Financial assistance available in South Australia
In South Australia, there have been support mechanisms available to enable an unwed mother to care for her child since colonial times. The following chronology is a brief discussion of what should have been made available at various times in history.
In 1842-43, the Destitute Persons Relief Act was enacted to make legislative provision for food and shelter for the destitute.
The Maintenance Act 1926-1950, stated its purpose as:
"An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to State children, destitute persons, the summary protection of married women, and other matters, and to make provision for granting assistance to mothers for the maintenance of their children, and for other purposes."
Maintenance Act, 1926-1950 PART 11., DIVISION 111., Sections 28-34A- Relief.
This particular section of the Maintenance Act began operating in 1927, and was designed to help the mother with young children who had been left without the help of her husband. The assistance has taken the form of cash, and came at a time in the history of the State when most relief was given in kind, and long before the advent of the Commonwealth Widow's pensions and family endowment, some 15 years later…..
As the Report of the Children's Public Relief Board 1951 states:
"These children, who are not wards of the State, are left in the care of their mothers, and the payments to mothers on their account help to keep them from ultimately becoming a complete charge on the State. The amounts paid in respect of a mother or a child are limited under the Act to 20s. per week, and 15s. per week respectively".
In addition, ever since the Maintenance Act of 1926, The Relief Branch was responsible for ensuring the delivery of aid to necessitous persons. The Report of the Children's and Public Relief Board (established with the Maintenance Act in 1926) reports the following in 1951:
RELIEF BRANCH
"During the year under review 1,788 cases totaling 3,849 persons have received assistance by way of rations, cash payments, fares, free medicines, medical fees, blankets etc. The larger proportion of the cases dealt with were women with dependent children, such as widows, deserted wives, guardians of orphans, and single girls with children. …. Infant children of necessitous persons are supplied with milk, oranges and special infant food, such as farex, lactogen, cornflour, and, when requested by a doctor or qualified nursing sister, other special foods as ordered."
The Prosecutions and Maintenance Branch in regard to affiliation proceedings on behalf of mothers of illegitimate children, claimed in their 1954 report that:
"Every possible endeavor was made, including extensive inquiries, and also proceedings interstate and overseas, to obtain maintenance for women and children." (Inquiries overseas?? Yeh, right!)
It is important to note that the Departments responsibility to provide assistance to those in need, did not rely on the success or otherwise of affiliation proceedings. In fact, affiliation proceedings were handled by the Prosecutions and Maintenance Branch, assistance was the responsibility of the Relief Branch.
In the case of illegitimate children, and with the demand for adoption of newborns , the Department could not or would not recover maintenance from the fathers of illegitimate children.
Social Services Act (Commonwealth)
"An Act to amend and consolidate the law relating to the payment of Age Pensions, Invalid Pensions, Widows' Pensions, Maternity Allowances, Child Endowment, Unemployment Benefits and Sickness Benefits and for other purposes. "
The Maintenance Act continued to provide for the direction of state financial assistance to mothers by the Department. This assistance was available whether or not social service benefits were received. After 6 months the unwed mother was entitled to receive a Commonwealth Pension equivalent to the Class A Widows pension.
In June 1968 the Commonwealth Department of Social Services reimbursed the states to the extent of 50%. The six month waiting period was also scrapped.
In 1973, the already existing benefits were renamed as the Commonwealth took over total responsibility for Social Welfare pensions with the Supporting Mothers benefits.
The principal act under which the Dept functioned was the Maintenance Act 1926-56 (to become the Social Welfare Act in 1965).
At no time, did the Maintenance Act or any other Act state that children were to be taken from their mothers and adopted. All efforts were to be made to keep families together and all possible assistance provided to do so.
So, did YOU get offered these alternatives to enable you to keep your child?
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