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The number of statutorily registered child-minders rose from 10 to 13 during the year and
that of voluntarily registered minders from 105 to 130. Twenty-three establishments, catering for
577 children, were registered at the end of the year under the Nurseries and Child-Minders Regulation
Act 1948.
Opportunity was taken during the year to implement the council's declared policy of complete
opposition to bias of any kind on the grounds of race or colour. Prospective candidates for voluntary
registration were told of the Council's policy and it was pointed out that voluntary registration would
be refused if there was any question of racial discrimination. No difficulties have occurred, either
with new voluntary registered child-minders or with those previously registered, nor with statutorily
registered child-minders or private day nurseries.
DENTAL SERVICES
MR. G.P. MAILER, CHIEF DENTAL OFFICER,
REPORTS AS FOLLOWS:
Dental services for nursing and expectant mothers and children under five years of age
are provided under Section 22 of the National Health Service Act 1946. The work was carried
out at two centres in the borough; one had three sessions per week, the other two sessions per
week. In all, over 200 sessions were worked.
During the year, as an innovation, the Chief Dental Officer instituted routine dental
inspections of children attending the authority's day nurseries. This provides the opportunity of
bringing to the notice of mothers dental defects so that early treatment can be instigated. It also
very often gives the child first contact with a dentist and in surroundings which are familiar. The
exercise of "opening wide" to show one's teeth is thus instilled at an early age and is quite accepted
by the child.

* Owing to a change in the Returns introduced by the Ministry of Health for 1966 a
direct comparison is not possible; only the similar sections have been compared.
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