ground, periods varying from two weeks to three months, a very large number of valuable contacts have been established and serious effort has been made to utilize the opportunities presented. Many important people have been interviewed among the workers in related fields of social work as well as in child caring organizations, individual board members and interested citizens have been seen, municipal and provincial officials have been consulted, numerous conferences have been held, and addresses have been given to thirty or more meetings. The survey staff believe that, in this direct and personal way, their chief contribution had already been made before the presentation of any of the reports. The unpublished, detailed, individual reports made to the boards of the various organizations perhaps rank next in value. These, together with the printed general report, afe left with the community largely as suggesting a standard to which to work during the next few years. There has been no attempt to offer new or drastic suggestions in any of the reports. Their purpose has been to present to British Columbia only an analysis of the present situation and to point the way to the application of well recognized and generally accepted methods and standards of modern social practice in child caring and child protection. J&S^Sft; THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CHILD WELFARE SURVEY In 1925, the Rotary Club of Vancouver had accumulated a considerable amount of money, to be devoted to community service. Several appeals for assistance were made to the Board of Directors by different social agencies at work in the community. The Board felt that a careful inquiry should be instituted in respect to the various undertakings which might be considered worthy of donations from these surplus funds. A special committee was accordingly formed to inquire into, and advise Upon the respective merits of the different causes seeking support. The Club, on report of this Committee, voted $10,000 toward the erection of a Preventorium. Though the Committee had been appointed for this specific piece of work, it felt that the conditions discovered in the field of child protection in Vancouver City imposed an obligation of reporting further than the terms of the original reference. /The Committee stated that it had found the child caring institutions of Vancouver crowded to capacity, with almost daily demands being made for more admissions. Practically no work was being done with the child's own family group to remove the necessity of taking him into care./ If he were separated from his family there was no emphasis placed on substituting for his own home the next best thing, another family home. Almost the only type of service provided for the child in danger of neglect or dependency was institutional care. Such family homes as were being utilized were almost entirely "free work" homes, where the child was "earning his keep," or free adoptive homes. This special Committee of the Rotary Club felt that with the continual growth of the city, and the accompanying increase in its social problems, the situation in this field of child care would rapidly prove an overwhelming burden unless some change in policy were adopted by the child caring agencies. The members of the Board, therefore, felt that their special Committee before being dismissed should get in touch with the responsible officers of these various agencies, and consult with them as to the possibility of some more effective measures of meeting these problems./ When, however, this special Committee began to explore the ramifications of the problem, in collaboration with some of the child caring agencies, the members came to the conclusion that the undertaking was too vast and complicated for successful handling by laymen. They reported back, that in their estimation experienced technical advice was required. Accordingly the Canadian 8 Council on Child Welfare was consulted. Its officials recommended a comprehensive survey of the whole field of child care and protection in the province of British Columbia, to be carried out under the general supervision of a representative local Committee. This suggestion was brought before the various Service Clubs of Vancouver and representative officials of different child caring agencies at work in the Province. The suggestion was cordially approved and the Council on Child Welfare was asked to take charge of the study. Five Service Clubs of Vancouver generously agreed to meet the entire cost involved. These were the Vancouver Rotary Club, the Vancouver Kiwanis Club, the Vancouver Lions Club, the Vancouver Gyro Club and the Harmony Service Club of Vancouver. Jonathan Rogers, Esq., kindly donated office space for the executive offices during the Survey. Representatives of the Service Clubs also assumed the responsi- - bility of creating the Survey Committee. This committee included those appointed by the Agencies active in this field of work throughout the Province and also representatives from all of the Service Clubs in Vancouver, and the Rotary Club and the Kiwanis Club of Victoria. It also numbered appointees from the Jewish societies; the United Commercial Travellers; the Elks Club of Vancouver; the Vancouver General Hospital; the Salvation Army; the Roman Catholic Charities in both Vancouver and Victoria; the Local Council of Women of Vancouver; the Imperial J3rder, Daughters of the Empire (Provincial); Victorian Order of Nurses, Vancouver and Victoria; Canadian Federation of University Women and the University Women's Club of Vancouver. The Canadian Council on Child Welfare accepted responsibility for the creation of a field staff to conduct the Survey. Through the generous interest and co-operation of his own Board, Robert E. Mills, M.A., Director of the Children's Aid Society of Toronto, was made available as Director of the Survey. Miss Margaret Nairn, a graduate of the Department of Social Service, University of Toronto, and an experienced worker in the family field, was engaged as field secretary to conduct the Survey. The Infants' Home, Toronto, whose work in the family home care of young children is internationally known, generously lent Miss J. Vera Moberley, Executive Secretary, to advise on infant care and unmarried parenthood problems. Through the interest of His Grace Archbishop McNeil of Toronto, the Catholic Welfare Bureau of that Archdiocese lent the Chief of its Family Division, Miss Leila 0'Gorman, as special adviser on the organization of the Roman Catholic Charities. The general organization of the Survey, etc., was in charge of the Executive Secretary of the Canadian Council oh Child Welfare, Miss Charlotte Whitton, of Ottawa. . 9 SURVEY STAFF Director: Robert E. Mills, M. A., Toronto Director Children's Aid Society, Toronto, Ontario Formerly Director Social Welfare Division, Toronto Department of Health. Field Secretary: Miss Margaret K. Nairn, Toronto Formerly Associate Family Work Supervisor, Neighborhood Workers' Association, Toronto. - Adviser on Infant Care: Miss J. Vera Moberley, Toronto Executive Secretary, Toronto Infants' Home Adviser on Catholic Agencies: Miss Leila O'Gorman, Toronto Chief, Family Work Division, Catholic Welfare Bureau, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. General: Miss Charlotte Whitton, M.A., Ottawa Executive Secretary, Canadian Council on Child Welfare, Ottawa, Ontario. 10 GENERAL REPORT OF THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CHILD WELFARE SURVEY, 1927 SCOPE OP SURVEY, CHILD PROTECTION AND CARE The Survey is concerned with child protection and child caring work in the Province of British Columbia. By reason of their immaturity, children are essentially dependent upon others for proper direction and control, as well as for supplying their material needs. Normally they look to their parents for this guardianship and support, but unfortunately many situations arise in which they would look in vain to the natural source. Circumstances develop in which parents who are reasonably competent guardians find themselves unable to give the care their child requires. In other cases parents demonstrate their total unfitness to provide responsible guardianship, or guardianship is entirely lacking because of death or disappearance. It is these two types of situation that bring children into the care of the organizations with which this Survey is primarily concerned. However, the Survey has been interested indirectly in many special forms of children's work in the Province (some of which actually have the child in care) such as hospitals, clinics, public health services, school, medical and nursing services, city relief, hospital social service, juvenile courts and probation systems, institutions for delinquents, recreation services, and numerous others, because they are the community resources that stand behind the parent or pseudo parent who undertakes the care of a child. Suggestions will be made with reference to some of these supplementary services as occasion arises in discussing the ordinary provision for ensuring to each and every child a reasonably safe and decent upbringing. For various reasons it is difficult to present a clear cut idea of the size of the problem CHILD^CARE AN] °^ cn^ protection and child caring in British PROTECTION Columbia. The number of children being actually cared for in institutions for children conveys only part of the picture. A large number of children are a responsibility of the Mothers' Pensions Board, and certain groups fall within the scope of the Department of Soldiers' Civil Re-Establishment. Others are subject to the Federal guardianship of Indians. Many organizations not intended for the ordinary care of dependent children accept, under pressure of circumstances, occasional cases. The Salvation Army Hospital has usually six 11 MEASUREMENT OP PROBLEM OF or eight such children under 5; the Infant's Hospital is forced to keep a few well babies; and the United Church Home, primarily for unmarried mothers, receives child protection cases from time to time. While the numbers are not large, they indicate inadequacy of the proper agencies. A further suggestion of the extent of the problem is found in the fact that in Vancouver alone 103 babies and young children are cared for apart from their parents in licensed boarding homes and there is every reason to believe that many more are being looked after in similar homes elsewhere without any system of licensing. Most of these cases present social problems. Also, we are convinced that a fair proportion of the 140 legal adoptions granted last year indicated unsolved social situations. The number of children resident in eleven institutions for the care of dependent children in British Columbia is roughly 642 distributed as follows: Children's Aid Society of Vancouver, Shelter 180 Children's Aid Society of Victoria, Shelter 31 Roman Catholic Children's Aid Society, Shelter, Vancouver 19 Boys' Home, Burnaby 25 The Monastery, Vancouver 30 v Providence Orphanage, Vancouver 150 Protestant Orphans' Home, Victoria 45 Orange and True Blue Orphanage, New Westminster 40 Alexandra Home, Vancouver 62 Ridley Home, Prince Rupert 30 Oriental Home, Victoria 1 30 jSgg 642 The Roman Catholic Children's Aid Society has 86 wards in the Providence Orphanage, 10 in the Monastery and 15 boarded in private homes. The Children's Aid Society of Vancouver has 9 children in boarding homes. There are, in addition, many children in care of the various Children's Aid Societies who are placed out in free foster homes. The number is unknown. Two Roman Catholic boarding 'schools on Vancouver Island, St. Ann's Boys' School and St. Ann's Girls' School, have together 141 children in residence, many of whom do not pay the full cost of their caj^e, about 45 paying nothing. Broadly speaking, all of the various institutions listed do simple child caring work. By this we mean that they receive children who are merely in need of care, usually very temporary in duration, such care being given as an assistance to the parent or guardian. The Children's Aid Societies, in addition, have the state function of child protection, and accept guardianship of children who become public wards because their natural guardianship has been declared absolutely inadequate by the Court. 12 SOCIAL FIELD WORK, THE PROVINCE'S GREATEST NEED The idea is prevalent in British Columbia that the proper care and upbringing of the children actually in their charge! is the beginning and end of the task of these organizations. The Survey takes the very first opportunity to correct this impression with all the emphasis that it can command, because it believes that a proper understanding and appreciation of the real task of child protection and caring is the community's greatest need. The fundamental job of child care and protection is to make the child's natural environment one to which he can adapt himself with reasonable safety. No matter how conducted, his care and training must all be for the purpose of adjusting him in the end to just such a normal community environment. It is not in institutions that he will have to live and work when he grows up, but in a neighborhood in which family life is the centre and innumerable complex contacts crowd upon him. A child's own family has long been recognized to be the best institution for his nurture and upbringing, but the tremendous value and importance of family ties and the ruinous results from their severance are being more fully understood as sociology and psychology develop. Eighteen years ago the White House Conference expressed the consensus of the best opinion throughout this continent that the major effort should be to make the child's home reasonably suitable for him, and this conclusion has been re-affirmed in every representative conference since where it was not considered too self-evident to be discussed. Nevertheless we find in British Columbia a very fair development of institutional care for children and a surprising lack of organization and effort to keep children in their own homes. The child-caring organizations of this province employ upwards of 80 workers to care for children inside institutional walls, but not one single social field worker to give such skilled assistance and make such adjustments as would render institutional admission unnecessary or would hasten return to normal environment. Mothers' Pensions and Workmen's Compensation have done what they could in this direction by the provision of funds for the support of children under certain definite circumstances. In the large cities the City Relief Departments have done what was possible with City Relief. The institutions themselves have added just another form of relief—indoor relief—and nowhere in the community picture is the place of skilled, constructive service properly emphasized. Relief in its various forms is merely one type of medicine available in the treatment of social ills. The causes pushing children into institutions now are mostly matters of conduct and relationships of adults where relief is no real solution of the problem. 13 NEED OP CONSTRUCTIVE FAMILY CASE WORK IN THE COMMUNITY The community is well supplied with certain drugs, but painfully lacking in social physicians to diagnose needs and carry out treatments. In various special fields such as juvenile delinquency, health, etc., fairly adequate provision is made, but these are the specialists of social practice. The general practitioner—the family case worker —is as fundamental a necessity in social work as in medicine. As a background, then, to child caring and protection work, the community as a whole will be well advised to develop as vigorously as possible resources for general constructive family casework to supplement the relief and specialized services already available. The Social Service League of Victoria has made a notable beginning along sound lines. In Vancouver and perhaps some other places the City Relief Departments are functioning excellently as such, but are subject to the grave limitations of "City" and "Relief." The Social Service Auxiliary to the Hospital, we are informed, foreshadowed a development similar to the League in Victoria but the need is still unmet for family case-work service apart from relief. NEED OF FIELD WORK IN ALL CHILD CARING ORGANIZATIONS But even if the general resources of the community for family work were adequately developed, the child caring organizations would be faced by the necessity of obtaining facilities for proper investigation and constructive field service. To the client applying for admission of a child, institutional care appears the best solution of her problems, but an endless amount of information must be gathered and possibilities explored before the skilled social worker would reach the same conclusion. And even if it becomes necessary to admit the child to care the application will have brought the social skill of the worker to bear upon the problem of which the need for institutional admission was only a symptom. And often such a worker can set in motion activities that result in time in the child's return to his normal life. With few exceptions the child caring institutions of British Columbia are overcrowded, and nearly all are clamouring for more adequate buildings to be erected. Upwards of $200,000 has been spent by these organizations on new buildings in the last five years and building programs are more or less definitely in mind involving the expenditure of $400,000 more. Unless constructive admission social work is introduced into the situation, the demand for buildings will continue to grow faster than the community can possibly finance. In this connection the experience of some other communities is instructive. The several Roman Catholic children's institutions of Toronto were crowded, and a campaign was about to be launched to build U another institution to relieve the pressure. Instead, the Catholic Welfare Bureau provided intensive social field work for the institutions, with the result that in eight months the number of children in care was cut in half. Instead of spending over $100,000 on additional buildings, one of those already in use has been turned into a hospital and replaced by a smaller plant. The saving is said to be sufficient to pay the cost of the Catholic Welfare Bureau Administration of a large city. The development of family work was also largely responsible- for the reduction in numbers of the children in the three large Protestant institutions of Toronto from a condition of overcrowding to the point four years ago where they were running at half their capacity and only enough children remained in care to provide a job for two institutions. The amalgamation of two of these homes has resulted, and the largest building has been sold to the Board of Education for work with defective children. For some time the children's institutions of Winnipeg have been feeling the need of additional accommodation, but funds for maintenance have been difficult enough to secure and capital expenditures were out of the question. Constructive social field work, obtained by the co-operative effort of ten institutions which operate the Children's Bureau of Winnipeg, is solving their problem. In only 401 per cent, of the applications investigated' by the Bureau has it been necessary to recommend institutional admission. A somewhat similar situation among the Children's Institutions of Ottawa is being met in a like manner. The conclusion is abundantly clear that adequate field service will not only improve the service to the child, but will also reduce the outlay necessary for buildings and equipment. SPECIAL NEED while the need of field staff is great in all the child caring institutions, it is specially obvious in the Children's Aid Societies. According to the Infants' Act a Children's Aid Society exists primarily for the '' protection of children from cruelty, the safeguarding of the young, and the care and control of neglected children." - The Children's Aid Societies of British Columbia have confined their activities very largely to the last phrase of the definition, the amount of actual work done in the protection of children and "safeguarding of the young" being almost negligible. The Children's Aid Societies without exception have done little more than provide institutional and placement care for specific children. The following quotation from the last annual report of the Winnipeg Children's Aid Society presents the accepted view of such a society's chief work: "With a view to securing justice for every child it is essential that the society has in its employ trained social workers qualified to investigate from every angle the many problems surrounding the 15 FOR FIELD WORK IN CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETIES lives of our children. These persons must be of good Christian character, tactful, resourceful, and have the child's interest at heart. They must also be humane in all their dealings with the parents whom they are called upon to advise and guide if a reformation on the part of the parents or the rehabilitation of a home is to be hoped for. The next step is to ascertain the fundamental cause of complaint, and to determine by careful investigation what action is necessary. The duty then devolves upon the agent to endeavor to remove the cause of complaint by advising and guiding the parents, and urging upon them the necessity of assuming their sacred obligations toward their own flesh and blood. Failing a discontinuance of the cause of complaint, or an improvement in the home after a reasonable period of friendly supervision, there is no other alternative but to evoke the aid of the law. The Society is then empowered to apprehend children and have the parents appear before a Judge, which results in the Society being constituted the Guardian of the children during their minority. The duty then devolves upon the Society to provide adequately for the future care of the child." The Children's Aid Society of Toronto has four carefully trained case workers engaged solely in the problems of the child in its own home. Last year they handled 1,101 city cases involving the interests of 2,660 children. Out of this great number it was found necessary to admit to care for shorter or longer periods, not more than 323 children, and only 80 had to be made wards of the society (3%). With this field force already working, it is significant to note in the last Annual Report of the Toronto Society the statement that "our field staff is not up to half the strength required to do the work already in hand as it really should be done." METHODS OF CARING FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE ADMITTED The children actually received into the custody of child caring or child protection organizations are provided for either in institutional buildings or in family homes acting for the institution. As nearly as we can ascertain the facts there are at present in British Columbia about 642 such children in institutional buildings, but it is impossible to do more than guess at the numbers in family homes as the figures actually are not known to the Societies themselves. The tendency among the various organizations is to view these children as no lynger in their care, and to speak of only those on the institutional property or vouchers as their charges. While this is quite wrong, it accords with existing conditions in that practically all placements of children in family homes in this Province are in free or wage homes on the so-called "adoption" or "indenture" plan, and virtually no attempt at control or supervision is made after once the child leaves the institution. The number of children placed by 16 zh~::z:-~^. - ___ IMPORTANCE OF CHILD PLACING IN FAMILIES the organizations in family boarding homes* is known to be only about 25. . We have already referred to the tremendous importance of family life in the nurture and training of children. If the child's own home fails him utterly, the consensus of modern opinion is that the very best substitute is another family home as nearly as possible like what his own home should have been. Even institutional people recognize this principle in striving by the small cottage system, and in every other way, to make their institutions approximate as nearly as possible to the family home. Apart from the fact that, when this principle is consistently followed in institutional design and management, the cost becomes prohibitive, one naturally asks: Why be, content with an imitation when the real thing is available? . Child placing in families by child caring organizations has | acquired a quite unjustifiable ill-repute in British Columbia, because of two most unfortunate facts: (1) It has been practised largely as a means for the cheap disposal of the child and therefore has been confined to adoption or wage placements, many children being so placed who should never have been in free homes; (2) It has been carried out in an unspeakably haphazard manner. Child placing such as the Survey has in mind bears no relationship to the I' farming out'' that has been practised in this Province. It recognizes only the best interest of the child. If a free home is available that can give the child all that he needs—psychologically as well as materially—of course the free home is to be used. But obviously many children are not suitable for adoption or free placement. Children whose parents still have claims upon them of course are of this number, but nevertheless they need the advantages of family care. Young infants of unknown or questionable heredity certainly should not. be adopted until they are old enough to show clearly what their initial equipment is if they are to be spared the tragedy of growing up unwanted children without the tie of blood to soften the foster parent's disappointment. Children whose habits and characters have been definitely formed under undesirable conditions are not likely to be adopted by people who hope to make them really members of their families, to take their places and carry on their traditions, and all such placements must be viewed with suspicion as probably based upon exploitation rather than the child's best interest. For all of these the need of family care is even greater than that of the normally situated or the personally attractive child. In the modern conception of child placing the free home is not the only alternative to institutional upbringing. The boarding home is the answer. *NOTE:—"Foster Homes" is used as a general term to describe any home other than his own in which a child is placed for care, regardless of the terms upon which his support is arranged. Foster Homes are divided into Boarding Homes and Free Homes. Free Homes may be further divided into Wage Homes and Indenture Homes, etc. -^ill 17 |#3 REQUIREMENTS OF CHILD PLACING AND CASE WORK Irrespective of whether a family placement is in a free home or a boarding home, it must be made with the greatest care and ... consummate skill. The most exhaustive investigation and study \ of the home offered must be made in order to determine not only its respectability and good intentions, but, what is quite as important, its qualities and peculiarities—the subtle but significant characteristics that make it suitable for a particular type of child, or possibly unsuitable for any child. An equally thorough study must be made of the child, his history, and his environment in order to gauge his needs and to determine the type of home into which he will best fit. After the child has been placed in a home, the most painstaking supervision must be given, not so much to detect abuse—for sound original placement work would make that unlikely—but chiefly to assist in the adjustment of the home to the child and the child to the home and to remove him at the earliest possible moment to a more workable placement should such adjustment prove not to be feasible. All of this service requires a deal of doing. The constant attention of the worker must be given wholeheartedly to the job. Spasmodic occasional interest and activity is doomed to disappointment in so exacting a task. The worker must be carefully selected for the purpose, of good stock and wholesome social background, well educated and gifted with sound good sense. She must, in addition to all this, be specially trained in the social significance of the various factors in her work, and in the highly specialized technique that has been tdeveloped in this field. She must be to some degree at once a diplomat, a psychologist, a teacher, and a sociologist. Elaborate working records must be made and used. The resources of the community for assistance must be diligently sought out and developed and all the many avenues of co-operation must be constantly kept open. All of these requirements of child placing apply with equal force to the social case work and the workers concerned with the child in his own home. Such trained workers are not at present available in British Columbia. Until such time as facilities for training are developed within the Province it will be necessary to look elsewhere for workers for at least the key positions in social case work and child placing. HOW CAN ADEQUATE FIELD SERVICE BE OBTAINED FOR CHILDREN'S AID WORK? The question how the two types of field service described can best be obtained for the various organizations is the most important encountered by the Survey. Its discussion will be simplified by treating the Children's Aid Society group and the. purely child caring group of organizations separately. 18 A consideration of the problems of adequate field organization for Children's Aid Society service throughout the Province will be facilitated by a brief resume of the present situation and a statement of some general principles. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF AREA TO BE SERVED The Province of British Columbia occupies a rectangular area some 550 miles long and 760 miles deep. The total population of the Province is estimated at only 594,000, of which 560,000 or 94 per cent, are m a small triangle based on the southern boundary, comprising less than one sixth of the whole area of the Province. The huge remaining area to the north is very sparsely settled. Sixty per cent, of the population of the Province is located in greater Vancouver and Victoria, the remaining municipalities bringing the population of the municipally organized area up to about seventy-five per cent, of the whole. However, the part of the Province that is without municipal organization, the municipal functions in which fall to the Province to perform, while containing only twenty-five per cent, of the entire population, constitutes ninety-nine and a half per cent, of the total area to be covered. EXISTING ^° mee^ *ne Children's Aid type of res- CHILDREN'S ponsibility for the whole Province Of British aid facilities Columbia as set out in part III. of the Infant's Act, there are four agencies with the official powers and status necessary, namely, the Children's Aid Society of Vancouver, the Children's Aid Society of Victoria, the Roman Catholic Children's Aid Society situated in Vancouver, and the Provincial Superintendent of Neglected Children, who has all the powers of a Children's Aid Society., Each of the Children's Aid Societies conducts a shelter institution, the number of children in residence at present being approximately : Children's Aid Society of Vancouver .....180 Children's Aid Society of Victoria 31 Roman Catholic Children's Aid Society (two buildings).... 50 The Roman Catholic Society has 86 ward children in the Providence Orphanage, 10 in the Monastery and about 15 in private homes at board. The Vancouver Society also has some 9 children in boarding homes. As has already been stated, the number of children in free home placements is unknown, but would probably total at least 500 for the various organizations. The Vancouver Society and the Roman Catholic Society have each a superintendent. In addition to administering their shelter institutions, these two men, together with the Provincial Superintendent, have the task of conducting in person the- whole of the child protection and guardianship of neglected children for the Province of British Columbia. 19 DIVISION OF WORK AND COST OF FIELD SERVICE BETWEEN SOCIETIES AND GOVERNMENT The Infants' Act provides for the maintenance by the municipality of children committed by. a court to a Children's Aid Society if they belong to a municipality, or by the Province if they belong in an unorganized area, but no arrangement is made for a similar distribution of the costs of the protective and supervisory field services that are not included in the maintenance of children. Nor have the spheres of operation of the various Children's Aid agencies ever been defined. Therefore the urgent questions are how best can the work be divided between the local Societies and the Provincial Superintendent and what should be the respective financial responsibilities of the Provincial Government, the municipal corporations, and private philanthropy. WORK SHOULD BE ON LOCAL BASIS With reference-to the question of how the work should be divided, and looking to the future, we would make the general observation that we are convinced of the desirability of linking up the work to local interest and control wherever and as soon as it is possible to do so. Doubtless a highly centralized provincial system would be easier to administer, and, when everything is favorable, might give more uniform results. But it must invariably lose the direct, intelligent and informed sympathy and support of the people who should be interested. To an unnecessary degree local knowledge of people and conditions must then be replaced by investigation technique. Moreover, when time of stress arrives—when the demands of economy or political indifference threaten the standards of the work—or when some reform needs to be advocated—there would be no considerable or coherent body of informed public opinion to make itself felt in the support of the work. It is therefore our opinion that one of the chief functions of the Provincial Superintendent should be as stated in the Act, "to encourage and assist in the establishment of Children's Aid Societies." This should not be a mere gesture, but a seriously undertaken piece of community organization work. We' believe that, with adequate leadership and assistance, certain sections of the Province are sufficiently developed to be able to assume their own children's aid responsibilities. We believe that this would be in the best interest of those communities as well as of the Province I and the work. Communities, like individuals, can very easily be pauperized. Looking into the future we would expect to see the area in which there is no local children's aid organization gradually diminishing until finally very little remains dependent upon the service of other communities or the Provincial Department. We believe that the local Children's Aid Societies should not at this stage of development limit their field activities to the cities in 20 PROVINCIAL SUPERINTENDENT SHOULD ORGANIZE AND ENCOURAGE LOCAL WORK which nominally they operate. Rather they should each roughly mark out a zone in which, with the assistance of the Province, they would endeavor to meet the needs. We understand that a fairly large proportion of the cases of the Vancouver Society, for example, are from families who make more or less temporary settlement in or about mining or lumbering camps around Vancouver, but establish no very definite roots in their communities, working always with Vancouver as a base, and being inclined to fall back upon Vancouver in any emergency. Obviously one end of the case work job in such a case will be done in Vancouver, which would indicate the desirability of a Vancouver organization functioning. Certainly this conclusion would seem to be incontestable so long as it is reinforced by the fact that the children are committed to the Vancouver Society and placement will have to be done by that Society. AS FAR AS POSSIBLE WORK SHOULD BE DONE BY LOCAL SOCIETY So far as is feasible we believe that supervision of children placed- out should be conducted by the society making the placement. The job being such a delicate piece of adjusting, it does not seem reasonable to leave it to a worker unfamiliar with the study made of either the child or the family unless distance makes such an arrangement imperative. Within a certain area, or even on selected other cases, the society should plan to supervise its own placements. This does not necessarily rule out any supervisory contact in such cases from representatives of the Provincial Superintendent, who is authorized to "supervise the visiting of any place where a child is placed pursuant to the provisions of this act." This, of course, would be only such visiting as he believes necessary to assure himself of the standard of work being carried on. PROVINCIAL SUPERINTEN DENT In parts of the Province not covered by such zones or understandings the Provincial Superintendent's Department should be responsible for all Children's Aid Society work including the actual visiting of wards placed out, and even within these zones the Department should be able to co-operate as mutual arrangement suggests. It is essential, however, in all these co-operative adjustments to keep clearly in mind the simple fact that the organization to whom the child has been committed is his legal guardian and is fully responsible for everything connected with his welfare. Anything that is done by another organization in exercising this guardianship must be done merely as the agent of the guardian. If, for example, the Provincial Department is called upon to visit a ward of the Vancouver Children's Aid Society, the Province does not thereby take over the Society's responsibilities but merely contributes a service as a piece of co-operation. If the Vancouver Society visits a ward of the Victoria Society that happens to be placed in its area, it does so merely as an agent or assistant of the Victoria Society. Similarly, if a child is made a ward of the Provincial Superintendent, and he 21 HM places the child in a Children's Aid Society's shelter, the service of the Society should be merely one of co-operative arrangement with him and should not, as at present, involve an acceptance of guardianship from him. ^V;l^ Although by the Infant's Act the Province has delegated to Children's Aid Societies the actual guardianship of the neglected children who are public wards, it must still satisfy itself that this guardianship is being adequately exercised by its delegate. To do this is a function of the Provincial Superintendent which not only involves a great deal of labor but offers also a wide range of opportunities for constructive suggestion and assistance in establishing the \best standards of work. Social vision, tact, and, above all, a spirit of co-operation are, therefore, primary requisites for this work, which, it would seem, have not always been in evidence. PROPOSED AMALGAMATION WITH MOTHERS1 PENSIONS To meet adequately these various responsibilities as well as others arising from the Unmarried Parents' Act, Adoption Act, etc., will require considerable expansion in the Provincial Department, the personnel of which at present consists of only the Superintendent and a stenographer. With this in mind the Survey would recommend to the Provincial Government that the advisability of amalgamating the administration of Mothers' Pensions with the supervision of neglected children be considered. The supervision of children in foster homes and the supervision of children for whose benefit Mothers' Pensions are paid are functions that require the same type of worker, with similar training, similar organization, and identical points of view. This being the case, it follows that the same field workers could satisfactorily perform both functions. When the enormous distances to be travelled are considered, the saving in time that would result from the elimination of duplication of travel must commend the suggestion. Similarly it is probable that the same general direction and office overhead could serve both functions if the staffs were thrown into one. The Division or Department would then attain a size and importance sufficient to justify a quality of leadership impossible in the smaller separate spheres. Such an amalgamation might well form the nucleus about which could in time be grouped all of the welfare activities of the government to form a Department of Social Welfare. PROVINCE SHOULD BEAR SHARE OF COST OF SOCIETIES' FIELD SERVICE it would seem to should, by annual ; As already pointed out, the Children's Aid Societies also'will require to add field workers to their staffs to cover their jobs adequately. As this field service is largely for the handling of cases from parts of the Province outside the municipality from which the Society works, us only just and proper that the Province *rant to the Society in addition to present subsi- 22 dies, pay a proportion of the cost of such field work equal to the proportion of all admissions that are from outside that municipality. This principle is already recognized by the Province with reference to the costs of actually maintaining children from unorganized areas. It would, perhaps, be more consistent to expect the various outside municipalities also to contribute to the field service in proportion to their admissioins but we believe that in practice the only feasible method would be for the Province to assume their share of this cost. Of course the cost of such field service could be recognized by statute as part of the rate of court order for payment on commitment of a child, but fhis would have several serious drawbacks. The outstanding fact is that much of this service is not in any sense maintenance of a child but is really the exact opposite; namely a substitute to make maintenance unnecessary. Again, the inclusion of this cost in a rate of maintenance would be confusing to the public, who would be unable to. understand what to them would appear an unjustifiably high per capita. The result would' probably be that the strictly maintenance part of the work would suffer from insufficient funds. The proposed plan would have the advantage of calling things by their proper names and would be comparatively simple to carry out with justice and satisfaction to the local Societies.' If we may use the Vancouver Society for example, the process may be illustrated as follows. The cost of the non-maintenance part of the work of the society would first have to be determined. This is an accounting problem. The next step would be to ascertain the proportion of admissions of children chargeable to or coming from outside of Greater Vancouver. The proposed addition to the Provincial grant would be this same percentage of the non-maintenance cost already determined. The details of such a plan would have to be worked out in a spirit of mutual co-operation. In our opinion the only alternative to some such arrangement is for the Provincial Government to take over complete responsibility for the work, which would certainly cost the Province much more, and in the long run would not yield as socially sound results. In any case, the present almost total lack of field service for the protection and guardianship of neglected children cannot continue to exist without being recognized as a grave public scandal; Although the responsibility of the Province and the municipalities for the maintenance of children committed to a Children's Aid Society is fully recognized in the Infants' Act, in practice neither the Province nor the municipalities are meeting their whole responsibility in the matter. So long as this is the case, the onus of any inadequacy in the administration of this work must fall very heavily upon the public authorities concerned. 28 MUNICIPALITIES AND PROVINCE NOT ADEQUATELY SUPPORTING WARDS as* The act provides for the payment to the Society of a reasonable sum for the expense of supporting the child. This '' reasonable sum" has been established in the courts of Ontario to mean what it actually costs the Society to maintain the child, providing that the administration of the Society is not shown to be unreasonable. It would certainly appear to be the intent of the section that, because the child has been made a public ward, any necessary expense for his support should be borne by public funds. However, because a minimum amount happens to be specified in the act, "not being less than three dollars per week" the judges have been accustomed to order this amount quite regardless of what the care actually cost and of what, therefore, was a I reasonable sum." Doubtless they have taken their lead from the Provincial Government which itself fixes the "reasonable sum" which it shall pay for the maintenance of children chargeable against it. The Province has recently increased its rate to four dollars a week, or 57.1 cents a day, and the judges and municipalities will probably follow. Even this increased amount is still inadequate. It must be obvious that both justice and efficiency demand that the amounts ordered and paid should conform approximately to the actual cost incurred. The public authority is not making^ a contribution toward meeting the cost of a kind of care that is a private responsibility, as in the case of hospital maintenance, but is paying, as guardian, the cost of supporting its own wards. The public responsibility for maintenance of public wards is the same as that of a good and capable parent for his child. In the interest of effectiveness as well as justice we would urge that the Province set the example by enquiring into the costs in each Society and paying each accordingly. The various judges probably would then feel amply justified in ordering a similarly {\ reasonable sum, "in cases chargeable against municipalities. Up to the present practically all the money contributed by charitably disposed people to children's aid work has been used up in relieving municipal and provincial authorities of their proper legal responsibility for public wards, with the result that little or nothing has been left for the important services of such societies in developing preventive, protective and supervisory field work and non-ward care. The legality of diverting funds contributed for charitable purposes to the support of public wards for whose support statutory provision is made is open to question and the Boards of the societies acting as trustees for these funds should not be forced into this ambiguous position. For the Vancouver Society the per capita per diem cost at present appears to be about 85 cents.* As will be shown in the report upon that Society, this rate represents a situation of overcrowding of accommodation and ineffective administration which it *NOTE: not included. -Cash cost is about 65 cents if interest and depreciation are 24 will cost money to remedy. With less children in the institution and more adequate services to them the per capita cost will naturally be higher. Everything being considered, in view COST SHOULD BE 0f experience in well conducted institutions HIGHER FOR elsewhere in Canada, we believe that, to BEST RESULTS give really effective service along modern lines, the maintenance cost per capita in that institution should be in the neighborhood of $1.00 a day. We are informed that the cost in the Provincial Institution at Coquit- lam is considerably higher. We would remark, further, that a boarding out system, well established and efficiently conducted, will cost about the same amount per capita per diem when overhead, supervision, clothing, and board are totalled. These facts should be taken into consideration by the Province in determining the "reasonable sum" for the support of its wards, for obviously it is the Province and the municipalities that are primarily interested in seeing that a first class job is done in this most vital field of public activity. HOW CAN FIELD SERVICE BE OBTAINED FOR ORGANIZATIONS OTHER THAN CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETIES? Having discussed at length various aspects of the problem of providing the necessary field service for Children's Aid Societies we come to the somewhat different problem of providing that same field work for the other child caring'institutions. The size and location of the more important of these institutions is as follows: Children Non-Roman Catholic in residence Alexandra Children's Home—Vancouver 62 Loyal Orange and True Blue Orphanage—New Westminster 40 Protestant Orphans' Home—Victoria 45 Roman Catholic sKIl Providence Orphanage—New Westminster .". •.....150 The Monastery of the Good Shepherd—Vancouver 30 We have already shown that, because of their peculiar functions and legal status, the Children's Aid Societies must each be equipped to do all types of social field work. The Children's Homes, on the other hand, are under no such necessity. Though their need for field service is very pressing, it is not so essential that each organization should provide a staff of its own. The ideal would be for each of these homes to employ a qualified social field worker, but it is a point for individual decision whether any one organization at the present time feels able to finance the cost of such a worker. . • 25 CO-OPERATIVE ARRANGEMENTS SUGGESTED Under these circumstances some form of co-operative arrangement for field service with local organizations that must have such service for their own purposes would seem to be indicated. Specific recommendations in this direction are made in the various individual reports. Failing some such arrangement the purely child caring organizations will have to obtain the service for themselves, either by grouping themselves together and forming joint committees for this purpose, or by individual action. The problem of the Catholic group of institutions is discussed more fully in a later section on a Catholic Welfare Bureau. CARE FOR BABIES AND FOR UNMARRIED MOTHERS After the need of constructive field work, both in general family rehabilitation service and in child protection and child care, the next most urgent need is for organization to care for babies and for case work service for unmarried mothers. Institutional care is available for the unmarried mother with her baby in the Salvation Army Hospital, Vancouver; the United Church Home for Girls, Burnaby; and the W. C. T. U. Home in Victoria,—but only a small proportion of cases ever accept this type of care excepting for hospitalization. It is necessary for some competent organization to assume the responsibility of seeing the mother through her difficulties—of helping her to re-establish herself and to keep her baby if possible, both in her interest and that of the child. It is a surprising fact that in a community of the size of Greater Vancouver there is no social organization (other than the Roman Catholic Children's Aid Society) equipped to accept the care and deal with the problems of dependent and neglected babies apart from their mothers. According to recent practice at least, the Children's Aid Society of Vancouver does not receive children into care under two years of age, and the staff could not remember more than one or two babies having been made wards of the Society. We understand that a few babies have been in care and that part of the new building was intended for young babies. Of course Rescue Homes and Hospitals have an occasional infant On their hands without its mother, for which they have to make such disposal as they can, adoption out of hand being usually forced upon them through lack of facilities for attempting any more humane or constructive solution. The Infants' Hospital is forced to handle a certain number of babies who are not in need | of hospital treatment but have nowhere else to go. Some of these i are foundlings, others are babies left in the maternity, department of the General Hospital, others are convalescent patients whom no one will remove. The Hospital protests against having to care for even small numbers of this type of child, and very properly so, on the grounds, first, that hospital care is not the best care for 26 them, and, second, that the hospital facilities that should be available for the treatment of the sick children are being diverted to this improper use. There have been two immediate results from the absence of social organization to care for the babies, both of which are very grave from the point of view of the ultimate welfare of the children." Hasty and ill-considered adoptions have been forced upon harassed parents, and the development of private commercialized boarding homes, licensed and unlicensed, has been fostered. COMMERCIALIZED BABY HOMES .UNSATISFACTORY In the case of such homes operated independently of any responsible social organization the transaction is usually a purely business one with the purpose of making money. In order that the business be at all profitable more babies must be accepted in a home than would be thought of were only the interests of the babies themselves considered, and the adequacy of other elements of care is likely to be similarly influenced. The people who embark upon the project of caring for babies on this basis are not necessarily the type that a child placing agency would select for its boarding homes. In fact a home in which the revenue from the % boarding is necessary to make ends meet is seldom considered oy such an organization. The women who keep such commercial boarding homes are not selected because of special knowledge of baby care and feeding. As the city has only four nurses to do all types of child welfare work, it is obviously impossible to adequately instruct and supervise these women and grave danger of neglect and abuse results. But even were sufficient time available r for supervision, quite definite limitation is placed upon the effectiveness of the supervision by the fact that the only pressure that can be exerted is the threat of cancellation of permit, which is possible on only the most flagrant grounds. A social agency placing children in families has an infinitely more persuasive argument to use when it controls the payment for the service. But probably the most serious objection to the commercial baby boarding home is that no sound social work is done with the mother. There is no social agency to diagnose her needs, to seek out sources of assistance for her, and to help her finance the care of her baby. She has to bear the whole burden alone. When she finds herself unable to continue to do so her obvious course is to abandon the child on the hands of the boarding woman. In this crisis there is no organization that has acquired a knowledge of her that would assist in tracing her or in providing the background of history necessary for the intelligent handling of the baby. The child is , "dumped" upon the community without the community having a * fair chance to defend either itself or the child. f Recommendations are being made elsewhere in the report for additional^ legislation to assist in controlling commercial baby boarding homes, but it is the opinion of the Survey that the solution of the problem lies in the substitution of boarding home ser- 27 vice operated by a responsible and adequately equipped social service organization. For Vancouver the Children's Aid Society is recommended as the best organization to undertake the care and family placement of babies, provided that the work of that Society is reorganized along case work and child placing lines. Working in the closest co-operation with the Children's Aid Society, the proposed family work agency would probably conduct the case work for unmarried mothers, providing any such service required by the United Church Home, the Salvation Army Hospital, etc. The proposed Catholic Welfare Bureau would provide a like service for the Roman Catholic community, and the Social Service League would naturally function for Victoria. INSTITUTIONAL CARE . The problems of the admission and demission service for institutions have been already dealt with, and the necessity of field care emphasized. The basic belief that the proper1 place for a child is his own home, or failing that another family home, has been stated. There are over 600 children in institutions in British Columbia and some consideration must be given to the care provided for them. Building equipment varies from the Home, originally built for a family dwelling, of the True Blue Orphanage and the Catholic and Victoria Societies' Shelter to the large brick or frame congregate institutions of the Protestant Orphan's Home and the Vancouver Children's Aid Society. While some of the buildings have not been kept in full repair, because of the possibility of new buildings being erected in the near future, the only one that is absolutely unfit for its work is the one that is to be replaced by a new building in a month orv so—the Orange and True Blue Orphanage at New Westminster. Most of the Homes with the exceptions of the Catholic Boys' Shelter and the Protestant Orphanage are overcrowded. The Providence Orphanage, the Alexandra Home (Girls' Section) and the Victoria Children's Aid Society are especially hampered. While the conditions are very undesirable, the Survey staff feels that field services would reduce the pressure, and that it is unwise to put any money into enlargements till new policies are tried out. Improvements to be made do not lie so much along the line of enlargement as of internal rearrangement. While a good and convenient plant will assist the good worker, it Is of vastly lesser importance than the provision of proper staff. Poor staff will result in too much emphasis being placed on equipment in general. Good staff workers will adapt the means at their disposal to provide the required service * they will recognize and # insist on essential equipment. STAFF QUALIFICATIONS Some of the Boards stated that their head workers were properly qualified for ,their tasks because they were "Good housekeepers" or were 'fond of children." Something more, however, than mere love 28 of children is necessary. Many a feeble minded girl has this in a large degree. The remark "she is a good housekeeper" shows -the- tendency to lay stress on the institution rather than the child. Those in charge of children should have sufficient education and interest to be familiar with developments in standards of care for children; they need to understand, and believe in, modern health care; they must understand some of the methods used for development of personality through child training, and child guidance; they must have some knowledge of recreation and the importance of the part it plays in the child's life; they must recognize and understand something of the problems of the mental defective and the psychopathic personality and how to secure assistance in dealing with these. They do not need to be specialists themselves in these lines, but they must know how to use the resources available, and how to keep abreast of the development of new resources. It would seem to be over obvious to say they should be able to understand the difficulties and point of view of the child and the adolescent. Some of the workers are undoubtedly incapable of even this. .The head, worker should be capable of interesting her staff in child guidance problems and of rousing them to improve their qualifications for their work. The Board should make this possible. The lack of comfortable staff sitting rooms; the arrangement of hours off duty; the attitude of the Board in some instances that the Matron is but a -housekeeper and the subordinate staff less important, make it difficult to secure the best type of worker. One matron remarked, "We don't need anything but bedrooms; our only leisure time is our day off and then we go out.'' Supplying of standard and current literature dealing with work with children, and leisure to use it; opportunity to attend local lectures and conferences on subjects allied to their work (health, child guidance, mental hygiene, recreation, etc.) all this encourages the worker to feel that her task demands her best effort. More consideration should be given to the qualifications of the subordinate staff in some Homes. If they are used solely for housework the requirements are simplified, although even then their influence through contact with the children cannot be entirely overlooked. If, on the other hand, they are to have definite responsibilities for training and supervision of children, they must have personalities that fit them for this and sufficient background to profit by the opportunities) provided for improving their work. The use of older children or girls who have presented some conduct problem for supervision of the other children is open to grave dangers. A heavy responsibility rests on the agency to supply adequate health service. There are obvious dangers of infection in group life. Many children coming into care have physical defects which should be discovered and remedied. Every child on admission should have a thorough physical examination—a stripped examination taking in heart, lungs, physical development as judged by height, weight, posture, as well as the usual tests for eyes, ear, nose, throat and teeth defects, and, when such is considered necessary, blood 29 HEALTH AND HYGIENE tests for venereal disease or other special tests. The findings should be recorded; the recommendations for remedial care carried out; whether for diet, for special arrangements for heart and lung weaknesses, for supplying of glasses, for correction of throat or nose defects, or for whatever is indicated. Regular re-examinations should be made to note improvements and any possible new defects. Although such health service as this is essential to the well- being of any Home, only one in the Province has reached the stage of discussing the possibility of introducing it. Some of the Homes demand a medical certificate before admittance, but the object of this has been to avoid admitting contagious disease, or obvious undesirable defects rather than to study what should be done-to make the child more physically fit. Once the child is admitted, the doctor is called in case of illness. • He visits the Home at intervals to supervise the general health conditions. One or two of the Homes have isolation equipment on a small scale. The Alexandra Orphanage is able to isolate one, or two rooms if necessary, and has sanitary equipment for these rooms apart from the rest of the Home. The Providence Orphanage has two isolation rooms, with equipment. Some of the others have rooms that can be used, but not quite so conveniently isolated. Others have no proper arrangements. The Matron should be able to recognize the indications of a suspect case and should have equipment to isolate it at once. Part of the difficulty in some Homes is due to the lack of appreciation on the part of the Matron of the importance of childish diseases or possible infection. There was also shown at times a lack of knowledge of the technique of isolation and asepsis. The equipment of personal toilet articles is suprisingly below standard in some Homes. Individual combs, brushes, toothbrushes, washcloths, towels, etc., are essentials and thought should be given to the arrangements for care of them. The Providence Orphanage has a system of shelves, divided into compartments, where each child can keep his brush, comb, mug and toothbrush, and soap box. Unfortunately the wall space available has necessitated the putting of their shelves too high to be accessible to the younger children. The arrangements for towels and wash cloths is almost uniformly unsatisfactory. Towels should be hung so they do not touch each other, and with space to air. The same is even more true of washcloths, which are absent altogether in some homes. The basin accommodation is not adequate in some Homes. A series of basins so close together that there is scarcely elbow room is not a good arrangement. When one adds to this the bare half-hour allowed between rising and breakfast and the fact that one basin must often serve seven or more children, it is easy to see that the situation presents difficulties in the establishing of habits of hygiene and personal cleanliness. There are other details that might be touched on such as the need for satisfactory arrangements for washing and drinking during the day. It is sufficient to say that practically all the Homes should consider the toilet equipment of the ^children from the standpoint of sanitation and hygiene. 30 UNDERSTANDING THE CHILD The diet of growing children is very important. The menus that were seen suggested in practically all instances that thought had been given to supplying milk, fruit, and vegetables, though some of the matrons frankly confessed that they were not able to give the children as much of these foods as they could wish at all seasons. The Survey staff would suggest that it is often possible by consulting skilled dietitians to obtain advice that will permit of greater variety of menu, and better balance of good food values, at little, if any, extra cost.* When visiting some of the Homes the flies were very noticeable even though it was early in the season for them, and statements have been made in regard to several Homes that in summer the flies are extremely bad. More attention should be given to screening and supplying of swatters. This is especially necessary where very young children and babies are cared for. The institution exists to train the child for life in the community. It owes it to him to provide him with the best possible physical and educational equipment to offset his initial handicaps. But both of these are useless unless the childjs^character has been developed so that he is able to properly use his equipment. In order to work with any child the agency should understand his personality, his ability, his limitations. In normal family life much of this understanding is acquired unconsciously by watching the child from infancy and through knowledge of his heredity. The agency with a proper admissio&Jnvestigation has at its disposal a picture of the family background and heredity of the child, and also of some of his previous experiences and environment. The use of the mental examination or personality study adds greatly to the understanding of the child. In the simplest form of estimating his intelligence it enables the person in charge of him not to expect more of him than the child is capable of doing. It saves work and waste of time and effort in trying to train a child for something that is beyond him, and worse than waste of time, the disheartening effect on child and agency of repeated failures. Personality study sometimes uncovers a psychopathic tendency which needs careful treatment. It often gives a clue to the cause of troublesome conduct in a child who, far from being mentally defective, may be above the average in intelligence. The institutions, having at present no adequate investigation system, cannot supply the full picture of heredity and past environment that is needed in order to obtain a satisfactory personality study. The field of mental examinations has been limited, as far as the agencies are concerned, 1 to examinations to allocate children to special classes or to where the j need was so obvious that it was considered custodial care might be \ necessary, and the examination was made to see if this could be ) recommended. The use made of the examination has been, largely, / labelling the child by the diagnosis. The co-operation of the psychia- ] trist to suggest ways of dealing with the child, and to give recurrent \ *The Canadian Council on Child Welfare publishes a series of child diet } folders. IH 31 study over a period, has not been sought. This has probably been partly due to the fact that the majority of the workers in the agencies are not equipped to understand or use this service. It. is usually found that the quality of service rendered by the specialized resources will depend on the intensity of desire for and use of the service shown by the social agency. Admission investigation, physical examinations, personality study and continued observations while the child is in care—these are the methods of knowing the child and his abilities. EDUCATIONAL In the maJoritv °f Homes the children facilities attend the public schools, exceptions to this being the Providence Orphanage and the Monastery. The Vancouver Children's Aid Society has a complete public school, and the Alexandra Orphanage has the lower grades on the premises. In institutions which serve only as receiving homes from which a child is very quickly placed out, the class on the premises may be a laboratory for the study of the child's personality. In institutions which are for longer care this is not desirable. None of the Homes in British Columbia can be considered as receiving homes in this sense. The children should keep their contacts with normal community life as far as possible. For this reason it is excellent that the Homes as a whole have adopted the principle of sending the children out to school. Little attempt is made to give vocational training. The Catholic Children's Aid Society has a Home with a farm in connection with it where older boys are placed. A few children in other Homes have gone to High school, and in rare instances attempts have been made to give special training. There is a feeling that the children, by being given duties to perform in the routine work of the institution, are receiving some training in housework. There is very little of this work that is of any educational value, especially in the larger Homes. In any case every girl is not suited for domestic work nor every boy for farm labor. The Homes should consider the various possible openings for the girls and boys in their charge (the Government employment services can give suggestions as to the types of work that are available) ; they should study the children to decide what they are capable of doing, then plan to train them definitely for the opening. Where possible, classes available in the community should be used, or if necessary efforts should be made to procure individual training. CHILD TRAINING Those who -are training children for com- FOR COMMUNITY mnnity ^e should endeavour in every way to LIFE foster in them an appreciation of the factors that enter into the life of the normal home. The appreciation of home atmosphere, the art of making the home attractive, the concept of it as a place in which one wishes to spend one's time, this must be inculcated partly through the unconscious influence exerted by material surroundings. The living rooms should be furnished with this in view with pretty curtains, attractive pic- 32 tures, comfortable chairs, tables, bookshelves, all the things that make a room homelike. Simple meals should be attractively served at properly set small tables with tablecloths, napkins and china dishes. Chairs of the size for children should replace the benches in frequent use. A meal is not a thing to be hurried through in silence, but provides opportunity for UB42iEis^ious_training in many things. While there have been spasmodic attempts'madeToliave living rooms approaching to normal home standards (as exemplified by the Wall Street Home sitting room, and the Alexandra Orphanage boys' sitting room, and the use by the Victoria Children's Aid Society of the Matron's sitting room, and the provision of an open fireplace in the Catholic Boys' Shelter) still there has not been nearly sufficient attention given to this. At least two Homes have no chairs which are available for the children, benches being used in the dining- rooms and play rooms, and beds in the dormitories for the purpose of chairs. Oilcloth covered tables, benches, enamel dishes, no napkins, are the usual arrangements in the dining rooms. There is a distinction between the regimentation that is a characteristic of some institutions and the habit training that is essential in a child's life. In normal life a child does not move by bells, march to meals and salute his parents as he passes, nor does this routine have any constructive value in habit training. There are opportunities in the institutional programme for training in habits that will be of use to the child later. Toilet articles having been supplied, the child must be trained in the proper use and care of them jj he must be trained in regular^ personal habits, and in cleanliness. Such training involves helping the child to understand the why and the wherefore of such habits and to wish to carry them out so that he may not drop the habits as soon as he escapes from control. He should be trained to care for his own possessions. In a family home the child gains half unconsciously the sense of value of property, and pride^ of ownership. The family own certain things in common, but also each member has his own. There is difficulty in developing these values in the institution where things are more or iess general property, and new things usually drop from the sky through the medium of a kindly Board or Club. This abnormality of institutional life accounts for the world-wide observation that children brought up in institutions often show a tendency to steal when they go out into community life. In every possible way the institutional child should have his own belongings, clothes, toys, knick-knacks, and have a place to keep them, separate" and distinct from those of others. Lockers convenient to bedrooms serve for clothes and personal accessories; lockers near playrooms serve for toys, books and collections such as are dear to childhood. The equipment of the institutions to meet these purposes varies. The majority have lockers for some clothes, but the underwear and much of the clothing is stored in common. Even where there are pigeonholes for individual underwear, the children are not individually sesponsible for keeping their own in order and frequently they are 33 UNCONSCIOUS DEVELOPMENTS OF ORDINARY LIFE REQUIRE PLANNING IN INSTITUTIONAL REGIME arranged so that the smaller children can not reach them. Some of the Homes are crowded for space, but if thought were given more use might be made of hallways, or cupboards rearranged. Children, when they leave the Home, will be as a rule keeping all their clothes together, hanging in a cupboard and put away in bureau drawers, and will be responsible for the arrangement and care of them in the space at their disposal. There is in most of the Homes a liberal supply of clothing, and there seems no reason why each child on entry should not be issued a complete supply for his own use, some consideration being given to the child's own choice in the selection of the clothing issued. Opportunities to earn money, and also to spend it, are of very definite value in training a child for community life. The child who has never earned money, or has never, for- himself, solved the perplexing problem of the best buy for the money, has little idea of the value of it, and is not fitted to adjust his spending to his earning when he leaves the shelter of the Home. More thought must be given to the planning and guidance of the child's lejsur^Jtuuirs and to the providing of the necessary equipment. The child in his own home makes a continuous and varied series of interesting and instructive contacts with the life of his community, that are necessarily denied ta the child in the institution and plans must be made to substitute M)r this. The child in a family home has opportunity for initiative, creative interests, independence. Life is not a routine matter and unexpected changes and emergencies occur. He has to make decisions and take responsibility for the consequent results. The institutional child lives in. a crowd. Privacy is almost unknown. He is not dependent on himself for his amusements and activities. When he leaves the Home he misses the crowd, the sense of movement around him. He is lost, frightened or bored. For all these and other reasons much thought must be given to constructive recreation. The public is generous with entertainments, and~"mo"St" of the Homes have no lack of this type of amusement. The grounds are ample for outdoor play and some equipment is provided. Some of the children have opportunities of team play through the public school sports. There is room for further development of supervised group games in the Homes themselves. But the striking lack is that of provision for constructive individual interests. There is little sign in any of the Homes of ^ndicraftsTTEbbbies" or toys for individual use of a kind that call forth the child's ingenuity and creative ability. There is no provision near the recreation rooms for keeping any individual articles in most of the Homes. No mention was made of dramatics got up by the children themselves, just for fun, not for public presentation. The workers as a whole showed little appreciation of what could be done through recreation. The supplying of toys for general use, and books and outdoor equipment seemed sufficient to them. "The children break everything;" "They tire of everything;" "They haven't any time to play," these and other remarks,.when taken in conjunction with the fact that in several Homes children were^~ dawdling around idly, or that a group of. three or four and some- 34 times more watched another sewing or doing some trifling household task; and further that little attention is given to the training through supervised play of the pre-school child—all this emphasized the opinion that not enough attention is given to supplying constructive recreational opportunities. SEX PROBLEMS IN INSTITUTIONS 0* It was startling how little the moral dangers of group life were realized. One or two of the workers did not understand when asked about prevalence of bad individual sex habits, or denied their existence entirely. Night supervision is largely dependent on workers who have been on duty all day, and who sleep in nearby rooms and would require keen ears to hear movement in the far end of the dormitory. The Providence Orphanage sisters do not leave till the children are asleep, and return to sleep in a cubicle in the dormitory. The Victoria Children's Aid Society watches till the children are asleep. As a rule the arrangements are open to question, mainly because the problem is obviously not understood. The dangers of unsupervised free recreation were not seen. While it is undesirable to place emphasis on this problem, which in certain forms is a normal passing phase, and in any case must be handled with full understanding of the dangers of punitive and other undesirable methods of combatting it, yet some effort must be .made to face the situation and its possible dangers. The Survey would like to emphasize the need for appreciation of the child's personality, and the undesirablity of stigmatizing him by discussing him, or his family, or his comrades in his hearing. In several Homes children were pointed out—sometimes by Board members—as feebleminded, as of poor heredity, as presenting enuresis problems, and so on. The objections to this are obvious. The Survey staff have had expressed to them by Board members and workers of certain Homes the opinion that the children they serve are ordinary children from respectable parentage, and that they do not need the same service as children in certain other Homes. Others feel that children in family homes do not have such intensive service given to them, and why should institutional children have it? There are two replies to the latter statement. One is that there are many inherent defects in institutional life and many advantages in family life for unconscious training in character; the missing advantages and the inherent defects demand special attention in planning for the institutional child. The second reply is that even in private family homes, more and more parents are using the services of the physician, psychiatrist, child guidance and recreational expert, as well as the older educational and vocational services. As to the statement that the children are "respectable" and do not therefore present problems, one can only say that "respectability" is a very superficial theory; children in some of the "respectable" orphanages come with histories of insanity, of marital infelicity, of emotional instability behind them. Their own homes have known economic pressure. Many of them have heard and seen things that we would have spared them. Heredity and experi- 35 ence suggest that some in every institution are far from normal children and will react differently and need different training, from the child in the unbroken home. Any attempted distinction between the orphanages on the ground of type of child in care, such distinction being based on anything but detailed personality study of each child in care, is beside the mark. All have children that represent possible serious social problems of mentality, morality and personality and demand the very best service that can be supplied in order to counteract the handicaps they have encountered. ADEQUATE RECORDS ESSENTIAL A good record system is needed in every agency. A satisfactory understanding of the child's personality depends on a knowledge of his family background, his past experiences, as well as his behaviour while in charge of the agency, and his improvements in health, knowledge and conduct. Remembering all this information and keeping it for reference is not a task to be left to a worker's memory. Where children are separated from their families, the agencies are responsible for preserving the child's family history for trim, should he wish to know it later in life. It is not fair to the child to allow these valuable records to depend on some haphazard method, or on the memory of some board member or worker, or to be buried deep in some minute book with no way of referring to them. Not only must thought be taken about keeping such records safely and in such a form that everything about every child can be easily referred to, even twenty years hence, but they must be useable and be constantly, used. In highly developed children's work, methods of record keeping and the use of records are given a large amount of attention and are constantly being improved. Every agency should have a satisfactory system, one that may be enlarged and keep pace with the standards of work without necessitating a complete renewal. None of the Homes approaches modern standards in this. Every orphanage must face the fact that the consensus of opinion of all modern social work is that the best institution in the world is a poor substitute for the family home, that institutional care is only wise when custodial care is necessary, or when extremely specialized equipment for treatment is needed. Even then it is continually being found that things that were considered impossible of achievement outside of institutions can be done better without them—provided sufficient attention is given to the skill of the field service that is being substituted for the bricks and mortar. Every normal child in an institution represents a failure of the community. ^Doubtless there will always be some children in orphanages, but the Boards must consider that their presence there is to be regretted as showing a failure on the part of the community. Having them, the directors must question at every turn: "If this child were in a family home, would it be doing this or learning to act that way?" In this manner they will be able as far as is possible to approximate the life in the institution to that in the normal family group. 36 SUMMARY OF GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS The outstanding need of the community in the opinion of the Survey, is the development of constructive field work rather than the erection of new buildings. 1. The Survey recommends, therefore, that each of the three Children's Aid Societies secure one or more trained social workers and build up a service for the welfare and protection of children in their own homes on the one hand, and for placing out children in families on the other. 2. The Survey recommends that the Province assist the Societies to finance such field service by special annual grants proportionate to the number of children admitted to care by the Society from points outside the City from which the Society operates. 3. The Survey recommends further that the various Children's Institutions other than Children's Aid Societies obtain the services of trained social workers for admission and demission work and for child placing; these services to be secured either by adding to their own staffs, or by arrangement with other agencies having such service, or by co-operative action through a joint committee. 4. The Survey recommends that a Catholic Welfare Bureau be established in Vancouver to do family case work for Roman j Catholic families, to investigate all applications for admission of c children (other than wards) to the Providence Orphanage and all admissions of dependent children to the Monastery and conduct the social field work connected with such cases; to conduct social case work for unmarried mothers and boarding and placement work for uncommitted Catholic babies and young children. 5. The Survey recommends that in Vancouver a non-denominational family case working organization be created to supplement the work of the excellent relief agencies and special services. In such an organization social adjustment and family rehabilitation would be stressed and material relief should be made as small an item as possible. 6. The Survey would emphasize the lack of any social organization to care for babies as such, or to handle the social problems associated with them. In this connection the Survey recommends the establishment, preferably within the Children's Aid Society of Vancouver and in close co-operation with the family case working agency suggested above, of organization for the care and placement of babies along modern lines. The proposal for the creation of this service within the Children's Aid Society is contingent, as far as the Survey is concerned, on the reorganization of the Children's Aid Society's work. 37 7. The Survey finds a lack of the usual facilities for joint action and the development of mutual understanding and a feeling of comradeship and common purpose among social workers, and for encouraging and facilitating case co-operation. As a first step toward facilitating co-operation it is recommended that the Social Service Exchange be re-organized for continuous service as an autonomous agency, and that the possibilities of a Council of Social Agencies and a Social Worker's Club be kept in mind for future development. 8. The Survey finds no present necessity for new buildings but makes some minor suggestions for rehabilitation of existing ones. Approximately $200,000 has been spent on new buildings by child caring organizations in the last five years and additional building has been contemplated involving an expenditure of about $400,000 more. It is pointed out that carrying charges alone on the additional plant proposed by the various organizations would amount to an additional outlay, over and above present expenditures, of $36,000 a year, to say nothing of additional heating, lighting, andj staffing required for such additional plant. A fraction of this annual amount would finance a system of field service that would place this community among the progressive ones of the continent. 9. On the internal administration of the various institutions detailed reports are being submitted to the respective Boards. The fundamental principle emphasized most frequently is the necessity for planning for the child's psychological development— his habit training and character building processes—even more than for his material needs. 10. The Survey pointed out the necessity of routine medical examinations of children at the time of admission and periodically thereafter in order to discover remediable defects and to understand the child's limitations. The systematic correction of the defects discovered is an obvious corollary. 11. Similarly the desirability of the organizations seeking out and using the resources of the community in the form of psychiatrists and psychiatric clinics is urged to obtain advice and assistance in understanding and dealing with the mental peculiarities and personality problems of their clients. 12. The Survey would recommend to the Provincial Government the early establishment of more adequate facilities for the care of the feeble minded, more especially children. 13. The Survey recommends that the Province ascertain for each Children's Aid Society the average cost of maintaining a child in its care and that the amount ascertained be paid as the "reasonable sum" for the support of a child under the Act so long as the administration of the Society is not shown to be unreasonably extravagant. 38 The Survey further recommends that the various judges when committing children to Children's Aid Societies follow a like standard in fixing the rate of court order for municipal maintenance. 14. The Survey recommends the development of the work of the Provincial Superintendent of Neglected Children especially along the lines of organizing and assisting local Children's Aid Societies wherever possible; and of developing among social agencies and the public a better understanding and wider use of the Unmarried Parent's Act as an aid in social adjustments of children. In order -to make possible more adequate service some expansion of this department is absolutely necessary. With this in view it is suggested that an amalgamation of this work with the administration of Mothers' Pensions be considered in order that the field workers necessary for the administration of pensions in outlying areas be available also for neglected children's work, and that duplication in travelling and in administrative overhead may be eliminated. The Survey suggests that such an arrangement might well form the nucleus of a Division of Social Welfare combining with greater efficiency and economy, activities now scattered through various departments. Whether or not the suggested amalgamation takes place the enlargement of the field staff, and the introduction of family case work, by giving the present workers opportunity for training and by introducing trained workers, is recommended. Many detailed suggestions are made concerning legislation, a few of the more important recommendations being as follows: With reference to Part (III.) of Infant's Act, the following recommendations are perhaps most noteworthy: 15. The Survey recommends that provision be made for a "continued" hearing with maintenance order while reconstructive work on the child's home is in process. 16. The Survey recommends that power be given to suspend sentence on conditions in dealing with offences under this act in order that threat of penalties may be used to bring about satisfactory conditions for the child. 17. The Survey suggests the clarification of the clauses with reference to the religion of children committed under this Act. While not recommending any particular definitions, the Survey will on request submit data on how this matter is covered elsewhere. 18. With reference to the Adoption Act the Survey recommends that a probationary period of at least two years of residence ;of the child with the applicants be required before adoption can be completed, for the protection of both the child and the adopting a parent. 39 .K I p 19. The Survey recommends that the Superintendent's consent be required for all adoptions in order that the child placed out by his parent by direct adoption should have protection. The Children's Aid Society officers should act as agents of the Superintendent for cases within their areas. 20. The Survey recommends that it be made possible for an application for adoption to be passed upon by a Juvenile Court. Such a court is already handling equally heavy responsibilities in connection with guardianship and the legal expenses of the present procedure would thus be avoided. 21. Similarly it is recommended that the Juvenile Court be empowered to deal with cases under the Unmarried Parents Act. 40 THE FIELD OF FAMILY SERVICE While the Survey has been primarily concerned with care and protection of children and hence especially with organizations formed to carry out this purpose, there is a service which is so fundamental to the carrying on of any social work with specialized groups, that some attention must be given to the facilities that exist for rendering this service. We have reference to family welfare work, family "case work," to use a technical term. The Survey has stressed the need for "case work" with the families of children coming to the children's agencies. But many families, even though there are children, present difficulties of adult adjustment, the children's need being incidental. In other cases there are no children. It may be a problem of a young married couple, with perhaps only a baby, or perhaps no children as yet. The family morale may be breaking down. Irregular employment, poor health, ignorance on the part of the woman of household management, misunderstanding on the part of the man as to the responsibilities of a husband, a tendency to drink to escape the unpleasantness of family bickering and worry, these and many other things may lead to increasing marital jangling, and ultimately to desertion or' some other socially undesirable result. Such a case should not usually be taken up by a children's agency; it may not be a relief problem, though frequently the need for some temporary relief brings it to notice; it is not the problem that faces an unmarried mother. It presents a need for family case work, which is the main function of a family* work agency. Constructive family case work has not developed on an adequate scale in British Columbia and the lack of it is greatly handicapping all forms of more specialized service, particularly the service for children with which the Survey is concerned. In the absence of a family case work agency, when a social problem arises in a family where there are children there is a tendency to refer the case to the children's agency to be dealt with, though the true source of trouble may have no direct connection with the children. This is unfair to the children's agency because it already has its own full quota of problems to solve, and has developed a specialized service to deal with its legitimate work. Further the likelihood is that the family difficulty has been allowed to go without care till it has reached an acute or a chronic stage. Readjustment at this point naturally presents much graver difficulties than at an earlier period. In Vancouver and Victoria a certain amount of family- work is being done. The Social Service League of Victoria is doing a notable piece of work along constructive lines. The Friendly Help Association of that City administers the City relief. Vancouver has a City Relief Department which is at present the only large agency to help in family problems. The Auxiliary of the Vancouver Gen- 41 eral Hospital, which was disbanded a short time ago, was organized for medical social service and was being pushed beyond its original field by the pressure of demands made on it. That Auxiliary was doing a very valuable piece of work for the community and it is to. be regretted that, instead of disbanding, its members did not reorganize to meet what is a very great need in the City of Vancouver. Various Churches have some means of rendering family service, as for instance through the Anglican social service deaconess, or through the United Church Community House, but though these services fill a real need they are limited in their field. In the other municipalities, as a rule, the service is confined mainly to relief administered by the City Officials. There are of course in addition everywhere many clubs and organizations that raise money to help specific families, but this, too, is only relief, not in most instances diversified and constructive family service. In a large community it is doubtful if the public relief agency can ever cover all the field of possible family service. The very fact that it is a "relief" agency, that it handles the distribution of public charity, that it is the place necessarily where the "down and out" are helped, gives it an unpleasant association in many minds, especially in those of the unfortunate and yet normally independent people. The fact that other service beside relief is rendered does not materially affect the situation. "To come on to the City" is the last step they want to take, and they will wait till every resource, perhaps even health, is gone before applying for or accepting help. To use the medical comparison—the earlier the doctor is*in touch with an illness, the better chance of cure. Such a family will often permit early contact with a private family agency which is able better to put relief in its proper place and to emphasize service as its main function. The early contact will give greater opportunity to prevent the complete disintegration of the family morale. The private agency has a freedom of action, and power to experiment with Unusual services for especially difficult problems, that is not possible in a public agency where precedents are easily created, and which is peculiarly subject to public criticism. The' main emphasis of a family case work agency is on service and not relief, though it gives relief. A family case work agency keeps records of all applications made to it for advice and service (unless of a most superficial type, and many agencies keep records of these in a briefer form than that of their other work). Some families are in touch with workers over months, even years, and little or no relief may be necessary. Many types of service are rendered. One case work agency has sixty listed on its monthly report forms. The aims of family case work have been expressed in various terms. One description is that case work is advising and working with the clients "for the best measure possible of physical and mental health; for their education and training according to capacity ; for the development of special abilities; for recreational oppor- SlSbi 42 tunities; for emotional adjustment; for domestic harmony; for a spirit of self-dependence and realization of economic security; for the possession of such material goods as will ensure decency and comfort." Another definition states that the aim of case work is "not accomplishment but development of power—the release of our clients' dynamic qualities and their attainment of self direction." The family case work agency exists for these aims. Dispensing of relief is an incidental means to the aim, and the commencement or conclusion of the work with the client or the responsibility for service to the family does not necessarily coincide with the giving of relief. On the other hand the City Relief Department of Vancouver, though it renders certain services apart from relief, does not consider this work important enough to warrant including it in its current statistics. Reports can usually be considered to represent what any organization considers its true function; those of this department only take into account clients who have necessitated expenditure of relief money. One of the difficulties of public relief agencies is to secure sufficient staff to give adequate case work service. The tendency of the taxpayer is to consider all staff and equipment expense as an overhead cost of distributing the relief and unjustifiable if it is large in comparison with the amount of relief given. A family case work agency considers staff as the essential and the relief as only an incidental part of its equipment. The Social Service League of Victoria has a budget of some $9,000 of which only $2,000 is relief. A family agency in a large Eastern City with a budget of some $80,000 for some years had only $10,000 set aside for relief, though this was unduly small and did hamper the work. It was a choice between providing staff or relief, and staff was chosen as the workers could render service and secure the needed relief elsewhere. Good constructive service to a family before the disintegration has gone too far may save the community thousands of dollars in relief and custodial care. In the field of City Relief the Vancouver Department is carrying on an excellent piece of work. It is handicapped by difficulties of equipment and the pressure of demands made upon it. The staff often see possibilities of service to the family outside of. relief, and where they can, render such service. In spite of this there are many problems of family adjustment that are not being dealt with. The workers are also limited geographically. They may render service to a family that it might be advisable to domicile in a suburban municipality. The Relief Department of a municipality cannot feel itself justified in doing work outside its boundaries on any scale. A private agency on the contrary can be guided by the best interests of the family, and its own facilities for service, developing further facilities if necessary. 43 MB It would seem that there is a need for a private family welfare agency in Vancouver. Such an agency would not be duplicating the City Relief service, but could co-operate with it, together supplying adequate family service for the community. Such an agency could do some of the much needed case work for the unmarried mother, which is probably not as yet a sufficiently large field to warrant a special agency. In this work, the agency would co-operate very closely with the Children's Aid Society, which would have an interest in the problem through the babies. For these various reasons, although it is not directly within the field of a survey of child care and protection, we would recommend that a private family welfare agency be formed in Vancouver, with a case working staff. We would further suggest that the logical group for the nucleus of such an organization is the disbanded Vancouver General Hospital Auxiliary. It might be re-organized as an autonomous group under another name, with the purpose of meeting the needs of family welfare service that are not met at present, amongst them the problem of the unmarried mother. Such an organization could co-operate with socially minded groups in the other municipalities of Greater Vancouver so that the outlying sections might have the advantage of the case work staff for investigation and recommendation on family problems in their districts pending the time when adequate service could be supplied to cover all the field. 44 CATHOLIC WELFARE WORK In the Catholic community, as elsewhere, the outstanding need has been found to be constructive field work in the homes of the people. A fairly imposing superstructure of institutions, relief, and special services exists without the foundation of family case work upon which it can solidly rest. A high standard of institutional care obtains at the Providence Orphanage with efforts being made to make the children happy, and to give them good care, training, and education in spite of such serious handicaps as overcrowding, lack of suitable equipment, under- support, and the usual difficulty of suiting institutional routine to the training of children for their future life in the normal community. The Catholic Children's Aid Society is doing conscientious work for its wards, and is under efficient management. But, owing to lack of funds, insufficient staff and need of field workers, the society is not prepared or equipped to undertake care of children unless they are committed by the Court. This is obviously undesirable in cases of dependency or remediable neglect. The Catholic institutions, like all the others, are sorely in need of sg^kl^eW^exyice to keep children in their own homes by.rmprov- ing their normal environment so as to make it fit for them. Co-ordinated family welfare service is also required in cases where there are no children, or the problem is primarily one involving the adults. To meet these two needs the Survey recommends that the usual form of organization in Catholic communities be adopted, namely the Catholic Welfare Bureau. This is a central family welfare organization to which may be sent all types of social problems and which can supplement and co-ordinate the relief and- special services now available. ^JO In Roman Catholic communities, the Catholic Welfare Bureau form of organization has usually been found most satisfactory because of certain inherent facts and principles in Catholic social work, The client in search of assistance of any kind naturally seeks his parish priest. Presumably, a social organization of his own faith to which his priest can turn for service offers the most satisfactory procedure. The Catholic community is also generously provided within itself with institutions supplying various forms of indoor relief. Many of these institutions would never be able or inclined to develop their work along lines of field service. For most of the religious orders, especially the cloistered ones, such a development would present practically insurmountable difficulties. On the other hand, because of their long and traditional service in most fields of charitable endeavour, social problems come to their doors; with which they must now deal within the limits of indoor relief, the only equipment at their disposal. Obviously a central service to which they could 45 turn for those services, which they do not themselves desire to develop, offers the most adequate solution. Constructive and continued family work with the socially maladjusted, with whom the need for relief is often only a symptom of more deeply rooted trouble, is a fundamental necessity in every community, and without it child caring agencies and other specialized services, such as juvenile courts and health clinics, are seriously handicapped. It is only by intelligent co-operation between child caring and family agencies that satisfactory child welfare work can be accomplished. The Survey would suggest that such a central agency be organized with a trained worker or workers prepared to investigate applications for admission to institutions and to make efforts to keep the home intact by rallying the resources of the community to its aid, adjusting domestic and economic difficulties and improving conditions generally. Discharges from institutions might be arranged through this organization and also aftercare and supervision. There should also be responsibility for arranging for the care of Catholic unmarried mothers and their babies for whom at present there is no provision excepting in institutions where there are no special Opportunities of practising their religion, of having their babies baptized or placed in homes of their own faith. Many other family needs would receive attention and the Bureau would act as a clearing house for all types of social problems. It would be necessary for such an organization to co-operate closely with the Catholic Children's Aid Society, the Catholic institutions, and other public and private agencies. It should also become a common meeting ground for the various Catholic men's and women's services, fraternal and philanthropic societies, which are now working as individual units. From a Catholic Welfare Bureau of this kind could be expected a real contribution to united action for the social betterment of the general community and interpretation to the public of Catholic ideals of social service. CO-ORDINATION OF SOCIAL WORK IN VANCOUVER Jn every type of work there is emphasis to-day on co-operation, co-ordination, team play. It is the day of conservation of effort, of the most efficient use of time and money and service. Social work has felt the necessity for some form of organization to facilitate cooperation. The kind of organization varies with the need it is trying to fill, but there are several main types of co-ordinating machinery, all ofjwhich are lacking in Vancouver. The Council of Social Agencies as a rule is not formed until it emerges as a natural growth in answer to a demand. The various agencies have a desire for a common meeting ground where they may discuss matters of general interest. They need to have an organization which can speak for the whole body of community social work. The formation of a Council of Social Agencies presupposes a certain consciousness of standards of work on the part of agencies; • an awareness of their functions in relation to each other and of their place in the whole field of social service. Often it is a result of drawing together of smaller group councils whose membership consists of representatives of agencies interested in the same field, such as: health, recreation, or child welfare. The Council of Social Agencies should include representatives of agencies interested in any form of social work in the community, regardless of field or sect. The Financial Federation is usually most successful when it arises out of the Council of Social Agencies or at least is not the major function of the Council. Many more agencies will be members of a Council of Social Agencies than need to be members of a Financial Federation, or a Community Chest as it is often called. The Chest allows of co-operative collection of funds from the public to meet the current budgets of the private philanthropic agencies. It also, by setting certain standards for membership, assures the public that its donations will be properly utilized. The Social Service Exchange is a technical device to co-ordinate and improve the work that is actually being carried on. This will be referred to again. The Social Workers Club, or a similar organization, serves to bring workers together and to let them know each other as individuals. It assists in bringing about a spirit of understanding and team play between.the staffs of the various agencies. Each becomes more familiar with the other's field. It helps to improve the general standards of work by providing an opportunity to obtain a wider knowledge of other types of work which may serve as resources and of specific problems encountered by other workers and the methods used to meet them. It often brings to light problems common to all and leads to joint action to solve these problems. 47 None of these forms of organization exist in Vancouver. The Council of Social Agencies and the Club are only truly successful when they are a growth in the community. They cannot be superimposed. Democratic team play is the essence of their being. The Financial Federation is also a natural outcome of certain conditions and depends on team play. The Social Service Exchange or Confidential Exchange, while also of no value unless based on. co-operation, is a little more technical, and is not quite so dependent in the beginning on the whole group. A functioning Exchange is very badly needed in Vancouver at present. What is an Exchange? It is a central card index in which is entered identifying data of each family "registered" and also the name of any agency that registered as having knowledge of that family and the date it did so. It is a species of private directory accessible only to responsible people. The files are carefully protected, only the Exchange staff ever being permitted to touch them. There is no personal information about the family in this file. To obtain information one must ask the agency that registered the family. Many people consider an Exchange as merely a means for preventing overlapping of relief, and for checking of fraud. That is the least of its services. Registration of a family does not mean that the agency is giving relief or any material aid, nor does it mean necessarily that the agency has taken any responsibility for the family's welfare. It merely shows that it has been asked to give service to the family. This service may be of various kinds. Different health organizations may use the Exchange—hospitals and clinics, public health nurses, visiting nurses; other services such as churches, traveller's aid, the Red Cross, military and civil agencies as well as the more usual social services of children's work, Juvenile Courts, relief agencies and others. . The agency that registers is. merely expressing its willingness to co-operate in the solution of a family problem. Many of the above agencies, and others that might be mentioned, do not give "charity" as it is usually conceived. What is the use of this registration? There is the obvious one of preventing duplication of relief. There is also the service of saving time. A problem is reported. The worker before visiting phones the Exchange and is told the registrations, if there are any. She calls up the registered agencies, to find that some one is already serving the family. She tells the agency of the reported need and is able to leave the matter with the worker that already has contact with the family, so saving her own time, and what is more important protecting a family from having another person intrude on its affairs unnecessarily. Perhaps the agency already in touch cannot deal with the new need. The two workers together can discuss the whole situation and decide on a plan to meet all needs and arrange what share each will take in carrying it out. Again it is much better for the family than to have two workers visiting, each perhaps 48 advising and urging the opposite to the other and wondering why the family are so stupid about following advice. The health worker may be urging,that the mother have hospital treatment and that the daughter take charge of the home in her absence, unaware that the girls' worker, knowing of undesirable companionship but not of the hidden health problem, is urging the sending of the daughter to a relation for a visit and leaving the mother in charge. It is not a question of preventing overlapping of relief but of some means being necessary to co-ordinate the plans being made for the family. What is the use of old registrations? Every branch of social work is stressing the need for knowing the client,$whether family or child or single adult; for knowing his history and his past experience. This is not to condemn or judge, but to assist injptatning safch-Aewelient £or his needs. The knowledge gained from past experiences of other, agencies with the family may be of assistance and will in any case help the worker to avoid repeating earlier mistakes, perhaps using methods that previous experience has shown to be inadvisable with that client if permanent constructive results are desired. What type of worker is needed to take charge of an Exchange ? It is essential that it be a worker familiar with constructive family social work methods. Agencies need to be constantly taught how to make the best use of the Exchange service. Only a worker who is familiar with various kinds of social work can see the opportunity for improved service, and ways of developing it, and bring this to the attention of the agencies. The more agencies use an Exchange, the more useful it becomes. For an agency to be a valuable member it must have a system yi records of the families served, and must use the Exchange consistently. This all needs constant bringing to the attention of the organizations and of new workers. The filing system is of interest. There is an alphabetical file under surnames, cross indexed for relatives, married children, aliases, re-marriages and other items. There is also, a file under street addresses. In a city of any size the cards in the file rapidly mount into the thousands, and unless specific enquiry is made for it, the individual card is buried in the numbers on file. A Social Service Exchange in the larger cities is usually organized under a Council of Social Agencies. This gives it representative control. At times it is a separate organization, its budget apportioned between the main agencies that use it, or financed by a Financial Federation. It should be emphasized that it is generally advisable that it should have no close connection with a relief agency, or with a court agency. In either case a certain stigma is connoted that will prevent some purely service organizations from using it, no matter how much explanation is given of the true nature of an Exchange. In one city it was found unwise to have the office even in the same building with the family agency that gave relief, much less organized in connection with it. 49 We would strongly recommend that an effort be made to have the Social Service Exchange reorganized in Vancouver as a separate organization. There has been an effort made to luive it function in the City Relief Department. It was not a success, probably for two reasons. First the one above stated, that an Exchange is not usually successful if closely connected with relief; secondly that after it was organized and handed over to the Department, there was no person with the requisite experience who devoted his time to developing the use of it among other agencies in the community. At present it functions only as a Christmas Exchange. ] The need for an Exchange at present is urgent. The Survey staff was constantly impressed by the waste of time and money and by the injury to the families from lack of co-ordinated plans and from lack of knowledge on the part of the worker of past history, that resulted from the absence of an Exchange. Case after case was known to various workers, each being unaware of the other's connection with it. Obviously it was impossible for each worker to telephone all around the city on the chance of finding who else was interested. In many cases there was no reason to suspect that certain workers would have known the family. No doubt many others were in touch that did not come to the attention of our staff. Vancouver has no representative organization under which a Social Service Exchange might be organized. No doubt at some not very far distant time the need for a Council of Social Agencies, or some such group will be felt. In the meantime, however, a func-. tioning Exchange is badly needed. We would urge that some service Organization, some group wishing to make a specific contribution to community work, consider undertaking the establishment and financing of such a service for two or three years. If well managed the service during that time should prove its value sufficiently that the social agencies using it would be prepared to underwrite the expense, if by then there is not a Council of Social Agencies prepared to take it over. CASE HISTORIES {Illustrative of existing needs in Vancouver's social work.) Case Story 1. (In accordance with social practice the family has been disguised by changing unessential data.) Family: Mr. Smith, an aunt, Susan, 19, several older and younger children. About three years ago Susan became pregnant, illegitimately. The baby was born in an institution in the city. The staff were interested in Susan, as she had improved and had behaved very well in the institution. They tried to help her when she returned to her family, to be a good homemaker and mother to her baby. The old aunt was not able to look after the house. Susan, though attractive and willing, did not seem to manage very well. The staff did not have time to visit often, as their institution work kept them busy, even though they saw things going rather badly. Then the family moved, and the staff did not know where they were, and did not bother trying to locate them. 50 After a while they came to the attention of a health service. Now the family were living in terribly unsanitary conditions due to some extent to poor management. No attempt was made to locate the earlier history. The aunt was placed in an institution. Susan and the baby were put in another institution (the baby was in a horrible condition from lack of care.) The same experience was gone through as in the institution where the baby was born. She improved under supervision, and was willing. She left after a while to return to her family. A feeble effort was made by the institution, which had no field service, to keep in touch with her, but the effort soon died down, though there were already indications of unsatisfactory conditions. She next was found by an official in undesirable surroundings and ordered to move. She went to friends who could not keep the baby, and it was boarded out, again being in a terrible condition from lack of care. Soon she could not pay the baby's board, and it was returned to her. The present situation is not known to any of the agencies who have had contact. The case has never been a relief problem, and is not known to the City Relief. The description of the girl, and the family history, suggest feeblemindedness, as probably one of the several factors. Comment. 1. The lack of case responsibility. Two of the agencies which were in touch with the girl were agencies which in most communities would feel a responsibility, when such a case came to them, of following her up till some satisfactory arrangement had been reached for her and her baby. 2. The lack of co-ordination of effort. Had there been a functioning Social Service Exchange, the second institution in which Susan was placed might have found the earlier experience of institution number one most helpful. The girl's improvement under supervision caused undue optimism as to how she could function in the community at large. 3. No one endeavored to secure a mental examination to see if the girl was a case for custodial care, or treatment, so that she would not continue to add to the community's problems. 4. Two people at least advised Susan to get her baby adopted. The disregard of any consideration for the person who would adopt a child with such a history is apparent. 5. No agency felt any responsibilty whatever for protection of the baby from repeated neglect, or from an unwise adoption. Case 2—A family which presents no relief problem has a baby it doesn't want. It is physically unfit for adoption. For reasons 51 that seem to them sufficient the members of the family do not wish to support it. They have placed it in various boarding homes and tried to avoid payment. All the homes have returned the baby to the family. The children's agency to which it was referred felt it had no responsibility, as the family could pay for the child in a boarding home, and it was not adoptible, and beyond referring the guardian to another boarding home took no action. Comment.—While the stand was rightly taken that the child should not be adopted, nor should the family be relieved of their responsibility, no care was taken in the method of doing this, to follow up and see that the baby did not suffer, and that the family were made to take the responsibility—not as an evil they could only escape by the baby's death—but because they realized they were responsible and therefore were willing to assume the care of the baby. Several cases of this type have been observed. Case 3.—A child was placed in an orphanage. She was a conduct problem and was in special classes. She had a mental age of 9 at 12 years of age, and had erratic tendencies. She left the. Home to go with her mother, and was not followed up. Later she was in an institution and had an illegitimate child of a very poor type. She was again mentally examined, I.Q. 74 and was said to be a permanent community problem. The mother objected to the plan proposed and she took the girl away. Later she was in another institution for wayward girls, and her mother was dead. At another time application was made to the Mothers' Pension Board for her and her child. Comment.—The prognosis for this girl even as a child was poor. While it was a difficult case in that she was not a girl who could be committed to Essondale on the first diagnosis, and at the same time was a type that was very difficult to supervise at large, still had there been field service available it might have been possible to follow her and secure sufficient information on which to base a custodial care recommendation before she added at least one to the community's problems of unfit babies. The lack of a functioning Social Service Exchange prevented a co-ordination of the experience of each agency. The facts at the disposal of any one agency were noti strong enough to justify committal. The sum total might have supplied sufficient proof. She is a type that will probably continue to add to the population, and none of the agencies that knew her has any knowledge of the present situation. The following cases illustrate some of the adoption problems: Case 4.—A woman has two illegitimate children, one of three years and another one year old. She is probably feeble minded; the father of the children is not fit physically. The family history is 52 one of promiscuity and very low standards. The 3-year old is boarded out, and is open for adoption. One worker wished to have the child adopted without telling its history; another is ready to have it adopted if anyone will take it after hearing the history. Comment.—The disregard for the adopting parent is striking. The sole problem seen by the workers is to get the baby supported; Case 5.—A mentally defective woman has two illegitimate children. One is at present placed for adoption. Case 6.—A woman with a very poor personal history managed to live apparently a decent life for a time in order to adopt a child. Later she returned to her previous habits, as might have been expected from the history, but no agency followed up to protect the child from the results of an adoption which had been made originally in disregard of all standards of work. The case will probably have to be taken up as a protection case, the child meanwhile having passed the most formative years of his life in undesirable surroundings. The fact that the child has a poor medical history made it all the more important that it should have been given a good start in life, instead of a heavy handicap. Comment.—The unfairness to the child is obvious. The urge here also for adoption was to secure support for a baby not many people would adopt. The poor early training may result in the child becoming an adult social problem. Case 7.—A woman was deserted by. her husband and left with three children, one an infant. She was advised by workers and others to have the baby adopted, and she agreed, and the adoption was made rather quickly. She was later desirous of having the child again, but could not, as the legal papers were put through. Comment.—The adoption was pressed solely because of immediate financial problems—the child was separated from its family for reasons of poverty alone, contrary to standards of child welfare expressed eighteen years ago and frequently reaffirmed since. This was a case when the history suggests that family case work service would have lessened the urge for the adoption. It was not a case where relief was given, the family meeting their own problems as best they could. Several cases of this type have come to our attention. Case 8.—A-child has grown up in a family, having been placed as a young child and deserted. The family would like to legally adopt her, but do not feel they can afford the $60 or $80 necessary. The child is without a guardian and has no legal status in the family. Several cases of this kind have come to notice. 53 CHILD WELFARE LEGISLATION GENERAL Considered as a whole, the social laws of British Columbia relating especially to children may properly be classed as advanced legislation. The high age limit for juveniles and the broad application of the mothers' pensions stand out particularly. In many directions, however, legislation has gone far ahead of the community's facilities for its proper utilization. Not only has legislation outstripped effective official administration as in the case of mothers' pensions, but it has developed much faster than the community's understanding of its uses, the Unmarried Parents Act being an example. The Survey has sensed a determination on the part of both government and people that British Columbia shall lead in child welfare legislation and administration and with this in mind has presented in its recommendations a somewhat higher standard than has yet been attained in the other provinces. British Columbia has not attempted a codification of its children's laws into one statute. The laws of special interest to this Survey are found in the following acts of the Provincial Legislature. The Infant's Act. The Adoption Act. The Children of Unmarried Parents Act. The Legitimation Act. The Mothers' Pensions Act. The Workmen's Compensation Act. The Deserted Wives' and Children's Maintenance Act. The Industrial School Act. The Industrial Home for Girls Act. The Juvenile Courts Act. The time may come when circumstances will make desirable the preparation of a Children's Code, but at present we see no sufficient reason to recommend such a change. As a general principle the Survey is opposed to any unnecessary changing of laws. From experience we are convinced that the sound method t of developing usable legislation is the characteristically British one of amending point by point whatever is found unsatisfactory. Laws that grow up in this patch-work fashion lack form and polish but they work. The temptation is great to recast and rearrange in order merely to improve the appearance of the whole, but anyone familiar with the tremendous difficulties of drafting good legislation will avoid creating unnecessary problems. Such apparently insignificant matters as a change in the position of a section or the variation of a connecting word may change the legal interpretation of the law in 54 a way that was never thought of by those making the suggestion. Moreover, the moment changes are made the painfully acquired fund of interpretations, rulings, precedents, etc., is swept away and those using the laws must begin again the tedious process of establishing what they mean in terms of actual use. For these reasons we have been conservative in suggesting changes in British Columbia legislation. It is quite possible that better laws could be drafted, but in our opinion it is more feasible to comment upon what, is already in existence with a view to the minimum amount of amendment that would make it meet the standards of this Survey. In this connection we would warn against the adoption of social legislation merely because other provinces or countries have done so. Ontario has just made a most unfortunate change in one of its important child welfare measures chiefly because another country had recently enacted the same law. All that is new is not necessarily good. The new legislation of a province or country does not always represent the views of the best social workers or even of socially minded people of any sort in that community. The Infant's Act. {Part III.) Protection of Children In its general features the child protection part of the Infant's Act is excellent legislation. It leads most of the provinces in extending its application up to the age of 18 years. In a number of minor details, however, it would be the better for some amendment. If the principles upon which this legislation is based are kept clearly- in mind, it will not be possible to err very greatly in any future developments. The details will necessarily relate themselves into an harmonious whole. « The "Protection of Children" part of the Infant's Act, like the Children's Protection Acts of the various provinces, is built upon the principle that every child is entitled to a reasonably adequate guardianship. It provides that, when a child is found by a court to be without such guardianship—whether because of death, inability, or culpable misconduct of the responsible parties—he becomes a public ward; as the Province is not itself equipped to implement this guardianship in all cases, the state function of the guardianship of such public wards is delegated to Children's Aid Societies. Although these societies becomeTHe guardians~of the children in question, the primary responsibility still rests upon the state to see that the guardianship is exercised and that ways and means are provided. This means that the state must maintain an oversight of the work and public funds must be made available to defray the cost incurred. This Act is primarily a guardianship measure—it is not a means of public relief. Public funds are provided for maintenance merely because the public guardianship carries the same obligation to support as does any other. The matter is dealt with by a court rather than by an executive office because rights and duties are involved 55 and only the judiciary can properly deprive a parent of his natural rights or impose the obligations and status of wardship upon the child. Keeping in mind the need of adequate guardianship as the essence of the action, it must be apparent that the use of the words "neglected child" to describe the child in whose interest the act is drawn is misleading. •' Child needing protection" or " Child needing guardianship" would much more accurately cover the case. "Neglect" conveys the idea of culpability on the part of the parent, which of course does not exist in the cases of many children who require a public guardianship under this act—for example "destitute orphans." Grave misunderstandings as to the purpose and scope of protective legislation have arisen in Ontario and Manitoba from the employment of the words "neglected child" and we would strongly urge that they be eliminated. W%/^: This would involve detailed changes in the wording of sections 53, 56, 57, 58 and 77, suggestions for which are appended. The "classes or descriptions" of children in section 56 that may be dealt with should be those where the question whether guardianship is inadequate should be considered by a court. We can see no justification for the inclusion of | (K) who is subject to such blindness, deafness, feeblemindedness, or physical disability as is likely to make him a charge upon the public." The provision of a public guardianship is not the need in such cases if other conditions are satisfactory. We would recommend, however, the addition of a clause to include the child "whose parents neglect or refuse when able so to do to provide due medical, surgical, or remedial care necessary for his health and well being, or who refuse to permit the supplying of medical, surgical or remedial care or treatment when ordered by a competent authority." . The cutting off of the guardianship of a parent, as provided for by this act, is one of the gravest actions that can be taken under the law. The final severance of the tie of guardianship should come only when every effort at rehabilitation has been exhausted. Therefore the act should encourage plenty of time being taken for thorough investigation and reconstructive work before the court finally makes the child a ward of a society. During this period the custody of the child must be provided for and the society should not have to bear the financial burden or there will be an irresistible urge to press for too early a final decision. In our opinion the best way to obtain these ends is by provision for prolonged adjournments with interim orders for maintenance. This is what is spoken of in American usage as "continuing the case.'' The essential feature is that, at the end of the interim period, the matter should automatically come before the court for disposition. 56 We would remark, in passing, that experience has shown that it is impossible to bring every child "before the judge for examination within two days after his apprehension" if sound work is to be done from a social point of view. Moreover, it is found feasible in some places to hold juvenile court sessions only once or twice a week. Seven days is suggested as a more workable limit. We would point out that under section 53 (2) the "Provincial Superintendent shall have and may exercise all of the powers conferred upon a children's aid society under this part." Therefore, when section 57 says that the judge may deliver the child to a children 's aid society it would seem obvious that he may commit the child to the Superintendent. The statement of this fact is redundant and raises doubts of the Superintendent's powers and status in other sections where specific mention is not made. We would, therefore, recommend that specific mentions be eliminated as in the Ontario legislation. Section 57 says: "The Superintendent may .... at any time deliver the child to a children's aid society, to be kept and dealt with in like manner as if delivered under the order of the Judge.'' We Would strongly urge the removal of such a provision as being absolutely unjust to the children's aid society and to the child. Before a child is received by a society through a court the society should have an opportunity to investigate the facts and present evidence which may prevent the commitment being made. If the child can be transferred to a society at any time by the Superintendent the society has absolutely no means of defence against improper burdens being placed upon it, possibly children which the judge originally believed were not suitable for the society's care. Once a child is committed by a judge to the Superintendent he becomes the ward of the Superintendent during minority. If the Superintendent wishes a society to care for the child, the matter should be one of arrangement and the society should act merely as his agent with reference to the child. For these reasons it is recommended that the words in section 57 from "instead" to the end be stricken out. Following the same line of reasoning we would suggest the insertion in section 57 of a proviso that, in cases where the action is not taken by an officer of a children's aid society, the society shall be given reasonable notice of the action and opportunity to present evidence before the judge may commit the child to that society. Section 59 provides that a ward of a children's aid society may be transferred to an industrial school by the Minister. This is an excellent provision but should be conditional upon (1) the request being made by the society that is guardian of the child and (2) the child having been tried out unsuccessfully in a foster home. We would suggest some such wording as follows: • 57 "If at any time after the making of the order it is established to the satisfaction of the Minister that a child who has been placed in a foster home may be better cared for and educated in an industrial school or refuge for boys or girls, the Minister may, on written request of the guardian of the child and at the expense of the Crown, cause the child to be removed to one of such institutions, in or outside of the Province, willing to receive the child," etc. Section 61 is probably a survival from an early period of legislation, before the enactment of adoption laws. At any rate it is out of line with the present situation in this and other social Acts. Section 60 (1) makes the society to the care of which any child is committed the legal guardian of the child. It is a principle of law that guardianship extends throughout minority, which is confirmed by the statement that jj \ the society is hereby authorized to place such children in foster homes on a written agreement, during minority." With this in mind it would seem a little absurd for section 61 (1) to provide that "the society may at any time resolve that the child shall be under control of the society until he reaches the age of twenty-one years, or such earlier age as may be thought sufficient.'' If the j society should choose to terminate its guardianship at some "earlier age" the child would be without a guardian unless a new one were legally appointed. This is just the situation the Act was intended to make impossible. No doubt the original thought was that in such a case the guardianship should revert to the natural parent, but as that parent has been deprived of guardianship by a court of law it is only a court that can re-invest him with it. The public guardianship through a children's aid society can be properly terminated only by substituting another guardianship. The new guardian must be a party to the transaction and the state through its court must be satisfied that the rights and obligations are surrendered on the one hand and accepted on the other, and that the whole proceeding is properly recorded. The process of law provided for such a transfer of guardianship is called adoption, and is fully covered by the Adoption Act. This section probably had in mind the case in which the parent from whom the guardianship of a child has been taken, in the course of time becomes again a suitable person to have that guardianship. In such cases the recognized procedure is for the child to be placed with his parents by the guardian society, on agreement or otherwise, until they have conclusively demonstrated the permanence of their reformation, and then for him to be legally adopted to them. As adoption is merely the handing over of guardianship in a formal and legal manner, there would seem to be no disadvantage in this method of restoring the parents' status. As the only other effective method of bringing this about would seem to be.an action for custody brought by the parent, we are convinced that section 61 is unnecessary and gravely jeopardizes the status of the parties and complicates the working of the Act. We therefore recommend that it be eliminated. 58 Section 62 deals with applications by parents to regain custody of a child. It is borrowed from the old Ontario statute and obviously from its wording is intended to be of general application as part of the law of custody and not to be limited to children committed under this act. If the reference were to committed children only it would be absurd to say, "Where a parent has . . . allowed his child to be brought up by another person at that person's expense, or by any children's aid society." We would therefore suggest that section 62 be removed to a part of the Infant's Act which shall deal with custody in general. Section 7 of Part I. would also seem to belong in such a division of the Act rather than in a part devoted to apprenticing. In this connection we would recommend perusal of the new "Infant's Act" of Ontario which deals only with such matters. We would remark, however, that in our opinion properly organized juvenile courts should be given custody jurisdiction. If they are competent to determine whether parents shall have guardianship of their children at all, they are surely competent to adjudicate as between parents. Their methods and equipment should be such as to enable them to become acquainted with the social situations involved much more readily and accurately thaji the more formal courts. Section 63 purports to make any surrender to a children's aid society by agreement of the custody of a child an absolute and final transfer of guardianship. Modern social thought tends to discourage the practice of taking such surrenders and we certainly do not consider it wise to draw special attention to the; possibility of it in the' statute. If the parents are suitable people to exercise guardianship all the social forces of the community should stand behind them to help them to keep their children. If they are not such people the children should be committed by a court. Moreover there is no reason why a child voluntarily delivered to a society in this way should be more permanently and irrevocably lost to its parents than the ones forcibly taken from their parents for cause. We would strongly recommend the elimination of this section. Section 78 provides a penalty for harbouring an absconding ward. We would suggest that it be made to apply also to inducing a ward to leave his placement. Possibly the insertion of the following after the world J' person'' would meet the situation: '' inducing or attempting to induce a ward of a children's aid society to leave . the premises of the society or any care or service in • which such ward has been lawfully placed, or." Section 79 provides a penalty for ill-treatment, neglect, abandonment, or exposure of a child, of imprisonment for a period of not more than three months, instead of or in addition to a fine not exceeding $100. We believe that this section would be more effective if the period were a more formidable one, possibly "not more than one year " as in the Ontario Act. 59 In connection with penalties we would point out that their chief purpose should be to correct an unsatisfactory situation affecting the welfare of a child. Merely to inflict the penalty may not contribute much to this result. If, on the other hand, it could be held as a threat to enforce the line of conduct required, it would be much more efficacious. With the idea in mind of getting constructive results we would recommend the enactment of a new section along the lines followed in certain other provinces as follows: "The Judge, upon summary conviction of any person charged before him with a violation of any of the provisions of this Act, may impose conditions upon such person and may suspend senteilce subject to such conditions, and upon proof at any time of the violation of any condition so imposed, may pass sentence upon such person." Section 80 provides for the maintenance of children dealt with under this part of the Act. It is excellently conceived and requires only a little smoothing out. Subsection (1) provides for an order against the municipality to which the child belongs for the expense of supporting the child by the society and specifies the various types of care for which payment shall be made. The introduction of the word "or" makes it appear that the order, though on application of the society for the support of a child committed to the society, may be drawn in favour of another temporary home or foster home instead of the society atself for whom these act. The wording is taken from the old Ontario Act which has recently been amended to clear away the ambiguity. The present wording commends itself for clearness and comprehensiveness as follows: I' In any direction for the temporary custody and care of a child, pending the hearing or determination of the case, the Judge may order and when committing a child to the custody or control of a children's aid society the Judge shall order the payment by the corporation of the municipality to which the child belongs of a reasonable sum, not less than seventy-five cents a day, for the maintenance of the child by the society in a temporary home, an institution, a foster home or elsewhere where children are not cared for without compensation.'' The fixing of a minimum amount that may be ordered, "not less than three dollars weekly," has had the unfortunate effect of suggesting to the judges that this minimum was the amount to be ordered "for the expense of supporting the child by the society." The fact that what the Act requires to be ordered is "a reasonable sum" has been beclouded and we believe the situation would be made clearer if the minimum amount were eliminated from the section. A reasonable sum for the expense of supporting the child by the society has been interpreted in the courts of other provinces to be the actual cost of such support unless the administration of the society can be shown to be unreasonable. This is the only poss- 60 ible interpretation to place upon these words, especially when it is remembered that the children to be supported are definitely public wards for the support of whom the state has the same responsibility as has any good and solvent parent for the supporting of his' children. With this in mind it might be considered desirable to add a clause to the section stating that a reasonable sum shall be construed to mean the average cost to the society of supporting children in a reasonable manner. The prohibition in subsection (1) of "the placing of children with the lowest bidder" would seem to be a survival from a much less highly developed civilization and is probably no longer necessary. Subsection (2) of 80 defines the municipality to which a child belongs. It is copied from an early form of the Ontario statute and is still in the Ontario Act. In that province, however, it has been found necessary to supplement it in two important respects: 1. To protect municipalities from acquiring permanent liabilities to maintain when merely affording institutional care to persons properly resident elsewhere, and 2. To fix the. municipal residence, as far as is possible in fairness to the municipalities, in cases where the child is under one year of age and therefore could not possibly have resided in any municipality for one year, and in other cases where, because of stay in an institution or for other reasons, the child has not resided in any municipality in the province for one year. The wording of the added sub-sections is as follows: "(3) Where the child has not resided in any municipality in Ontario for one year, the municipality in which the child's mother has last resided for one year shall be deemed liable for maintenance.'' (4) In the computation of the time in subsections 2 and 3, (2 is the same as 80 (2) in the British Columbia Act) the time during which the child or its mother was an inmate of a children's, infants', maternity, or other boarding home, a correctional or charitable institution, a hospital or any home or institution for custodial, medical, or other care or supervision shall not be regarded and the time during which the mother has resided in a municipality while the child was an inmate of any such home or institution shall likewise be disregarded. The first of these subsections, if enacted for British Columbia, would relieve the Province of a considerable number of charges. The second would prevent municipalities from unloading their burdens improperly upon one another. Subsection (7) of 80 provides that: "where a parent or guardian does not reside in a municipality, the judge, upon application, shall order that the parent or guardian shall pay to the society to which the child is committed a sum not less than three dollars per week for the expense of supporting the child by the society," etc. Obviously the meaning of the section is: "where a child does not belong to muni- 61 cipality,'' which may be a quite different matter. We would therefore recommend amendment of the introductory wording along those lines. We would suggest that the judge be permitted to use discretion with reference to making such an order, as the parent may be quite unable to meet it or there may be important extenuating circumstances, and would therefore recommend the substitution of "may" for "shall" in the second line. Section 81 provides Provincial support for children committed to children's aid societies as public wards for whom maintenance is not provided under the preceding section. This is a just and proper arrangement but the section also provides that "no payment shall be made under this section for any child who does not reside in the home of the society asking for the payment." Strictly interpreted this provision could become a prohibition against the Province paying for any children in boarding homes, which would be -contrary to .modern child welfare practice^ It would also be contrary to the principles embodied elsewhere in the Act. A municipality is specifically required to pay for a child "in any foster home where such children are not cared for without compensation." Surely what is proper for the municipality, when the liability falls upon it, is proper for the Province when it accepts liability. Probably the purpose was to prevent societies from collecting maintenance for children cared for in free homes at no direct expense to the societies. This could be accomplished by substituting the words: "nor for any child maintained without expense to the society asking for payment." No hardship has arisen from the unfortunate prohibitory phrasing discussed because the government has interpreted it with a liberality that might some day get it into trouble with unsympathetic critics. It would be much more satisfactory for the wording of the section to be amended to cover the matter without possible ambiguity. Sections 84 and 85 make it possible to commit, as a ward, to a children's aid society or the Superintendent, a child convicted of any offence, no matter how trivial, against the laws of the Province. Realizing that such commitment cuts off the parents' rights of guardianship entirely, it must be viewed as a most serious ^possibility to be utilized only when the parent is shown to be quite unfit to have the guardianship of his child. Such cases are provided for under sections 56, 57 and 58, and we therefore believe sections 84 and 85 both unnecessary and dangerous. Moreover, in our opinion, these sections are also ultra vires, the matter being covered by the Dominion Juvenile Delinquents Act. "This act provides for handing over the custody of a juvenile delinquent to a children's aid society or the Superintendent with public maintenance, but the guardianship of the child remains in the court and the custody can be changed or terminated at any time by the court. This is a much better arrangement for the treatment of conduct difficulties where the parents are not entirely impossible and what is needed is more or less temporary treatment in a family home as_jiL_alterna±ive_tO-.a term-in~an-institution. -.There would seem no justification for making it always "a life sentence." For these various reasons the elimination of sections 84 and 85 is suggested. In the opinion of the Survey, it is not feasible for the court to commit children in need of guardianship directly to the guardianship of individual persons, because the guarantees of supervision and continuity of responsibility are lacking in such cases. The accepted practice is that commitment is made to a children's aid society (or the Superintendent), such authority then transferring guardianship to an individual by the process of adoption if, upon a thorough canvassing of the situation, this seems desirable. The wording of the Act should suggest no ambiguity in this matter. With the foregoing comment in mind, we would recommend that the purpose of section 93 should be to provide: (1) That no protestant child shall be committed to a Roman Catholic Society and no Roman Catholic child shall be committed to a protestant (or non-Roman Catholic society,; and (2) that no protestant child shall be placed by a society in a Roman Catholic family and no Roman Catholic child shall be placed in a protestant family if a suitable home of the child's own faith is available. We would suggest rewording somewhat along these lines. The Survey would observe also that there is nothing in the Act at present to define what is meant by a child's religion. We are informed that the practice is to consider only the faith into which . he is baptised regardless of what may have been the faith of his parents or guardians. This practice commends itself to the group in which baptism is highly valued and is universal but would seem, markedly unfair to others. The purpose of the statute is as far as possible to see that in establishing a public guardianship, the religious preference of the naturaLguardians is continued— A section should be carefully drafted with this in mind. Section 52 has to do with restrictions on receiving infants and young children for board. This whole matter is discussed elsewhere in this report. It need only be remarked here that the section is not clear and would probably fit better in another statute. With reference to Part I. on "Care and Apprenticeship of Minors,'' the Survey would make the general comment that the^trend ^Ls_ocj^lj[Lpinion^is^^wav from l' indenturing'' for the whole of min- ority. Certainly it requires the guarantees of a properly constituted and equipped organization for guardianship supervision, which is ' provided for under Part III. of this Act. With the industrial and social changes that have taken place in the community and the development of child welfare standards, legislation and organization, the need for Part I. is rapidly disappearing. 63 Adoption Act Adoption is a formal means of transferring the guardianship of a child. So long as a child is under the guardianship of his own parents the presumption is that he is sufficiently protected unless evidence appears to the contrary. If, however guardianship is transferred to another the natural tie of parental affection is missing and it is incumbent upon the state to protect the interests of the helpless child by carefully scrutinizing and supervising the transaction. No adoption should be permitted to take place without the consent having been obtained of an officer competent to investigate the social advisability of the placement. The sanffe safeguards should be thrown around the placement of children by their own parents as would be expected were the child being placed out by a social agency. Exactly the same standards of child placing should be insisted upon by the state if the helplessness of the child is to be adequately protected. This is a social matter and cannot be satisfactorily dealt with by a Court without social assistance. The Survey therefore recommends that a Provincial Adoption ' Officer be provided for in the Act, (the office to be filled in practice by the Superintendent appointed under the Infants' Act) and that the consent of such officer be required for all adoptions. Adoption is a tremendously serious matter. It is irrevocable and involves the whole life of a helpless child. Therefore it must not be completed until there is a practical certainty that the relationship established will be in the best interests of the child. After thorough investigation has been made by the Provincial Officer, probably through the local Children's Aid Society officer, there should then be a period of probationary residence of the child with the applicants in order to see how the placement will work. Experience has demonstrated beyond question the absolute necessity of such precaution. Obviously it is necessary in order to be sure that the child will be wanted and properly treated after the novelty wears off and the adopting parents come to know all the weaknesses of the child. Most applications for adoptions are for infants so young that it is impossible to gauge their mental equipment and probable development. No such adoption should be made irrevocable until the child is of an age to show in his own person a fair indication of his inherent capacities. In the interest of the child every reasonable precaution must be taken to see that applicants are not saddled with a child with whom they are disappointed. No more demoralizing experience is possible than to grow up unwanted in a home without the parental ties that might have tempered the disappointment. Harrowing stories can be told of children found to be hopelessly defective or epileptic after completion of adoption had made it impossible for the foster parents to be released from their bargain. Of course, some special cases will arise in which the probationary period will not be so necessary: for example where a near relative of known character applies to adopt a child with whom he is familiar. m$m 64 For these reasons the Survey recommends the insertion in the Act of a section along the following lines: || An order for the adoption of a child under fourteen years of age shall not be made unless the Provincial Officer certifies in writing:— (a) That the child has lived for at least two years previously with the applicant, and that during that period the conduct of the applicant and the conditions under which the child has lived have been such as to justify making of the order; (b) That the applicant is to the knowledge of the Provincial officer a fit and proper person to have care and custody of the child and that for special reasons set out in the certificate it is in the best interest of the child that the period of residence be dispensed with. In cases where the transfer of guardianship is desirable adoption should not be denied a child because of the cost of the process. Every child is entitled to effective guardianship but there are numerous children in British Columbia in an ambiguous situation because of the cost involved in adoption proceedings before the Supreme Court. With the safeguards already suggested the Juvenile Courts could handle the matter at least equally well and, as there would be no necessity for legal fees, the order of adoption would cost absolutely nothing. This is the case in several other Provinces. The Juvenile Court is already determining most serious questions with reference to the adequacy of the guardianship of children and surely is equipped to deal with its transfer by adoption. The first principle of social work is the importance of family ties and the effort of social workers, if it is within their power, is to avoid the necessity of breaking these ties. Adoption is therefore only a last resort after everything possible has been done to make it unnecessary. Th« lawyer approached by a client seeking to dispose of a child by adoption has an entirely different point of view. His professional task is merely to put through the adoption expeditiously and in due legal form. For this reason, as well as that of the added cost, social workers view with disfavour the intervention of lawyers in matters of adoption, especially since the legal aspects can be made so simple as to be well within the capabilities of a Children's Aid Society worker. The Survey therefore recommends that the Act be amended to permit of adoption proceedings being taken in the Juvenile Courts. Adoption and commitment to a Children's Aid Society create a ^.ew guardianship for the child and abolish that of the parent or tlormer guardian. Nevertheless the wording of the Act at present is such as to require the consent of the parent even in cases where guardianship has already been transferred to another party by legal \ 65 adoption or to a Children's Aid Society by legal commitment. Of course this should be corrected. There are at present several wards of the Children's Aid Society taken from the guardianship of their parents for lawful cause who cannot be adopted out because the parents who have been adjudged unfit to have their guardianship will not give their consent. The Survey therefore suggests that the following words be added to 5 (1), (c) : "or of the Children's Aid Society or the Superintendent if the minor is a ward thereof"; also the insertion of the word "or" at the beginning of 5 (1.), (d). Subsection (f) of 5 (1) provides for the consent of the Children's Aid "Society or the Superintendent where the minor has no parent or guardian having lawful custody. This section and the first part of 5 (3) is unnecessary insomuch as such children should be made wards of a Children's Aid Society, in which case the consent of the Society would be required as guardian. We would therefore suggest their elimination. It is highly desirable that an adoption be traceable through the register of births but it is also desirable that the information be given only on competent authority. In most cases where children are adopted in infancy the foster parents do not wish the child to know his parents nor do they wish the curious among their neighbors to get possession of the facts. If the details of the adoption are entered upon the child's birth registration there is danger of them coming to light unnecessarily. The solution of the problem devised in England and adopted in one of the Canadian Provinces is to have a confidential file of adoptions in the office of the Registrar of Births with cross reference by number only to the Birth Registration Files. We would think that the following wording might meet the need: "The proper officer of the Court shall transmit a copy of every adoption order to the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths, under the Vital Statistics Act, within ten days of its making. "The Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths shall establish and maintain a register to be called the "Adopted Children Register," in which shall be recorded all-adoption orders. "The Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths shall cause the birth entry or entries in the Register of Births of the child adopted to be marked with the word "adopted" with a reference to the adoption register, and to include in the entry in the adoption register recording the adoption, a reference to the birth registration of the adopted child." 66 The Children of Unmarried Parents Act Since 1921, six of the Canadian provinces have enacted modern constructive legislation in this field. British Columbia in 1922 was among the first provinces to incorporate in her laws the principles of social protection for the child born out of wedlock. The underlying motive of such legislation seeks neither the enforcement of morality nor the satisfaction of punitive instincts. From first to last the concept of the legislation is based on social and economic considerations. These briefly may be summarized as follows: Every child has a right to look to the state for assistance and protection in exact degree as his natural guardianship proves inadequate. The state naturally first seeks the discharge of its responsibility by attempting to encourage or provide services which will endeavour, as the first premise, to maintain and develop the child's natural guardianship, and to see that those properly responsible for its maintenance duly meet their obligations. If, in the course of the discharge of its responsibilities to its child citizens, the state must resort to measures of legal discipline against parents, or other guardians, this process is not an end in itself, and should not be conceived of as such. It is only the means to the attainment of its objective, of adequate protection of children in need of care and guardianship. In the protection of children born out of wedlock, any legislation should seek first, the establishment or preservation of natural guardianship, or in concrete terms should attemplTTx) make It possible and feasible for the mother to retain her child. This principle of modern social practice in this type of problem is now so generally accepted in the social work of this continent, that it has not been thought necessary to advance the many social considerations which have commended its adoption. If the mother is to retain her child two things are fundamentally necessary. First, provision must be made to the end that every unmarried mother may find available adequate social facilities to assist her in the many phases of her problem. Provision should exist for the earliest possible contact with the highly specialized community services, which alone offer any adequate hope of successful treatment of this . most difficult and delicate of social problems. And also, the legislation must provide for the means of obtaining- maintenance for the child from the sources properly responsible for this obligation. And again the legislation must provide for the establishment of other guardianship for this group of children when the attempt to establish natural guardianship has failed. Satisfactory legislation must, therefore, provide for the earliest possible contact with the case, for the most carefully administered social case work with the mother, and for adequate means to enforce maintenance costs, when assessed. It must also be flexible enough to allow of a wide range of individual treatment, in cases where satisfactory private settlement offers the wisest solution of the individual problem. Yet, the possibility of private settlement must also be surrounded with sufficient safeguards to protect the mother and child from exploitation. EH 67 1 The present British Columbia legislation (Chapter 34, 1924. Amended 1927) is based on a broad conception of these fundamental principles. Practically all the changes now suggested are minor ones looking towards more facility in administration. The present Act, however, is proving highly inadequate in meeting the problem it is designed to cover, because of an almost absolute lack of administrative machinery. The Superintendent of Neglected and Dependent Children is entrusted with its intricate and highly specialized administration as one part of his many duties, but is not provided with even one worker in the field. We are informed that in many instances he must utilize, as auxiliaries, the police services. Not only does this associate the whole legislation with the field of punitive justice, which is repugnant to the purpose of the Act, but it throws the adjustment of one of the most delicate of social problems into the hands of the police forces, who are naturally neither equipped nor expected to do social work of this type. The Survey therefore suggests, in the first instance, what has been suggested in the main body of the report, namely, a more adequate development on a provincial scale of the services of child care and protection by the provincial encouragement and development of children's aid societies in all well organized communities, and the establishment of provincial field services in the areas not so covered. Looking to this development, and having regard to the existing state of organization in Vancouver and Victoria, it is suggested that the definition of "superintendent" in the Act be so amended as to discriminate between the provincial and local responsibilities of the superintendent's office and to provide for the definite recognition as local deputies under the Act of all Children's Aid Society Superintendents, and such provincial child welfare field workers as may be appointed. Also having in mind that the Act is chiefly useful in the degree in which it provides opportunity for sound and careful social work with mother and child, it is strongly recommended that every thing possible be done to insure the social handling of the case. It is, therefore, strongly recommended that the definition of Court be expanded to include the Juvenile Court. Since early contact with the case is essential to most successful treatments, it is suggested that a time limitation be set upon the notification to the Provincial Superintendent by the District Registrar of Births, of the birth of children born out of wedlock. The Saskatchewan Act sets three days. It is probable that ten days would be a more practical limit in British Columbia. It is also suggested that a provision should be inserted in the Act providing for the compulsory notification to the Provincial Superintendent,^ all admissions, by any institution receiving unmarried mothers fd^r accouchement and care. (This might be covered by the hospital 03* health legislation.) I 68 1 At present the responsibility of initiating action rests almost entirely with the mother or her friends. Upon application to him the Superintendent may take such action as he deems advisable in the interests-of the child. It would appear that the clause providing for notification of births to the Superintendent contemplated provincial initiation of action. It is therefore recommended that such responsibility should be definitely included in the Act A simple amendment providing that after receiving this information through the vital statistics registration, the Superintendent shall take such proceedings, and do all such things as are permitted or required under the Act, and as may seem to him advisable in the interest of the child, would meet the case. It is in contemplation of the assumption of this responsibility of initiating inquiry, that the Survey particularly recommends the use of the local deputy superintendents. It is also suggested that provision should be made in this Act, or in the Adoption Act, for assurance of the Superintendent's approval of adoptions of children born out of wedlock. The Act, as it now stands, relieves-the Superintendent of any obligation to act where the child has been adopted under the Adoption Act. (In' this connection, see also the Survey recommendations re the Adoption Act). It is also suggested that provision should be specifically made in the Act for dealing with a child born out of wedlock as a neglected child, under the Child Protection Clauses of the Infant's Act, when circumstances warrant. This would require only a reference clause in this Act. It is suggested that the clauses governing those who may lay the complaint against a putative father should be expanded to include persons who have supplied medical, nursing or hospital attendance (this includes social agencies, redemptive homes, etc.), persons who have undertaken the care and training of a child born out of wedlock, etc. It is further suggested that a clause providing for detention of a putative father on bond as well as through warrant might prove effective and less objectionable from the point of view of the social adjustment of the case than arrest. In reference to apprehension and detention of the putative father, the Survey feels strongly that public advertisement should not be utilized as at present provided for in the Act. The best interests of mother, child and certainly of the father himself will rarely be served by such means. In the matter of actual maintenance the Survey feels that the British Columbia Act could be improved by, including provision for a "lump sum" settlement, as well as for weekly maintenance payments. In certain of the provinces some of the best work has been accomplished by such settlements. 69 /".?S3t: It is also suggested that any private agreement entered into by or on behalf of the unmarried mother should require the consent of the Superintendent in writing or the approval of a judge, to be binding. At present this principle is visualized, though not absolutely safeguarded, by the clause providing that such an agreement between mother and putative father shall not be a bar to proceedings under the Act. It is also suggested that provision should be made for the bonding of any person, found liable under the Act, for maintenance. The sureties on such bond should be approved by the judge. It is further recommended that the insertion of a general clause, such as appears in Manitoba and Ontario, giving the judge wide discretionary powers in these frequently complicated cases, would be extremely helpful. What is required is reservation of power to the judge to "make such order in respect to the care and custody of the child as he may deem just." Likewise, a clause leaving the assessment of costs in the discretion of the judge has much to commend it. It is the opinion of the Survey, also, that in the recovery of costs against the estate of the putative father, provision should be made for safeguarding the interests of the legitimate child. This is not adequately safeguarded at present. Also, in effective administration of the Act, the "dual paternity" clause has been found very necessary. It has now been enacted in Prince Edward Island, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The pertinent sections of any one of these Provincial statutes could serve as a basis for a British Columbia amendment. (The Prince Edward Island clause is appended). The Survey feels strongly that an amendment made in the session of 1926-27 is undesirable, unjust, and in operation will hamper rather than assist effective family case work in this field. This is the clause making a married woman who is the mother of a child born out of wedlock a competent and compellable witness as to the circumstances of the paternity of her child. Not only does this controvert the principles of English common law, which has opposed the giving of parental evidence to bastardize a child, but the action possible under the clause would likely destroy, in individual cases, . the least hope of any family reconstruction in a case of the type dealt with by this section. The Survey, therefore, strongly recommends its repeal as unjust and likely to be undesirable and ineffective. On the whole, the Survey feels that the general principles and framework of the British Columbia unmarried parenthood legislation are sound and advanced. It recommends better provision for adequate administration, and these minor amendments to render more effective the administrative machinery when provided. 70 Note :—Proposed Clause, covering doubtful paternity, (based on the Prince Edward Island legislation, 1924) : "Where any one of two or more persons may be the possible father of a child born out of wedlock, or likely to be born out of wedlock, any person mentioned in section of this Act may make an application to the Judge upon an affidavit naming each such possible father, and notice of such application may be given or a warrant for the arrest of such persons may be issued in the same manner as an application for an affiliation order made under the provisions of this Act, and the provisions of this Act as to the hearing of such application and the enforcement of such order shall apply to the application for an order against two or more persons under this section. The Judge may make an affiliation order according to the provisions of Section against any one of such persons, or may make an order upon such evidence as in the discretion of the Judge shall be deemed sufficient against two or more of such persons, fixing a total amount, to be payable proportionately by each of such persons to the Superintendent, (or person authorized under the Act)." (The wording herewith offered is not submitted as an arbitrary suggestion, but merely as an adaptation of the Prince Edward Island legislation, which contains possibly the most clearly and simply phrased "dual paternity" clause of any of the Canadian enactments.) Miscellaneous Legislation Mothers' Pensions Act The British Columbia Mothers' Pensions Act is the broadest in its application of any of the similar Acts in force in the Canadian provinces. Pensions are provided for the. following classes of persons even though there is only one child under 16: widows, wives of husbands with total disability likely to last a year, wives of inmates of hospitals for the insane or of penitentiaries, wives deserted at least two years by husbands who have left the province, and grandmothers, aunts, or older sisters, when the mothers are dead. Mothers' pensions are a payment by the state for a service rendered in bringing up children who otherwise would be without a mother's care. A very large sum of money is paid out for this purpose annually. It is, therefore, the function of the administrative staff to see that the best possible quality of service is obtained thereby. Sound initial investigation is necessary to be sure that only persons are granted the pension who are capable of rendering the type of service in child nurture and character building that the state has a right to demand. Equally careful and continuous supervision is necessary, not only to detect and prevent neglect and improprieties, but to stimulate, train, and assist mothers to give the best service of which they are capable. In the general report it is recommended that the administration of Mothers' Pensions be combined with that of the Infants' Act in order to eliminate duplication in staff and organization. This recommendation is made with a view to strengthening the administration of both, as both are believed to be inadequate. Even with the economies to be obtained from amalgamation of staffs it will still be necessary to add to the number and training of the personnel in order to give really effective social service. The importance of sound social work in connection with mothers' allowances must be apparent since it is service that the state is purchasing for its children and the social effectiveness of that service is the measure of the value it is receiving for its huge expenditure of pension funds. lit!'- 71 ''Wfr'^flifllrtj't? The act at present provides for its administration along with the Workmen's Compensation Act. This is probably justified by the fact that the Workmen's Compensation Act of British Columbia is unique in that payment may be conditional upon satisfactory behaviour and upon the dependency of the recipient. The consensus of opinion is that workmen's compensation should be merely a type of insurance against industrial accident and should not subject the recipient to social supervision. If this view were adopted the adminstration of the Compensation Act would become largely a medical matter, and would associate itself more logically with the Health Department. The Deserted Wives Act With the growth of family case work that must come in this province in the near future, legislation for enforcing the responsibility of the husband and father to support his family will become increasingly important. The capable field worker, whether of a children's organization or of a family agency, knows well how to use such laws not only to secure money wherewith to finance deserted children in their own homes but also as a threat to deter people from attempting to evade their sacred obligations. The British Columbia "Deserted Wives' Maintenance Act" will be found a very useful weapon in skilled hands. Unfortunately it makes no provision for enforcing the responsibility of a father who deserts his children only. This is a very serious weakness from the point of view of the child caring agency or the boarding home that may have non-supported children on its hands. We would strongly recommend the insertion of sections for dealing with the father who has deserted his child in addition to those dealing with the husband who has deserted his wife. The persons who may make a complaint under the act are. the wife, or, under certain circumstances, the Attorney General or a constable or peace officer. This is not sufficiently comprehensive to meet the needs. We would suggest: "a complaint under this act may be laid by a deserted wife or child or by a person having the care and custody of a deserted child or, with the consent of the Crown Attorney, by any other person.'' The form in which the procedure is stated by the Ontario statute is more convenient especially if children and wives are to be provided for separately. "Where a wife has been deserted by her, husband an information may be laid," etc. "A father who has deserted his child may be summoned," etc. "A child shall be deemed to have been deserted by his father, within the meaning of this section, when the child is under the age of sixteen years and when the father has, without adequate cause, refused or neglected to supply such child with food or other necessaries when able so to do.'' 72 The most common obstacle to enforcement of responsibility to support is the cost of bringing back the absconding husband and father. Some definite provision should be made to provide the funds for this purpose. The grounds that justify a complaint of desertion when a wife is living apart from her husband, in our opinion, should include adultery and venereal infection. As adultery is generally legally admitted as just grounds for divorce, there would seem to be ample reason for recognizing it as justification for a wife claiming separate support under this Act, which has been called "the poor woman's alimony law." Registering of Nursing Homes Municipal Act and City By-Laws The law with reference to the registering and supervision of babies' boarding homes is in need of some overhauling. Sections 64 to 77 of the Municipal Act deal with this matter with respect to children under one year of age and apply to all municipalities whether incorporated by special act or not. The City of Vancouver has By-laws with reference to children under seven years old. Neither provision is adequate. We are convinced that any necessary legislation should apply in all municipalities. It certainly should be more comprehensive than the sections of the Municipal Act cited above. The "Maternity Boarding Houses Act" of Ontario is commended as a basis. The present Provincial statute makes it unlawful to board more than one infant except in a registered home. One child may be boarded without registration. There is no doubt in our minds that the registration should apply wherever one or more infants is boarded without its mother. The risk to the child does not arise solely from the numbers in the home. Vancouver By-Laws The Vancouver By-laws with reference to the boarding of infants and young children are very loosely drawn and may need considerable revision in order to give the Health Department all the necessary control. They provided originally a system in which a party was free to receive infants for board but must notify the Health Officer within 48 hours that she had done so, whereupon he could inspect the home and, under some circumstances, could order the child's removal. Of course, this method of locking the door after the horse was stolen proved unsatisfactory and a section was added which made it unlawful to receive young children for board without having "first made application so to do." Not only do the two metheds not mix well together, but the wording of the last section leaves several loopholes. As it is worded the offence lies in not having made application. Whether or not the permit is issued does not seem to have any bearing on the legality of receiving and retaining the children. There is no statement that it is unlawful to do so without a permit. 73 Probably the worst feature is found in section 213 which sets out the circumstances that may justify the removal of a child by the visitor. (Apparently it is not possible for the Health Officer to order the removal of the child by the boarding home keeper under any circumstances.) To be removable the infant must be kept in "premises which are overcrowded, dangerous or unsanitary, or by any person, who by reason of negligence, ignorance, drunkenness, immorality, criminal conduct or other similar cause, is unfit to have care of it.'' Simple inability to give the child the care that it needs does not enter into the question at all. A case came to the attention of the Survey where, because of the large number of adults and older children in the house and the demands made upon her time and resources it was obviously impossible for the woman to give the boarded infants the care they required. Nevertheless the Health Officer was unable to take action because the building was not overcrowded in relation to the number of cubic feet of air space available. The Survey is emphatic in its belief that the right to board babies should be dependent upon a permit from the Health Officer so to do and such permit should be withdrawable in the discretion of the Health Officer if for any reason whatsoever he believes the home an unsuitable one to have the care of the baby. The more general the terms in which this is stated the more workable it is likely to be. A section on advertising for children for adoption, and giving out children for adoption without proper consent, should be included. 74 BRITISH COLUMBIA'S CHILD CARING AGENCIES The brief descriptions of the various agencies are intended merely to give a very general picture of what exists in the field of child caring and protection. The lack of proper record systems made any attempt to make a statistical or a detailed general study impractical. In most instances the figures available were compiled without the necessary comparative data, or certain factors had not been taken into consideration. The confusion of fields owing to the lack of organized work, and definite standards of case responsibility added to the difficulty. The Survey staff felt that more constructive work could be done by presenting each agency with rather lengthy confidential reports, in which would be discussed details of policy, of internal management, of rearrangement and use of equipment and of possible future lines of development in their own work. The future policies, in some agencies, would be so closely dependent on those of certain other agencies, or on changes in social work organization as a whole, that it was felt best to outline the alternatives only to the agencies involved, leaving them free to act according to developments in the community as these took place. THE CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY OF VANCOUVER The Children's Aid Society of Vancouver was incorporated in 1901 under the Child Protection Law of that time. Because of its peculiar position and legal status under that Act it is a key organization, upon the sound development of which much of the children's work of this Province depends. The Children's Aid Society we believe, has made a notable contribution to child welfare in British Columbia, but for some time technical administration has been inadequate and public confidence has been shaken. While in some respects the work compares favorably with that of other organizations in this province, it has been necessary to make grave criticisms to the Board, all of which pointed to the absence of competent technical leadership and direction. Clearly the outstanding need of this most important piece of work was a thoroughly capable administrative officer. The Board of management is to be congratulated upon having promptly recognized this need and having appointed an outstanding social worker to lead in the re-organization of the Societj 's work. 75 The task of the new superintendent will be one of the most difficult in the whole field of Canadian social service. The work of the Society must be completely re-oriented, involving among many other things the creation of a child protection field service; the organization of social investigation and supervision in connection with free home placement; the establishment of a boarding home system; and the development of baby care. In many communities the scope of any one of these functions would be considered sufficient to justify a separate organization. The administrative officer must also plan for the installation of a case record system, for the rearrangement and re-habilitation of buildings, for the. introduction of adequate medical and psychiatric service and night supervision, as well as other details of internal management. The Society is in a key position to assist in the building up of local standards of child care and protection, especially in such matters as that of adoption, and the protection of the child born out of wedlock. Because of the varied types of child problems that will come under its notice, the facts at its disposal can be of great use to the local community or to the Province in forming plans for child care. To render this service requires a clear consciousness on the part of the executive officer of the Society's own field, and its relation to the whole community organization. In taking up such a responsible and difficult task the Survey bespeaks for the new executive officer and the Society the sympathy and support of the people of the City and Province. A children's aid society has three main functions: child protection, child caring, and guardianship of public wards. The Children's Aid Society of Vancouver has limited its activities very largely to conducting a large shelter institution and has neglected its primary function of protecting children in their own homes. The Society has about 180 children in its building, which is badly^ overcrowded, and there are many more in free family homes. The Survey has expressed the opinion that, as constructive field work is developed, the number of children in the shelter will be greatly reduced and instead of erecting a new building at a cost of $200,000.00, as had been proposed, it may be possible eventually to close the main building and manage with the two remaining smaller ones. Pending this consummation it is recommended that the exterior at least of the building be painted and the grounds fenced and made presentable. A very detailed confidential report with comments and suggestions is being presented to this agency. 76 THE CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY OF VICTORIA This Society, though recognized by the government as one of the three societies functioning as state agents for child protection work, has confined itself largely to supplying institutional care to. Victoria children. The City of Victoria owns the building-and is the main source of financial support. The work is looked on almost in the light of that of a civic department whose task is to provide shelter and indoor relief. No responsibility is felt for work outside the radius of Victoria, the tendency being to leave this with the Provincial authorities. The result is that some of the problems of child care on the Island are being loaded on to the mainland agencies. The Society has no field worker to carry on the task of child protection that is usually the main function of a children's aid society. It relies on the court worker and on such service as can be rendered by board members or the matron for investigation and supervision. The shelter had, when visited, 31 children in residence, only one of whom was not from Victoria and suburbs. There were 17 boys and 14 girls ranging, from three to seventeen years of age. Twelve children were committed, and so were wards of the Society. Of the 23 children who left the Shelter in 1926, 15 returned to their parents, and two others went to relatives. The Society is fortunate in having a capable matron. The atmosphere is good. The children attend the public schools. Because the work is on a small scale, there is opportunity for more individual freedom than would be practical in a larger group. The building is very badly over-crowded, and in any case presents certain difficulties of arrangement for providing satisfactory care for such a varied group. It is more the type of building that would be a good receiving home or clearing house as part of a larger programme of care for children in family homes. An individual report is being sent to this agency. 77 THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY OF VANCOUVER The Children's Aid Society of the Catholic Arch-Diocese of Vancouver, was incorporated in 1905. It accepts Catholic children from any part of the province who are committed under the Infants Act. The board is representative of the various parishes, and employs a superintendent to carry out and supervise the work. The Society stated in May, 1927, it had 159 children under supervision. These were placed as follows: 86 were in the Providence Orphanage; 28 were in the Catholic Children's Aid Society Boys' Home at Burnaby; 9 in the Monastery; 19 in the Catholic Children's Aid Society Shelter in Vancouver and the remainder were with their parents or in boarding homes. The Society has a policy of accepting only children who are wards, committed to it by the court. The provincial and municipal authorities pay a per capita grant of $3.00 a week, recently raised to $4.00, for the wards. The Boys' Home of Burnaby was built by means of part of a $60,000 bequest from the McGee Estate. Further funds are raised by the sale of a year book, and some property brings in a gross revenue of about $250 a month. The general supervision of the children, and the court work, as well as the executive work, is carried on by Mr. Foran. He is also directly responsible for the Shelter and the Boys' Home which belong to the Society. The Boys' Home at Burnaby was erected recently at a cost of $40,000.00, with the object of giving the older boys some practical training. The boys attend public school in the district, and are employed after school hours at farm work and other duties in connection with the Home. Teaching in religious doctrine is given. The Home is in charge of a superintendent and his wife, two men assist with the farm work, and two girls, wards of the Society, help in the housework. The building is well equipped, and if the primary aim of training the boys is kept to the fore, and not lost sight of in an effort to have a well run institution and farm, the Home should render valuable service. The Shelter on 15th Street, Vancouver, is the office headquarters of the Society as well as the Home for babies and young children. The Shelter was seen under disadvantageous circumstances as re- . decorating was being done. There were in residence 17 children. A matron and an assistant with the help of four young girls, wards of the Society, look after the Shelter. The house is only of moderate size and is badly overcrowded. 78 The policy of this Society in insisting on commitment is much to be regretted. Many children are committed because of temporary emergencies. Were the Government to raise the grant for wards to meet the actual cost, the Society could use the funds collected from private sources to give service to children that need help, but should not be committed. For the sake of the child the drastic step of commitment should only be taken when the child's parents are unsuited to have charge of him, and are likely, always, to be unfit guardians. There is the further reason that in the long run any general tendency in the community to use commitment as a means of securing financial support for the child throws an unfair burden on the tax payer. In spite of the difficulty this Society has in raising sufficient funds, which results in inadequate staff and equipment, and colors the whole attitude to the work, it is rendering valuable service to the community, and is to be commended for its efforts. A detailed report is being presented to this Society. 79 THE MONASTERY, VANCOUVER The Monastery is conducted by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. This is a Cloistered Order and the Sisters do not go out into the community, holding communication with their friends only through a grating. The inmates follow the same mode of living. • There are 26 Sisters, including lay Sisters. Besides an Institution for custodial care they conduct a boarding school for girls in which there are thirty- five children—these have no contact with the other girls and women in residence. There are in the Monastery besides the Sisters and the children in the boarding school about sixty girls and women, the large majority of whom are over sixteen and a considerable number of whom are adults and many even elderly. The population is roughly divided into two classes; in the first are those who have had demoralizing experiences or- have been delinquent, and in the second are placed girls and women who are neglected, dependent or in danger of becoming delinquent. Many of those in the first class are obviously mentally defective and some are physically afflicted, blind, deaf or crippled. In the second class, also, it is probable that there are a number who are mentally sub-normal and some are physically defective. There is no segregation according to age. Children are usually placed in the Monastery by their parents, sometimes through the recommendation of the Parish Priest. In some cases parents contribute towards their support. A number of girls are placed in the Institution by the Catholic Children's Aid Society which provides maintenance. Children up to sixteen years of age attend class full time in the Institution. All are taught housework and sewing. Those over school age, if illiterate, attend class part time. Older girls are placed by the Sisters as domestics. The chief support of the Institution is the laundry operated by the Monastery. A small government grant is received annually. The building is in good condition. The dormitories are suitably fitted up with individual washstands. Attention is given to the matter of night supervision, and provision is made for privacy for older girls and women by the use of curtained-off cubicles. There are considerable grounds for play and exercise, and victrolas and other means of entertainment are provided. We believe that it would be advisable for this institution to devote its resources to the protection and training of the mentally defective and delinquent, rather than to the care of the normal dependent or neglected child. If the institution should undertake on a larger scale the care of the mentally subnormal more adequate public support would be required as it is difficult to make this class self-supporting even at supervised work. The institution is handicapped in its work by lack of facilities for investigating applications for admission and for supervising girls after they leave the Monastery. Close cooperation with a case working agency would be of great assistance in this matter. A short individual report is being presented to this agency. 80 THE SISTERS OF ST. ANN'S BOYS' SCHOOL AT DUNCAN, AND CONVENT FOR GIRLS AT NANAIMO While these institutions are primarily boarding schools, a large: proportion of the population are either wholly or partially dependent on the Sisters for support, and no survey of the child caring institutions of the province would be complete without some consideration of both schools. The Boys' School is situated on a farm three miles from Duncan. There are 90 boys in residence, ranging in ages from four to fourteen. Twenty pay nothing and are supplied withxclothing and other necessities. A number pay part of the fees, and a number pay the full amount, $22.00 per month. Much of the food is supplied by the farm and this reduces expenses. The School receives a small government grant. The present building was erected seven years ago and has bright, well equipped class rooms and a recreation hall with stage and drop- curtains. There is an outdoor protected gymnasium and a covered outdoor dining room, which is used in fine weather. There are seven Sisters in charge and they employ three men for farm work, laundry and heavy work. Eight grades are taught and the boys try the Entrance examinations. They all assist with house work and gardening. Those who have no homes are placed by the Sisters with private families when they reach-the age of fourteen. St. Ann's Convent for Girls, which is a day school and a boarding school, is situated in the City of Nanaimo. At present there are 51 girls in residence, 25 of whom are totally dependent on the institution for support, and six or seven pay the full amount, $22.00 per month. The remainder pay part of the fees according to their means. There are ten Sisters in charge. A Chinaman is employed for laundry work, and extra Workers are engaged when needed. Eight grades are taught and the girls write the Entrance examinations. All assist with housework. Girls without suitable homes are kept until the age of sixteen or seventeen. Those who show special ability in class work are sent to academies at Victoria or New Westminster for High School or Commercial training. Others are placed at trades or domestic work. The school is situated in attractive surroundings with well kept grounds, orchard, garden, and fairly large play grounds. In furnishing the institution attention has been given to developing habits of individual responsibility and good manners by supplying individual cupboards and lockers, separate washstands for toilet articles and attractive diningroom equipment. The chief support of the Convent, outside of fees, is provided by the Ladies' Auxiliary, who raise 81 $1500.00 annually and a tag day which brings in about $200.00. A small government grant given in past years has not been received this year, to date. In studying both institutions we were again struck by the need for an agency in the community to which those in charge could turn for social work on the families where the application to place children reveals serious social problems, and where the admission of the children to care would probably lead to the disintegration of the home. The same agency would supply a means for continued contact with the parents where necessary. In many cases the children are placed by parents who then desert them or evade their responsibilities, and it is advisable that they should be followed up and urged to do their duty. The schools also lack facilities for proper placing and supervision of their, charges, when they are ready to be discharged, and this service also might be undertaken by an outside agency. 82 Mi THE PROVIDENCE ORPHANAGE NEW WESTMINSTER The Providence Orphanage was founded in 1900 by the Providence Sisters for the purpose of caring for, and educating homeless and dependent children from all parts of the Province of British Columbia. The building is of,the congregate institutional type, brick, and four stories high, and is kept in good repair and in excellent order. The interior is attractive with curtains and pictures, and is spotlessly clean. The dormitories, though greatly overcrowded, have well equipped beds beautifully kept. The washroom is furnished in a manner that should assist in training in habits of hygiene. There is one basin to every four children, and arrangements for keeping individual toilet articles. All through the Home, in spite of the far too large number in residence, there are evidences of the appreciation of the importance of high standards of living for the training of children. The prettily decorated chapel must help to foster in the children a spirit of reverence. The staff consists of thirteen Sisters. One man is employed for heavy work. Extra staff will be used when the work in the new infant's building is well under way. There were in residence in May, 152 children, 86 of whom are wards of the Catholic Children's Aid Society. Of the 66 non-ward children, 32 come from Greater Vancouver. The wards of the Society are paid for by the Society at the rate of $11.00 a month, which will be increased to $13.00 a month. This obviously does not meet the expense of providing proper care for the children. Parents of non- wards pay what they are able, $10.00 a month if possible, but many cannot pay anything. The Provincial Government gives a grant of $1000.00; a tag day in New Westminster raises about $200.00; the taxes amount to $2500.00. The Sisters raise the balance of the necessary budget by collecting from door to door. The children do not go out to school, all public school. grades being taught in the building. Children with special ability are given opportunity for high school or business training. There is good space available for recreation. While as with all the other agencies there are many things that might be improved, and while here, too, there is great need for some means of field service, yet the work as a whole is on a high plane, and it is to be hoped the Sisters will continue to develop it in the same spirit, keeping in touch with standards of modern child caring. A detailed report is being presented to the agency. 83 THE PROTESTANT ORPHANS' HOME 1111 VICTORIA The British Columbia Protestant Orphans' Home is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, of the child caring agencies in the Province. It was originally established in 1873 and incorporated in 1892. . The time and labor of many of Victoria's prominent citizens has been given freely to the building up of this work. The confidence of the community has always been given to it and there has been no undue difficulty in financing the work according to the needs felt by the Board. The Home occupies a three-story brick building of the congregate institutional type, situated in a good position in Victoria, and with some 14 acres of ground around it. The building can accommodate one hundred children. At present there are about forty in residence and the upper floor is not used except for storage. By rough estimate the value of the property is placed at $75,000.00. Boys from two to fourteen years of age, and girls from two to fifteen are accepted for care. There is no definite plan of training for the pre-school children who may be in residence. The children of school age attend the nearby schools. SP^ni There are few if any full orphans. About a quarter of the children are paid for wholly or in part by friends, the usual payment being $10.00 a month. The Survey staff could not agree with the opinion expressed by some of the board members that the children are rather a selected group and do not represent serious social problems. The histories of some of the individual cases suggest great need for sound social field work, just as much so as in the other child caring agencies. Some redecorating and some needed improvements are being carried out at present. This organization is fortunate in not suffering under the handicap of overcrowding as are so many of the institutions. The building was erected some years ago and is spacious and would lend itself to re-arrangements that would permit of higher standards of service for the children. *:Sp Should this organization wish to advance along lines that will place it among the foremost institutions in methods of child care and protection, a considerable expenditure of money will be required. No doubt the citizens of Victoria whose support has always been given to this work would be glad to make a special effort to assist the Board to carry out the many plans they have in mind. A Metailed separate report is being presented to this agency. 84 THE LOYAL ORANGE AND TRUE BLUE HOME NEW WESTMINSTER The Loyal True Blue Orphanage, as it has been generally known, was started in 1913 when two children were taken into care. The work has grown till at present some 40 children are in the Home. The building which has been in use, because of age was badly in need of repair, and was inadequate in other ways for rendering the service required. The Board have had in mind for some time the erection of a new building, and so have not wished to spend more money on the old building. Some time ago the work was re-organized and is to be a joint service rendered by the Orange and True Blue interests. The new Board is composed of twenty-four members, one-third from each of three large organizations. The erection of a new building was undertaken, planned for immediate accommodation for a hundred children, and later expansion for care of two hundred children. It is expected the building will be ready to accommodate at least the present number in charge when they return from the summer camp. Because the work is undergoing such complete changes there is little comment to be made. The general report makes abundantly clear the hope of the Survey that, before the buiiding is completed to its limit, field work for children in British Columbia will have developed to a degree to make an institution for 200 normal children unnecessary. In the meanwhile the space available will be ample for children coming into care, and the new building should make it possible to do a type of work that the present plant has made difficult, if not impossible. To an agency which is entering upon a new phase of its work, with a building which will probably be very attractive in appearance, one would offer a word of warning. The emphasis must always be on the personal equation, not on bricks and mortar. The providing for study of the child and his characteristics and ability; the selection of staff because of their personality and their preparation for the main work to be done, the delicate task of dealing with human life; the questioning constantly what part some material equipment, some routine rule, plays in genuinely preparing the child for life as an individual in the community; these are the serious responsibilities of any Board of a children's agency. The real test of how it has met these responsibilities comes when the child leaves. A study of its children ten years after leaving care is a source of disillusionment to many an agency as regards the quality of its work. A detailed report with comments and suggestions is being presented to this agency. 85 THE ALEXANDRA NON-SECTARIAN ORPHANAGE AND CHILDREN'S HOME VANCOUVER The Alexandra Non Sectarian Orphanage and Children's Home of Vancouver was incorporated in 1894 and has always stood high in public regard for the service it rendered to children. The Home has for its work a building which, though it is not new, has been kept in repair. It would be considered by agencies working under the newer methods of trying where possible to give children care in family homes, and so reduce the number to whom it is necessary to give congregate care, a plant which would be a very good centre from which to work. It is conveniently located, open, airy, and with sufficient grounds for the number that should be in the institution. There are at present too many in residence and the building is overcrowded.. The Home serves mainly the district of Greater Vancouver, sixty-one of the children coming from the neighborhood, two from the Island, two from the south-west of the province, and two from another country. There are at present some sixty-seven children in care. About thirty-five are admitted a year and about the same are discharged. The fact that only institutional care is given limits the number that can be cared for at one time and thus keeps admissions and discharges approximately equal. None of the children at present in care are full orphans; thirty have both parents living; twenty-five have lost their mother. The ages of those at present in care range from four to thirteen, there being one boy of thirteen. The general policy sets an age limit of twelve. The average length of stay is a year, according to a yearly report, but varies from a few months to several years. The demissions for 1926 show that thirty children returned to their parents. In connection with the work it is interesting to note that of the sixty-seven children at present in care, thirty-four have mothers living who, speaking in a very general sense, would be proper and fit persons to bring up the child, but who are unable to plan their lives so as to have their children with them. The, Orphanage has a representative Board, most of whose members are interested in the work, and give time and service freely. Good use has been made of volunteer service for helping with clothing for the children, and for recreation and in other ways. Because of its contacts in the community the Board is in a strong position to spread understanding of the best methods of child care through the community. Social work, as a whole, in Vancouver has not kept abreast of the times. It is the responsibility of a social agency to discover the best service that can be rendered to the family or child, and then K^ to see that that service is supplied. The amount of work done by the Home would not justify its developing all the specialized services for itself, but that does not hinder it' from deciding what services are needed and why. It can then telp create the necessary facilities in the community, and can cooperate in developing team play in the use and support of them, and in the interpretation of them to the community at large. The history of the Orphanage, its standing, and the interests of its Board place its directors in an advantageous position to do this, and accordingly lays responsibility on them. The Board are finding difficulty in financing their work, and hesitate to enlarge their programme. They are making a valuable contribution to the community, and with the spirit that is shown by the history of their work and its present state, can continue to give even greater service. The Survey Staff feel strongly, however, that the way for greater service does not lie in erecting new buildings, but in enlarging their work along field service lines. A detailed report is being made for the use of the Board, enlarging on what is meant by this statement, and also taking up other suggestions. It is fortunate that the founders of the institution in drawing up the constitution, made the purpose broad enough to allow for changes .in policy, laying stress on the spirit of service, rather than on the exact material means by which such service was to be rendered. This leaves the way open for the Alexandra Orphanage, should it wish to do so, to be a leader in demonstrating that a children's agency that places the emphasis^ of its work on keeping children in family homes rather than in even the best of institutions, can render a finer service to a greater number of children than the agency that limits its care mainly to supplying institutional service. 87 THE RIDLEY HOME, PRINCE RUPERT This Home was founded in 1895, and is organized under a Board of ten trustees. Five of these are elected by the synod of the diocese (Church of England) and five by the others meeting as a Board. Three of these latter five are representatives from the Presbyterian, United, and Baptist Churches. A charge of $15.00 a month for each child must be met by guardians or interested persons, and this covers food, fuel, light, and part of the salary cost. Taxes, insurance, repairs, balance of salary and other costs have to be raised by bazaars or through a church organization. The Home was not visited, but correspondence shows that it meets difficult problems. It accommodates about thirty children in three cottages. The children come from outlying districts and are mostly of school age. Because there is not adequate means of support if the parents fall behind, the children at times have to be allowed to go to undesirable surroundings where they may grow up without education. In four years the superintendent has felt that thirteen children were discharged under these conditions, and gave details of several cases. These show the need for development of better child welfare service in the district. THE HOME FOR ORIENTALS, VICTORIA This Home is organized under the United Church of Canada. There were in residence in xlpril, 1927, some thirty Oriental children divided into age groups as follows: fourteen girls of thirteen to twenty years; twelve girls of four to twelve years, and four children under four years. The Home accepts boys under seven years of age, but will not keep them over that age. The race distribution is usually equally divided between Chinese and Japanese. About 75 per cent, of the children are from Vancouver, and the balance from Victoria, with very rare provincial cases. A few of the children are paid for by parents and relatives, most of them being entirely dependent. At the time the Home was visited only two were being paid for. Two girls had been committed through the Juvenile Court as the parents could not control them. Many of the children are referred for care by church workers, who are in touch with the families. The kindergarten of the Home is attended by Oriental children in the neighborhood as well as by the residents. Public school classes are also conducted in the Home. The older girls go out to high school or for special business or other training. Girls are definitely trained in the Home in cooking, washing, and sewing. The policy is directed towards fitting the girls, if they wish, to go to their own countries and render service. Some have gone as nurses, others as recreation leaders. It is probably partly due to the existence of this Home that the Oriental children do not figure in the work of the general child caring institutions except as isolated instances, usually those of infants. THE UNITED CHURCH HOME FOR GIRLS BURNABY This Home is organized under the Board of Evangelism and Social Service of the United Church of Canada. The local control centres in a sub-committee of the Vancouver Presbytery. It is a small institution with accommodation for some sixteen girls, though pressure of need has forced overcrowding to take in nineteen. During the year there were fifty admissions. The Home is in charge of a capable superintendent who is carrying on a good piece of work within the limitations of the equipment at her disposal. This Home supplies one of the services needed for work with unmarried mothers. There is often a chance by giving residential care for some time during the pre-natal and post-natal period to inculcate certain habits or to open up vistas of opportunity and interest in a way that might otherwise not be possible. In a small Home plans can be made to meet the psychological needs of individual girls and a valuable service may be rendered through highly specialized treatment for girls who can profit by it. To understand the girl and to make proper plans for her and her child, a thorough study of her history is essential. When she leaves she needs an understanding person who will be able to follow her into the community. The right of the child is that full use be made of the Unmarried Parents Act, and it often takes patience to make the mother realize this and take the necessary steps. Should the baby have to be separated from the mother, wise placement and supervision is required. Intensive field work is needed to deal with these problems. While it is usually best to combine the field and domicile service in one agency, still in some circumstances cooperation permits of satisfactory work and preserves other values. This Home could probably utilize the field service provided by the case working staff of another agency, and so reserve Miss Matheson for the intimate contacts afforded by a small institution for which she is so well fitted. This would also free the energies of this agency to develop specialized- plans for the girls while they were in residence. The development of modern child protection work in the community will relieve this Home of some cases not strictly within its field that have been forced on it and will also assist in solving some of the baby problems that arise in connection with work with unmarried mothers. During 1926 the Home dealt with eleven cases of protection. Not all of these were children, but they were not cases that could be handled to the best advantage in such an institution along with unmarried mothers. A special report is being presented to this agency. 90 THE SALVATION ARMY MATERNITY HOSPITAL RESCUE AND CHILDREN'S HOME, VANCOUVER As its title suggests, this Home is rendering a variety of services, though its main function is that of a hospital for maternity care, where all types of patients are accepted, private as well as charity, married women as well as unmarried. The Survey was interested in it because of its provision for unmarried mothers and babies, and dependent children. During 1926 there were sixty-nine unmarried mothers in care. About three-quarters of these were from Greater Vancouver. Thirty- nine of the mothers were under twenty-one years of age and twelve under eighteen. In twenty-four cases no action was attempted under the Unmarried Parents Act because the mother could not or would not give sufficient information; in fifteen of these the father's address was unknown. In only eight cases was action taken, and in only four were satisfactory results obtained. These figures, taken in conjunction with facts brought out in discussion with workers in different agencies, show that sufficient attention is not being given to the use of this Act by social agencies in general, in order to safeguard the infant's rights, and to make the father shoulder his responsibilities. This is the child's right and the mother's objections should, in most cases, be over-ruled for the sake of the child. When an unmarried mother comes to the notice of a social agency there is an opportunity through field service to discover the factors that led up to the situation, and the resources in her family group or in the community that can be used to assist a girl with her individual abilities and weaknesses to readjust herself. When the time comes for return to the community there is need for some one to stand beside the mother, devoting much time to her, over perhaps a period of years. An institutional staff is too occupied with other work more closely at hand to give the time and thought required. An institution such as this would be well advised to concentrate its efforts on supplying domicile, training and medical care and to coorjerate with a case working agency which has a field staff to secure the other services necessary for the unmarried mother and her child. During 1926 the Home cared for thirty-six children apart from their mothers, most of these being children from one to five years of age. This child caring work does not harmonize with the work of a maternity hospital and should not be forced upon the Home. Such problems should be referred to a children's agency equipped to handle them. The present buildings are overcrowded and in many ways not suitable for their purposes, but the new buildings of Grace Hospital will shortly be available. The Home has been fortunate in having for its matron Adjutant McAulay, who has succeeded in doing some very good work in spite of great handicaps of equipment. The new buildings will allow of certain improvements. The strengthening and greater development of general social work throughout the community will relieve the Army of some problems of child care and protection that should not have been forced upon it, and will permit it to concentrate on the legitimate work of a maternity hospital. A more detailed report is being presented to the agency. 91 THE PROVINCIAL W. C T. U. HOME FOR WOMEN, VICTORIA The purpose of this • Home as stated in the constitution is to afford shelter for friendless women or women desiring to forsake a life of shame, to provide for them while inmates of the Home suitable employment as well as administration of the Gospel, and on leaving the Home to put them in the way of receiving an honest livelihood. This would seem to be the general policy as there were in the Home, when visited, married women out of employment, or convalescing, unmarried mothers waiting for confinement and some just returned from hospital with their babies, as well as women presenting other problems. The financial support is supplied by means of Provincial and Municipal grants, donations and collections from the general public; fees paid by inmates who can do so, at the rate of $5.00 per week; the balance being met by the Provincial Sub-Executive of the W. C. T. U. from a fund collected from the various branches. The Home, which is owned by the W.C.T.U., is a modern building, with grounds, and well furnished. It has accommodation for twenty. The bedrooms are for the most part individual, attractive and bright. The Home is not usually full. (When visited only seven were in residence.) This agency has good equipment that is not being used to capacity. Better co-ordination of social work in general in British Columbia will no doubt lead to more use being made of the opportunities offered here for domicile and training. The development of family case work and field service in general will bring to attention types of problems that require specialized domiciliary care. As the needs emerge and clarify the Home can develop a programme to meet them through close cooperation with other agencies, relying on the latter for the necessary field service until the time comes when the expansion of their own work would justify the necessary staff. A special report is being presented to this agency. 92
Other copies: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/313001095
Books
III-0344
English
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Vancouver : The British Columbia Child Welfare Survey Committee
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Original Format: University of British Columbia. Library. Rare Books and Special Collections. P1519727
Child welfare--British Columbia
Social work with children
Report of the British Columbia child welfare survey
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