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Zurich Citizens News, 1976-03-10, Page 14Page 14 - Citizens News, March 10176+ `Today's Child` originator speaks to SAS There's little doubt that social workers have changed over the last few years, and Helen Allen, who was the special quest speak- er at the annual meeting of the Huron County Children's Aid Society Thursday evening in Goderich, is perhaps one of the best examples of this swing to social workers with a heart. "CAS workers used to be known as baby snatchers," Miss Allen said in an informal meeting prior to the evening event. "And they used to look under the beds to see what kind of a house- keeper you were. But that's all gone now." Miss Allen is the originator of Today's Child, a newspaper feature which has led to the adoption of more than 7,000 Ontario children since 1964. She is also the key figure on the television program "The Family Finder" which was launched in late 1969 at Miss Allen's suggest- ion. She had no idea after her graduation from the University of Toronto that she'd ever become a social worker. She joined The Telegram staff and launched her career as a general reporter, movie critic, women's editor, features editor and political writer. Her exciting work found her covering royal tours, inaugur- ation of US presidents, leadership conventions of Canadian political parties and Ontario and federal election campaigns. Due to her job, Miss Allen covered many welfare assign- ments. Her warmth and feeling for people showed through, and she acquired a wide knowledge of the field. When the idea of Today's Child was born at The Telegram, Miss Allen was a natural to persue the column. She has been dedicated to the column and to the adoption of hard -to -place children ever since. Today's Child now appears in 22 daily newspapers and 155 weeklies. Helen Allen now is an employee of the Ontario government's Ministry of Com- munity and Social Services and the picture -story of a child need- ing adoption is handled by that Ministry, too. "The column had been so successful in The Telegram, that when the paper folded in 1971, the government did not want to see the column lost along with the newspaper," Miss Allen commented. "And I went with the column." The Family Finder is seen on 12 television channels across the province. When Today's Child began, only three Children's Aid Societ- ies out of 55 in the province --To- ronto, Hamilton and Kenora-- were willing to have their children pictured and written up in the newspaper. The three-week pilot project was very successful. Out of 23 children whose pictures appeared in the newspaper, 18 were adopted. Then the requests started pour- ing in and a further six weeks was planned for the column. "That six weeks is still going on," Miss Allen smiled. At the start, pseudonyms were used for the children. Then an older child named Tommy objected to having a name other than his own used. He said he'd told all the kids at school that his picture was to be in Today's Child and thought it would look silly to have some other name attached to his picture. "From then on, all the children were asked whether they wanted to use their own names or a pseudonym," Miss Allen said, showing once again her genuine concern for her young charges. "Most want to use their own names." During the years of Today's Child, four sets of seven children from one family have been adopt- ed as units. One set went to a doctor and his wife; one group to a minister and his wife; one to an average middle class family; and the final one to a childless couple in the armed forces. "I've often wondered just what kind of change occurred in that home where they went from no children to seven children in one day," said Miss Allen. More black and native families are adopting children these days, Miss Allen noted. Consequently. more effort is being made by Children's Aid Societies to place Indian, Eskimo and black children in homes of their own race. And there is a growing accept- ance of problem children -young- sters with learning disabilities, emotional problems, physical limitations and medical difficult- ies all are being adopted into good homes where they are accepted and loved. There are fewer infants for adoption these days because of the improved birth control meth- ods and the accessibility of abortions. as well, fewer older children are available for adop- tion through CAS because of the trend toward keeping children in their natural families whenever possible. "The CAS will take children into care temporarily while moth- er straightens out her emotional problems or father sorts out his liquor problems," Miss Allen commented. "They will put housekeepers into homes and do everything to rehabilitate a family so that kids can either stay at home or return to the home after a while." While single parents who want to adopt children are discour- aged because of the belief that the ideal situation is where both a mother and a father are in the home, in some exceptional circumstances, adoption by single parents is permitted. Miss Allen noted an increase in the number of single men who are applying for children to adopt. "There have been some really successful single parent adop- tions," she said. Today's Child is a more effect- ive means of finding adopting families than The Family Finder on television. "That's probably because the television program is more easily forgotten after it is over," Miss Alien admitted. "The newspaper stays in the home and makes a greater and longer impression on families. But I suppose you could say that one complements the other. A child who appears on television may turn up in the newspaper -or vice versa." She also believes that Today's Child has been so successful because it provides prospective parents with some say about the child they select. Often times, the picture of a particular child will appeal to a family for what- ever reason, and a good home is found where it otherwise could not have been. What's more, children have a great deal to say about the homes into which they will go. The child is given plenty of time to assess the home through week- end visits and holidays. He must feel comfortable there and want to go there. No child is forced into a situation anymore than a family is pressured into taking the child. "It must be a mutual feeling - the parents for the child, the child for the parents," Miss Allen pointed out. While Miss Allen. has nothing to do with placing the children she puts before the public, she is keenly interested in her child - barna news By Mrs. Bill Chessell The Orange Lodge euchre party was held on Friday evening with 14 tables in play. Prize winners were: Ladies' high, Flora Dowson, Varna; low, Joyce Dowson, Varna; men's high, Aaron Fisher, Clinton; low, John Ostrom, Varna. Draw prizes were donated by Louis Taylor and Allan Hayter, John Ostrom, and Watt Webster, and were won by Charles Reid, Varna; Bill Rogerson, Hensall; and John Wyatt, Holmesville. The U.C.W. of Varna church held their regular meeting on Thursday evening. Mrs. Robert Stirling opened the meeting with a poem, "Stewardship". Scrip- ture from Matthew 14: 14-21 and a meditation were read by Mrs. Ivan McClymont. Mrs. Eric Chuter, Mrs. Ostrom and Mrs. Louis Taylor took part in a skit, "For What We Have". A poem "Hands" was read by Mrs. Chuter. During the business, plans were finalized for the pancake supper. A donation of one hun- dred dollars was made to Guate- malan Relief. The Huron - Perth Presbyterial, which had been postponed because of bad weather, will be held on March 17 at Brucefield. Anne Van Dyke of Shakespeare will speak on Bangladesh. Those attending are asked to bring a 'box lunch. Mrs. Louis Taylor closed the meeting with prayer, and a social time was enjoyed. Varna escaped the full fury of the ice storm, with power off in the village for only twelve hours. Compared with people to the south of us, we were very fortu- nate. It was a week of extremes, with no water on. Wednesday dur- ing the power failure and too much water on Friday, when some area residents had flooded basements. We're sorry to hear that Mer- vin Hayter is confined to hospital in Exeter. We wish him a speedy and full recovery. The Varna I 4-H club "A Touch of Stitchery" met at Brenda and Bonnie Dowson's on Tuesday night for their first meeting. Officers are as follows: Pres., Laura Taman; Vice-pres., Tanis Chuter; Sec., Sherri Taylor; Phone girls, Luann Taylor, Bev Cantelon. How to use color properly was discussed, also the free choice articles and learning stitches which are to be made by each girl. Club -leaders are Mrs. Bill Dowson and Mrs. Jim Keys. The next meeting will be at Mrs. Keys' home on Monday night. B 1 0 $25®.00 JACKPOT IN 54 CALLS — 14 REGULAR GAMES AT $10.00 PER GAME 1 SHARE -THE -WEALTH ADMISSION $1 INCLUDES 1 FREE CARD MARCH 17 9 P.M. ZURICH ARENA SPONSORED BY ZURICH REC BOARD NO PERSON UNDER 16 WILL BE ADMITTED During Lent the starting time for the Bingo will ,be 9 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. March 17, 31 and April 1.4.. . ren, and keeps track of many of then. She has some warm and wonderful stories to relate about the adoptions with which she has been involved. She has mixed feelings about present government investigation into allowing adopted children when they become of age, to know about their natural parents. She tells about a Toronto mother of four who is totally distraught by recent legislation in Nova Scotia which permits an 18 year old to know his or her parental background and the last known address of his or her parents. This woman has never told her husband or her family about the child born to her in Nova Scotia, and is now terrified that the child will turn up one day in Toronto and destroy her relationship with her present family. But there are some cases, Miss AIlen says, where putting children and parents together even after many long years of separation can be a beautiful thing. She feels that it should be possible to unite where it is desirable, and to protect parents and children where this is best. But where adoption is concern- ed, Miss Allen has a positive outlook. She believes in adoption with all her heart, and would like to find homes for all children who require them. She may be moving closer to her goal. This week, in fact, the daily Today's Child will appear only three or four times a week because there are less and less children needing homes all the time. Helen Allen made two trips to South Vietnam before that coun- try fell under communist rule. She and Mrs. Victoria Leach, co-ordinator for Ontario, were sent in 1973 on a fact-finding mission regarding the possible adoption of Vietnamese children by Ontario families. In 1975 they went again at the urgent request of a Saigon child welfare agency, and return- ed with 57 orphan children, all of whom were adopted by Ontario families. "Some people will consider nothing but an overseas child," commented Miss Allen, "and I suppose 1 can understand their reasoning. They say that at least children without homes in Canada are fed and clothed and given medical care whereas Vietnamese children, for in- stance, are desparate straits." It is then that Helen Allen's humanity and deep feeling for children surfaces. "We can keep them from get- ting polio," she says with a gentle softness in her voice, "when what they really need is to be part of a family." Green Forest OPEN DAILY S, , to rday March 13 Wayne Thorn *tor Hotel YOUR HOSTS "PETE" and "CAROLE" DEITZ HIGHWAY 21 — GRAND BEND s Wednesday is Talent Nite ENTERTAINMENT WED. - FRI. - SAT. Thursday is Steak Night $5 A Couple "The Home of Grand Bend's First Annual Oktoberfest" OPEN SUNDAY NOON TO 8 P.M.