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38
HOMES FOR DESERTED, WIDOWED OR UNMARRIED
MOTHERS AND THEIR CHILDREN.

THE MOTHERCRAFT TRAINING SOCIETY, 29-31, TREBOVIR ROAD.
This institution receives patients from all parts of the country and does not provide for
Kensington cases any more than for those from other districts; therefore, although situated in the
Royal Borough, it cannot be regarded as a Kensington institution in the same sense as the other
units dealt with in this report.
Besides giving treatment to children and advice to mothers, particularly in regard to dietetic
errors, the institution is a teaching centre for practical training in Child Welfare. The courses of
instruction are intended for general hospital nurses, maternity nurses and welfare workers.
NATIONAL CHILDREN'S ADOPTION ASSOCIATION, CAMPDEN HILL.
This institution is situated in the Borough, but it is a national rather than a local institution.
Unwanted infants are received from various parts of the country and they are cared for until
adopted by some reputable person.
CONVALESCENT HOMES.
The Borough Council contribute to the London Mother's Convalescent Home, Sunningdale,
Berks, £12 12s. per annum for which they are entitled to send six mothers to the institution for a
fortnight's holiday each year. A sum of ten pounds per annum is given to the Ashburton Homes,
Addiscombe, Surrey, which enables six Kensington cases to be admitted into the institution for a
fortnight each year. During 1920 six cases were sent to each Home.
HOME HELPS.
No applications for Home Helps under the Council's scheme have been received during
the year.
HOME NURSING.
This subject is dealt with under "The Prevalence of Disease" on page 16.
CO-ORDINATION OF MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE WORK.
The high rate of infantile mortality and the serious effects in later years of disease neglected
in infancy have not only led to the establishment of numerous infant welfare institutions throughout
the country during the last 15 years, but have also resulted in Parliament placing on the
Statute Book the important Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918. This Act gives very wide
powers in regard to the health of young children and their mothers to local authorities and
imposes on them the duty of appointing a Maternity and Child Welfare Committee to which all
matters relating to the welfare of mothers and infants must be referred. The Kensington
Maternity and Child Welfare Committee was appointed by the Council under the Act in 1918 and
immediately took over the control of the work of the Health Visitors, the administration of the
distribution of milk to mothers and young children and other duties relating to maternity and
child welfare. In addition, the Committee have reviewed the work of the large number of recently
established voluntary child welfare bodies which Kensington is fortunate in possessing.
The first Infant Welfare Centre in Kensington was opened in 1907, and since that year six
similar institutions, seven Day Nurseries, a Baby Clinic and two Baby In-patient Hospitals have
been established in the Borough. Other institutions, such as homes for unmarried mothers and
their children, hospitals, dispensaries, etc., are also engaged, partly or wholly, in work relating to
the welfare of mothers and infants. These institutions are maintained by the isolated efforts of
more than twenty independent and voluntary bodies, most of which were formed with the one
object of improving the health of the infant population of the Borough.