8.—4.

24

Rates of Payment to Foster-parents by Parents or Guakdians. An account of the rates paid is given in the following statement : 3at the rate of 2s. 6d. per week. lat the rate 01 9s>. 6d. per week 2 ~ Is. ~ 351 „ 10s. 11l .. ss. ~ 3 „ '10s. 6d 18 ~ Us. t/ 5 „ lls. 3 „ 6s. (id. „ 22 „ 12s. 37 .. 7s. „ 37 „ 12s. Gd. 72 „ 7s. 6d. „ I „ 11s. '34 „ Bs. „ 7 „ 15s. 7 „ Bs. 6d. „ 1 ~ 2Os. 1 „ Bs. 94 „ I ~ 21s. 21 „ 9s. Generally the relations of the infants provide clothing in addition. Ihe following comparison of the rates paid in 1008 and 1909 shows that the usual payment is about 1 Is. a week. Under 7s. .. .. .. .. .. [n 1908, ;in 1909, 45 7s. and under lOe. .. .. .. .. .. 164 .. 193 10s. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 297 .. 351 Over lOs. .. .. .. .. .. .. l'-\ .. 77 The foster-parents as a rule do their duty to the infants in all respects satisfactorily; some of them, when the occasion arises, exhibit an amount of devotion and self-sacrifice that is above all praise. They are often materially encouraged and assisted by the ladies who as honorary local visitors do much quiet and good work in connection with the boarding-out system. Exemptions.

From the provision that " it shall not be lawful for any person in consideration of any payment or reward to receive or retain in his care or charge any infant for the purpose of nursing or maintaining it apart from its parents or guardians for a longer period than seven consecutive days unless such person is licensed as a foster-parent," the Minister may μ-rant certain exemptions, and under this authority exemption has been granted to the institutions set forth in the following list, which shows also the numbers dealt with and the deaths. The conditions of the exemption provide for inspection, and for removal of the infants only with due formality.

Private individuals to the number of fourteen also received exemption. These were either adopting parents, or near relatives, or friends of the infants concerned. Deaths ra Fosthr-homes. Out of the 1,181 infants under six years of age that were at one time* or another on the books of the foster-homes during 1909, 2.~> died tliai is, 2MI per rent. Of these, 20 died in the fosterhomes, and 5 in hospitals or nursing-homes. Only in three cases did the Coroners consider ii necessary to hold inquests. Eighteen of the infants wen under the age of twelve inonilis. With 1,017 infants dealt with in 1908 the number of deaths was 2(> (2*56 per cent.), and, as that was shown to be a lower rate than the statistics of infant mortality would lead one to expect

Name of Institution. (1909) tieotha On the liooks at Admissions. ueatns. !]st u ecem i )orilgo9 I 1 i, 71 i i A ITT17 ! ! IS I 1 |5 I ! i≤ On the lioo! :!lst Uecembo St. Stephen's Orphan Home, Papatoetoe 5t. Mary's Maternity Home, Otabuhu Phe Door of Hope, Auckland salvation Army Maternity Home, Auckland 5t. Mary's Orphanage, Auckland jhildren's Home, Remuera, Auckland children's Home, Ponsonby. Auckland jook County Women's Guild Creche, Gisborne iVanganui Orphanage, Wanganui .. children's Home, Palmerston North it. Joseph's Orphanage, Wellington Salvation Army Children's Home, Wellington fhe Levin Memorial Home, Wellington Some of Compassion, Wellington .. it. Mary's Orphanage, Nelson iacred Heart Orphanage. Mount Magdala .. children's Convalescent Cottage, New Brighton Salvation Army Maternity Home, Christcrnirch it. Mary's Orphanage, Dunedin it. Viuoent de Paul's Orphanage, Dunedin .. Caritane Home, Dunedin .. i'r.esbyterian Orphanage, Dunedin Salvation Army Maternity Home, Dunedin .. /ictoria Memorial Home, Invercargill Salvation Army Children's Home. Middlemarch Totals .. 2 5 .. .. 6 4 1 2 2 .. 14 11 2 ..12 8 4 4 2 2 2 1 .. 2 2 .. 12 10 1 8 6 16 20 1!) 14 .. ! 21 2 3 12 .. 8 1 « .. 17 ' :. .. 10 4 6 7 .. ' 1G4 70 16 4B 42 3 69 12 8 ..14 8 I -I 1 I 19 1 1 4 .... 1 .. .. 10 .. 25 1 8 : 3 5 5 1 1 1 .. .. 10 6 2 2 2 .. 21 2 . . 67 10 0 5 1 10 12 4 ■• L8 IS .. .. .. J29 8 i -1 .. 12 9 8 f> 3 .. 1 1 .. 12 I 8 3 .. 445 193 45 C6 57 5 304 64 2R