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18
PART II.—ADMINISTRATION AND
SPECIAL SUBJECTS.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The statistics for the year in regard to births and deaths of infants will be
found on pages 10-11 and 13-14 of this report.
In last year's report was recorded the formation, as a sub committee of the
Public Health Committee, of the Maternity and Child Welfare Sub-Committee.
This has been increased somewhat in size and at the end of 1918 was made up
of representatives of the following bodies and institutions. (The figures in
brackets are the number of representatives in each case) : —
The Borough Council (9): St. Pancras School for Mothers (3):
North St. l'ancras School for Mothers (3): Passmore Edwards Settlement
School for Mothers (1): Camden Town Mothers' and Infants'
Welfare Centre (1): Argyle Square Mothers' and Infants' Welfare
Centre (2): South Highgate Mothers' and Infants' Welfare Centre (1):
Maternity Nursing Association (1): St. l'ancras Dispensary (1): University
College Hospital (2): Royal Free Hospital (l) St. Pancras Day
Nursery (1): Whitefield's Day Nursery (1): Kentish Town Day Nursery
(1): Somers Town Nursery School (1): 29 members in all.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918, required the setting up of a
Maternity and Child Welfare Committee, of which two-thirds of the members
must be Borough Councillors. The work of the sub-committee already in
existence had been so satisfactory that it was thought undesirable to alter its
constitution to meet this requirement, and consequently the Public Health
Committee was appointed as the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee
under the Act, with an instruction from the Council that it shall, unless in its
opinion the matter be urgent, receive and consider the report of the subcommittee
before reporting to the Council upon matters of maternity and
child welfare.
The most important action of the Council during the year in this connection
was their decision to take over a large share of the financial responsibility for
work done by the numerous voluntary agencies in the borough for the welfare
of mothers and young children. The voluntary work which it was decided to
subsidise falls into the following groups:—(1) infant and maternity