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119
Dining Centres.
There are two Dining Centres, one at 31, Herbert Street and one at the
Model Welfare Centre, both under the direct control of the Maternity and
Child Welfare Committee. At these Centres, the Maternity and Child
Welfare Committee allow dinners to necessitous mothers upon the certificate
of the Assistant Medical Officer of Health and the recommendation of the
Health Visitor. Eligibility for these allowances is determined by the application
to each case of the approved scale of income set out in the next section
of this report dealing with milk allowances.
Except in special cases where the need is urgent, all statements as to
income are verified before the allowance is made.
Great benefit is derived from these dinners both during the later months
(5th to 9th inclusive) of pregnancy and the period of lactation.

Fresh fruit and salads are now more freely introduced than was formerly
the case.
In October, 1932, a scheme was commenced under which selected children
under five years of age who were eligible on financial grounds to receive milk
allowances should as an alternative be allowed dinners at the Welfare Centre
on the recommendation of the doctor at the Welfare Centre and the Health
Visitor.
The menus for these Toddlers' dinners have received special consideration,
and much time has been given by voluntary and other workers to assisting
in feeding these babies, many of whom require much coaxing and management.
The results, however, have been most gratifying, as these children
have been found to make excellent progress and to have gained in weight.
One teaspoonful of pure cod liver oil is given to each child after the
dinner.
The number of individual toddlers who attended these dinners during
the year was 139, and the total number of attendances was 5,443.