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of every child born, and, indeed, to go farther, and to endeavour
to conserve also the life of every child unborn. With this object
in view, the Local Government Board issued on 30th July, 1914,
a Memorandum, outlining a Scheme for Maternity and Child
Welfare. The Scheme is a complete one, dealing with—
(1) Arrangements for the local supervision of Midwives;
(2) Ante-natal arrangements for mothers;
(3) Natal arrangements for mothers; and
(4) Post-natal arrangements for mothers and young children.
These four headings include the systematic home visiting of—
(a) Mothers (before, during, and after confinement), and
(b) Young children (up to school age),
and the necessary provision of institutions (where such mothers
and young children can obtain advice and treatment) or home
help (for the same purposes).
In other words, the Scheme outlines medical supervision and
advice for expectant, and nursing, mothers, and for young children
(up to school age), together with such treatment as may be
necessary, at Maternity Centres, Ante-natal and Infant (or Baby)
Clinics or Dispensaries, etc., the Board laying special stress upon
the need for home visiting by properly qualified Health Visitors.
Local Authorities and Voluntary Agencies are asked by the
Board to co-operate together, so as to form, within the respective
districts of such Local Authorities, comprehensive Schemes, dealing
with the extension and systematisation of all measures
hitherto adopted, to a greater or lesser degree, for the prevention
of infantile morbidity and mortality, the welfare of children
between the ages of 1 and 5 years, and the treatment of mothers
before and at and after confinement.
To encourage Local Authorities and Voluntary Agencies to
embark upon Schemes for such purposes, grants in aid of expenditure
are offered under certain conditions, both by the Local
Government Board and the Board of Education, in respect of
institutions or other provisions for maternity and child welfare,
the latter Board restricting its grants to institutions and agencies
of the nature of Schools for Mothers, i.e., such institutions and
agencies as have primarily an educational object, e.g., the teaching
(training and instructing) of mothers in the care and management
of young children, and their supervision from birth to
school age (without specific medical advice and treatment), as
set out in that Board's Regulations of 6th July, 1915.
The views of the Local Government Board as to its own particular
grants are set out in Regulations dated 7th July, 1915, in
the following words :—
The Local Government Board will pay grants both to Local
Authorities and to Voluntary Agencies during the financial year
ending 31st March, 1916, in respect of the following services,
such grants depending upon the adequacy and efficiency of the