The Role of Family Visitors in Supervising, Removing, and Returning Children

Abstract

Family visitors supervised children released on probation and strove to guide youngsters and their parents towards the faith. They insisted on children being baptized, studying the catechism, and, where necessary, placing them in Catholic boarding schools. They consistently looked to the spiritual rather than material welfare of the families. In this endeavour they targeted poor families, political families, and Protestants. Despite this, family visitors were overworked, floundered in the face of family resistance, and frequently chose the most lenient policy available. This allowed parents to petition for the return of their children or to keep their children with only a few desultory inspections of their homes carried out. Children exploited these weaknesses. In some cases they simply walked out of care homes and returned to live with their families. Children on probation also proved willing to denounce parents they despised for their immoral behaviour.