The P.E.l. Department of Social

Services tast week unveiled its prOpOsals for new comprehensive

children's legislation at a public

meeting which drew both con- siderate and courious comment ‘ from the large number of people attending. In summary, the Department proposes: to codify. in law a number of basic rights of children; to eliminate the. legal status of illegitimacy; to eliminate as much as possible adversary proceedings in child custody matters: and to provide a much wider range of options for families in distress; to make provisions for fathers of children born within commonlaw unions to r be heard in le:gal proceedings pertaining to their children; to establish conditions fer disclosure of information regarding adopted children; and generally to bring other as- pects of legislation pertaining to children and families in line with current philosophy practice and with public values. There was a mixed reaction to many of the proposals including an accusation that the Department proposes to sanction immorality and an abandonment of Christian values pertaining to the ,family.and to home. One ymcomment was made that if the V Same rights accrued to 'children and fathers outside marriage as within marriage, then there would be less incentive to marry! The chair- man

of the meeting, Mr. Eugene MacDonald

of the departmental staff, stated that the legal status

'1 mt SUN‘JllliitSISAYSE‘PT 22 1977’pagg'3‘ Proposed Leg

SOcIAtastRVICE

of the child should not depend

the parents, and that the child born out-of-wedlock should have the same .2 rights in all respects as the child born within wedlock.

Last year some faculty members sponsored meetings to consider issues pertaining to battered children. The new legislation proposes to make mandatory the reporting of cases where child battering is suspected, although lawyers present suggestidns that this type of legislation

is more symbolic than practical. there were mixed feelings on the

subject of child protection, with some persons showing

more concern with the rights

of parents and the sanctity

of the home than with

the protection of children from neglect and abuse by their

own parents. One lawyer

present indicated that parents of no rights with respect to

their children, only obligations.

That left open the question of what happens at the door of the castle when parents are not providing for the care and safety of their children, with some persons pleading for greater atten‘ tion by the Department to the phenomenon of “emotional battering.”

This is the sort of legis;ation that should be of more than passi ng .interest to the University community, for it involves community values, social philosophy, human relation-

on the legal relationship between

is I a ti on c a u sis e s‘ U

S-lCCUSED OFlMMORALITY

shins and human rights, property rights and a whole host of public policy issues. The Deputy Minister of the Department, Mr. J.E. Green, told the SUN that the propsed legislation—faces a lét of hurdles yet before it be- comes law. “We have to fully satisfy the Minister on some of our proposals, then the Cabinet Committee on Legislation, afterwards Executive Council, then the Government Caucas, and finallv the Legislative Aszzmtiv itself. There is every liklihood that our proposals will be substantially revised by the time the pro- cess is completed,” he ‘ said, “and we would Very much welcome the informed views of the University Community. The new law will combine four present acts: the Adoption Act, the Children's Act, the Child Protection Act and the Child Care Facilities Act. Copies of the pr0posals may be obtained simply by writing or calling at the Department of Social SErvices, Provincial Administrative Building, Charlottetown,

Editor's note:

For the benefit of the faculty, it should be pointed out that the elimination of the legal status of illeg- itimacy will not eliminate the epithet hitherto attached to that status. They wé‘l still be referred to in the same kindly terms as in the past.

STUDENT/FACULTY ADVISOR PROGRAMME ‘OF‘TO A soon START

On September 6, the new Faculty/Student AdviSOr Pro- gram got off to a good start with approximately 53 par- ticipating in an Orientation Program in the Lecture The- atre of the Robertson Lib— rary. Following that, the T A6 students involved star tioned themselves in the gym, armed with a list of lh_names, and hopeful that they would be able to match them with a face.

Meanwhile, the A6 Facul- ty Advisors were located in their offices awaiting a visit by their Freshman Advisees, led by the Stu- dent_AdvisOr.

This program had been in the planning stage since early spring and it was very reWarding for my- self and my Committee to finally see it come to . full bloom. The enthusiasm

and the sense of committ-

ment generated at the Dr- ientation Meeting made our efforts very worthwhile. Furthermore, we were as- sured that this incoming Freshmen Class were in a very privileged position' due to the fact they had ' this group of people in- terested in them. Not all. of the Freshmen students could be assigned to a Faculty and Student Ad-

.visor because there were.

not enough Advisors to go around, however we were able to accommodate ap-. proximately 400 Freshmen. Many of the faculty I knew before but the group of Student Advisors were mostly new names to me. I must commend them on their interest and de- ‘ sire to be of help, and the enthusiasm with which pursued and have

[followed through in con-

tacting their Advisees. i think we are very for- tunate to have such a dedicated and committed group as we have in the Faculty and Student Ad- visors. i

A note to the Freshmen -- you do not have to have a problem to see your Faculty or Student Advisor. They are there

as good friends. infor-

mation resources, and generally.

some one who is concerned a- bout,you as a person. If your Faculty or Student Advisor haven't yet sought you out, please make yourself known to them. "

Marion Basha Chairman of Faculty/Student Advisor Committee

The editorial staff of the [PE] SUN would like to an- nounce our new format. Every page except the front page (the one with the photograph) will be upside down. This is to

give us two front pages: one

with the picture and the other with news. To read it, just flip the paper over after looking at the photo.