ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES

Located at the Department Offices in Nelson Place (5^th  floor) Spring Garden Road Halifax.

Annual reports are stored at the DCS office for the years 1919 to 1996. The reports are bound until 1970 where several years are bound together into one volume (e.g. 1936 –42). After 1970  separate smaller reports were printed annually. The format of the Annual Reports changed over the years. From 1919 the reports were known as the Report of the Director of Child Welfare. In 1955 they became known as the Reports of the Department of Public Welfare and in 1986 they were labeled the Reports of the Department of Social Services and in 1988 they were known as the Reports of the Department of Community Services. 

The format of the early reports included the following reports:

1. Report of the Director of Child Welfare
2. Report of the Agent
3. Reports of all the Children’s Aid Societies
4. Reports of government institutions such as Juvenile Courts, Industrial Schools, etc.

These reports contain summaries of the events that were relevant during the year covered by the report. They contain a wealth of information of the history and evolution of social services in the province and some of the problems and struggles that people faced over time. The report of the Director of Child Welfare provides a good summary of child welfare services. The reports of the CAS Agents provides details of the social problems in the various communities that the CAS’s served during those early years.

The following Reports of the Director of Child Welfare were located and are listed below:

Reports of  1913 – 1926 (bound volume)

1. Report of the Superintendent of Neglected and Dependent Children, 1914 – Ernest H. Blois

This report contains sub reports from the various children’s aid societies – Wolfville, Springhill, Amherst, East Hants, Yarmouth, New Glasgow and the Nova Scotia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty – as well as the Superintendent as a CAS, the Institutions, The Juvenile Court and the Report of His Honour Judge Wallace, the Judge of the Juvenile Court for the City of Halifax.

One of the sources of reference mentioned is a newspaper The Acadian Recorder.  The newspaper from later years, particularly around the time of the formation of the Branch of CASW may be useful to us.

2. Report of the Superintendent of Neglected and Dependent Children, 1915 (Blois)

The format is the same as the year before and the report contains reports from the CASs of Annapolis, Amherst, Glace Bay, New Glasgow, Yarmouth, Sydney, Kings, West Hants, Louisburg, Truro as well as The Family Court, the Institutions and the SPC.

3. Report of the Superintendent of Neglected and Dependent Children, 1916

At this point there was eleven Children’s Aid Societies.  Reports are included from Wolfville, Glace Bay, Springhill, West Hants, Amherst, Truro, New Glasgow, and Halifax. It is mentioned that the SPC has been approved to be the CAS in Halifax.  R.H. Murray is the head of the SPC.  There are also reports from Judge Wallace on the Family Court in Halifax and on each of the Institutions.

4. Report of the Superintendent of Neglected and Dependent Children, 1917

This is the fourth annual report of the Superintendent and follows the same format as the previous ones.  It mentions that no new CASs were formed during the year.

Reports of  1927 – 1936 ( bound volume)

All annual reports follow essentially the same format.  In the 14^th Annual Report Blois’ title changes from that of Superintendent to Director of Child Welfare.  So, 1927 is the first Annual Report of the Director of Child Welfare.

Reports of 1936-42 (bound volume) -- the 1937 report contains a history of the CAS of Kings (1912 - 1937). The 1939 report contains a history of child welfare in Nova Scotia from 1912 – 39.

Reports of 1943 – 48 (bound volume)

5. The 31st Annual Report of the Director of Child Welfare, 1943-48

Blois is still the Director.  There are reports from the following Children’s Aid  Societies:  Annapolis, Cape Breton ( Elizabeth Torrey was Secretary/ treasurer and Agent), Colchester, Cumberland, Halifax ( Gwendolyn Lantz was Executive-Secretary), Hants and Lunenburg.

The 1945 Report of the Director of Child Welfare is provided by F.R. MacKinnon who became Director sometime during 1944.

Reports of 1949 – 54 (bound volume)

Reports of 1955 – 60 bound volume)

Reports of 1960 – 75 (bound volume)

Annual Reports of the Department of Public Welfare for 1960 through 1969 and 1970 through 1975 do not contain useful information for the project.

Reports of the Department of Social Services (1986 and 1987)

Contains mostly statistical information

Reports of the Department of Community Services (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996.)

Contains mostly statistical information

Agency histories have been compiled and are located in a white binder at DCS.