View report page

65
"(13.) Experimental work for the health of expectant and nursing mothers and
of children under five years of age carried out by Local Authorities or
voluntary agencies with the approval of the Board."
In their Circular accompanying the Regulations the Board say:—
"The health of infants and young children who lack the support of a father often
needs special attention, and it is on all grounds desirable that the mother and
child should be kept together in such cases, especially during the first year.
It is notorious that the death rate of illegitimate infants, the only infants in this
category for whom separate statistics are published, is about twice the death rate
of legitimate infants The Board have therefore obtained the
Treasury assent to the extension of the grant to homes at which mothers and
children can be kept together in certain cases, and to such other arrangements as
the Board may approve for attending to the health of the children under
consideration. In some cases it may be desirable to pay a good foster-mother
to look after a child whose mother cannot afford the whole of its keep, or to assist
the mother to stay at home to attend to the child. Any scheme for the purpose
should be submitted for the Board's approval before expenditure is incurred on it
if a grant is desired."
It is not necessary to add much to this statement of the predecessors of the
Ministry of Health as to the desirability of helping the fatherless children and
their mothers. During the five years 1914-18 the death rate in St. Pancras
of illegitimate children was 2.4 times as great as that amongst the legitimate,
and, apart from the humanitarian aspect, it is clearly desirable in the interest
of the State that the deaths of the children should be as far as possible
prevented and the survivors reared into healthy citizens to be an asset rather
than a source of expense to the community. I need say nothing of the
needless suffering on the part of the unforlunate mothers and the children.
. Few, I think, at the present time, will advocate the abandonment of the
mothers and the sacrifice of the children on the ground that it is a just
punishment or a necessary deterrent. It is clearly desirable, however, that
any help which is given to the unmarried mothers should be extended at least
equally to the married mothers who lack the support of a husband; and it is
also important that while the women should be helped to bear what would
otherwise be an insupportable burden, they should not be relieved of their
general responsibility and such financial responsibility as they can reasonably
bear. It is important, moreover, that the measures taken should not make it
easier for the fathers of the children to evade their liability.
It should be noticed that the powers of the Borough Council in the matter
are limited to children under five years of age. Of course, the problem by no
means ends when the child reaches that age. The Regulations are less
explicit as to the powers for making provision for the mothers than for the
children themselves. It would seem, however, that if the mother and child
are to be kept together assistance for the mother in the interest of the child
comes within the scope of the Regulations.
A statement of the powers and work of the Guardians in this respect is
necessary. The following memorandum has been kindly supplied bv the
Clerk of the Guardians:—