Great Britain. Royal Commission on Poor Laws and Relief of Distress; Poor -- Great Britain; Poor laws -- Great Britain
In view of this gradual adoption of the boarding-out system as a
permanent form of the treatment of children under the Poor Law, it is
instructive to compare the requirements which the Central Authority
makes to ensure the proper maintenance of the boarded-out children with
the policy just described in respect of the children on ordinary outdoor
relief.
The various Orders all lay practically the same duties on the
foster-parent. He is to sign an undertaking that: "He will bring up the
child as one of his own children, and provide the child with proper
food, lodging and washing, and endeavour to train the child in habits of
truthfulness, obedience, personal cleanliness and industry, as well as
in suitable domestic and outdoor work, so far as may be consistent with
the law; that he will take care that the child shall attend duly at
church or chapel according to the religious creed to which the child
belongs, and shall attend school according to the provisions of the law
for the time being; that he will provide for the proper repair and
renewal of the child's clothing, and that in case of the child's illness
he will forthwith report such illness to the guardians and to the
boarding-out committee; and that he will at all times permit the child
to be visited and the house to be inspected by any member of the
boarding-out committee, and by any person specially appointed for that
purpose by the guardians or by the Local Government Board. The
undertaking shall also contain an engagement on the part of the
foster-parent that he will, upon the demand of a person duly authorised
in writing by the boarding-out committee, or by the guardians, give up
possession of the child."[632] The 1905 undertaking is slightly
different in terms, the chief variation being an omission of the
reference to "domestic and outdoor work," because cases had occurred in
which these words had been pleaded as an excuse for overtaxing the
working capacity of the children.[633]
[632] Boarding out without the Union Order, 1889, in Nineteenth
Annual Report, 1889-90, p. 49. The "within the Union Order"
contains some modifications for the case where there is no
committee.
[633] Circular Letter, 9th December 1905, in Thirty-fifth Annual
Report, 1905-6, p. 328.
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