t (1) with the mother in all cases where her health, character and
previous records were such as to make this arrangement the best for the
child, (2) in hostels, either with the mother or without her, (3) with
paid foster-parents, (4) with adopted parents. In every case regular
visitation of the child would be necessary, and the child must not be
removed from one home to another or any change made with regard to it
without the authority of the Court, which shall have power (1) to
appoint guardians, either in addition to, or substitution for the mother
of the child; (2) to approve any scheme for the education or training
of the child, and at all times and in all ways to exercise authority in
every matter pertaining to the child's welfare._[188:1]

I would wish for a further restriction, which, however hardly it may
seem to bear on the mother, is, in my opinion, most necessary for
safeguarding the child. It is this: _If the child by the decision of the
Court is boarded out with foster parents, permanently adopted or placed
in a home apart from the mother, no interference or even visiting by the
mother shall be permitted except at the discretion of the Court._

I would suggest that in every town or rural district guardians should be
appointed (preferably a man and a woman) either paid or voluntary, but
officially appointed: all that is needed is an extension of the duties
of the Collecting Officer, appointed under the Affiliation Orders Act of
1914. This officer already takes out of the mother's hands the work of
collecting the weekly payments granted under a maintenance order, and he
also has certain powers of enforcing payments from a defaulting father.
But at present his taking action is dependent on the desire of the
mother. His duties ought in all cases to be compulsory. They would be
(1) to help the mother before and after the birth of the child; (2) to
seek out the father and urge a voluntary acknowledgment of his
paternity, and, when this cannot be gained, to see that the law is
rightly administered so that full alimony may be obtained; (3) to watch
over the interests of the child and see that the decisions of the Court
are carried out without interference from the mother.

The kind of help given would have to be varied and must be made suitable
to each individual case, but every child would be a ward of the
guardians in the district in which it lived, and would be regularly
visited. I would suggest further that t