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94
necessary pattern of a home of their own upon which to build
after their marriage.
In my opinion, a prolonged stay in the Receiving Homes
is detrimental to this type of family for the following
reasons:-
(1) Inadequate household work.
(2) Being provided with all the necessary cleaning
materials, mops, brushes, etc.
(3) Lack of training in household management.
There are a few young mothers who, on admission to the
Receiving Homes, have a fair standard, but after many months
initiative is lost and it becomes easier to adopt a lackadaisical
and disinterested attitude.
Generally, these cases do accept my visiting, become
co-operative, and act on advice. They are successful because
they wish to help themselves, and do respond to sympathy
and understanding.
(b) Long Stay cases.
These families are of the type who simply sit and wait
for any assistance from any source whatsoever. They are
quite prepared to accept material help, but will not try to
make a home. Their general attitude is that the authorities
will eventually help, and, therefore, any effort on their
part is superfluous. In some cases, the wives have shown a
little co-operation, but under pressure from other tenants,
and/or outside organisations, this feeling ultimately
yields to an attitude of hopelessness.
In some cases, the families welcome publicity, but are
not able to realise that the usual effect of this is that
potential landladies will no longer consider them as prospective
tenants. This publicity, therefore, is harmful to the
families themselves and to my work of rehabilitation.
This type of family have often had long periods of
separation, due to prison sentences, overcrowding in previous
lodgings, or separation of the family in the Receiving Home
on admission. It is true to say in these cases that when the
famil ies are ultimately re-united they cannot cope with everyday
problems and the result may well be a broken home. Given
help and encouragement during the initial stage this break-