View report page

24
In the beginning probably only about three half days a week weald
be taken up by the meetings at the actual Welcome. A house must be
rented and suitably fitted out—this should not cost a great deal; to
these premises the mothers bring the infants at least once a week, when
they are regularly weighed, the condition of each child is specially
considered, and where necessary medical advice as to feeding and
general care of the infants is given. Tea is supplied to the mothers,
and the opportunity is taken of giving them short talks as to care of
children, general baby management, the advantages of personal cleanliness,
and cleanliness in the household and the care of food. One
afternoon a week may be devoted to a sewing meeting, and it is advantageous
to establish also a clothing club, towards which the mothers
subscribe, say, a penny per week to pay in part or in whole for
children's garments. In the baby centres of which I have had personal
experience these garments have been made by voluntary helpers. The
meetings of the mothers which are thus obtained prove of great value
from an educational standpoint, the interest of the parent is stimulated
in the improvement of the child, and a healthy spirit of competition is
engendered amongst the mothers. Provision may also be made at the
centres for the distribution of infant foods either free or at nominal
charges; these are of the greatest assistance, especially during the
summer season.
Every case of birth is at the present time, of course, visited by the
health visitor for the district. This would continue to be so but the
amount of work to be done by the health visitors causes a second visit
very often to be unavoidably delayed. An important part of the work
in connection with the "Baby Welcomes" therefore would be to
establish more frequent advisory and friendly visits to the mothers.
If the scheme of a Baby's Welcome for the West Ward be adopted
I would advise that the services of Miss Chapman (who is at present a
half-time health visitor) should be obtained full-time and that she
should be directly attached to the Baby's Welcome for the purpose of
helping at the meetings there and also to assist the Health Visitor of
the ward in paying the subsequent visits to the mothers in their homes.
This would probably suffice to carry out the work in its initial stages,
and should additional help for visitations be required it might either be
obtained by the appointment of another health visitor or by enlisting
the services of voluntary workers who would carry out their duties
under the supervision of the Public Health Department.
With regard to the medical control of the Baby's Welcome I cannot
at present guarantee one or two half days per week by any medical
member of my staff for this work, my own time and the time of my
qualified assistants being now completely occupied. In 1915, however,
a new medical assistant will be required owing to the Government
demands for a further school medical inspection, and the time of this
new officer would, I think, allow of the supervision of the baby work
referred to. If the appointment of this officer were made earlier than
1915 in view of this and other suggested extensions of the medical work
of the Department, the Baby's Welcome might be instituted during the
current year. I do not think that it could be done with the present
medical staff.
This system of Baby's Welcomes exists in many other large towns
and is giving very satisfactory results. I do not doubt but that it
would be equally successful in Croydon.
I am, Gentlemen,
Yours faithfully,
R. VEITCH CLARK.