Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-28
rangement is satisfactory and the child is
well cared for. there Is no effort made 10

rangement is satisfactory and the child is
we'll cared for, there is no effort made 10
disturb the relations even If a chance offers
of securing the same care for less money.
Children of all ages are cared for by this
method. Infants. as being more trouble to
their guardians are paid for at a higher
rate, but as general thing child between
the ages of two and thirteen years is paid
for at the rate Of five shiilings or s1.25 a
week. This means that the child ia to be
led clothed and cared for. and we in South
Australia have a compulsory school law
which is rigidly enforced, and which COM
pels our dependent children to attend school
regularly for a period of six years on an
average of 212 days a year.
Regular Inspections.
Our children are placed in these foster
homes on condition that they go to school
regularly. and the state realizes that the
services Of a child in attendance at school
are not worth its keep, and expects the
money paid for it's care to remunerate those
to whom the children are intrusted. With
us the cost of living is less than it is in
this country and there is no difficulty in
securing good homes in plenty where the
children will be well cared for at five shil-
lings. We realize that there is no use in
keeping a child in one of these homes I'M
less 1t Is looked after and well cared for
There is three-fold check upon the chill
dren and their guardians to enforce good
treatment. In the first place. no child Is
ever placed where Ii would be out of reach
OF the volunteer lady visitor in the neigh
borhood, who visits the child at regular
stated intervals to examine into its condi-
ton and surroundings and reports to the
department. We never send a child tc a
home unless the home is recommended by
the lady visitor in that district. A record
Is kept of all homes where children are
placed and we keep constant and Satisfac-
tory accounts of them.
I'm the second place, the teacher of the
school which the child attends must once a
quarter send report as to the child's punc-
tuality, department, appearance, we'll being
and evident happiness. AS third check
paid inspectors visit each home, foster
mother and child once year and make a
thorough report on the condition of affairs
MY experience is decidedly to the effect
that it is not a wise thing for the govern
ment to substitute sectarian orphanages or
institutions of any sort for the care of the
young With us in South Australia the
separation of church and state has made IL
easy for US to avoid this rock OF trouble
The only extent to which We recognize de-
nominational influences is our rule of plac-
ing Protestant children in Protestant homes
and Catholic children in Catholic homes
Every child, however, must go to church
Sunday school and day school. From my
own experience, l am decidedly opposed to
founding asylums. Our experience being
that more children are lost than are saved
in these institutions.
Natural Lives.
1.-The great point in our system Of board
ing out children, to be successful. is that
we must have some strong central author
ity back of us with the police and the
courts ready to our aid. The work can
probably be done cheaper with us than with
you here in Washington, because we have
state ownership of railroads and telegraphs
and the transportation of the children ard
business of that sort costs us nothing The
state council has authority to act and can,
if it see fit, transfer children from reforma-
tories to homes, and, if the child's charac-
ter is such, from homes to reforma tories.
This system of having children grow up
with a family has proved to be a great sue
cess in preparing them for the ordinary
affairs of life. and they are much better
fitted than when they come forth from
regular reformatories. In these Institutions
indiyiduaism is lost and the child misses
that home teaching and SURROUNDINGS and
has altogether too much regularity and rou-
tine In its life. Visitors to great institu-