London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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The Council fix the maximum number of children under nine
years who may be kept in any premises. If a foster child is about
to be received or is being kept in overcrowded, insanitary, or
dangerous premises, or by persons unfit to have the care of the
child, or in any environment detrimental to the child, the Court
may order the child's removal to a place of safety.
The supervision of foster children is one of the important
duties of the Council's maternity and child welfare officers. Pour
medical officers and all the health visitors have been appointed
child life protection visitors, and are authorised to carry out
duties under the Act. Any one of these officers can take action
in urgent cases.
Inspections of foster homes and children are made not less
often than once a month, or more frequently if there is any doubt
about the care the child is receiving.
It seems that there is an increasing demand for accommodation
of the "short stay" type for foster children.
Table showing the length of stay in the borough of foster children who left Kensington in 1946 compared with the similar figures for 1936.
| Length of stay with foster mother. | 1946 | 1936 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children | Children | |||
| No. | % | No. | % | |
| Under 7 days. | 30 | 13.8 | 6 | 4.5 |
| Between 7 and 14 days. | 28 | 12.9 | 11 | 8.3 |
| Between 14 and 21 days. | 24 | 11.0 | 3 | 2.2 |
| Between 21 days and 1 month. | 22 | 10.1 | 7 | 5.3 |
| Between 1 and 2 months. | 51 | 23.5 | 18 | 13.5 |
| Between 2 and 3 months. | 12 | 5.6 | 12 | 9.0 |
| Between 3 and 4 months. | 17 | 7.8 | 15 | 11.3 |
| Between 4 and 5 months. | 6 | 2.8 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Between 5 and 6 months. | 8 | 3.7 | 6 | 4.5 |
| Between 6 and 12 months. | 13 | 6.0 | 15 | 11.3 |
| Over 12 months. | 6 | 2.8 | 35 | 26.3 |
| TOTALS. | 217 | 100 | 133 | 100 |
Whereas before the war a high proportion of foster children
(26% in 1936) stayed with their foster parents for more than twelve
months, only 3% of the foster children leaving Kensington in 1946
had been with their foster parents for more than one year. Of the
foster children who left last year, 70% had stayed with their
foster parents for less than 2 months, compared with 33% in 1936.
These figures indicate that the "fostering" of children
no longer has the character of providing "homes" for children, but
rather it is being used as a temporary expedient, pending other
arrangements being made, such as adoption.