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DAY NURSERIES.
There are two day nurseries in the Borough, the Alice Barlow
Day Nursery, Fulford Street, and the Newcomen Day Nursery,
Snowsfields; they are both conducted by voluntary agencies.
These nurseries receive and care for young children, usually
between the ages of 4 weeks and 4 years, during the day time,
where the mother is compelled to go out to work. The Alice
Barlow Nursery has accommodation for 20 children, and the
Newcomen Day Nursery can receive up to a maximum of 60
babies. The mothers pay a small fee, and, in both cases the
Borough Council makes a grant towards the expenses of the institution.
NURSERY SCHOOL.
There is no nursery school in the Borough, and I am of
opinion that such a school is urgently needed, and further, that
two or three small schools in different parts of the Borough would
be of much greater value than one larger one.
INVALID CHILDREN'S AID ASSOCIATION.
This association has a branch in Bermondsey with accommodation
in the municipal offices. The association arranges for sick
or ailing children to be sent to convalescent homes in the country or
at the seaside. The Borough Council makes an annual grant to
the association, but, of course, the Maternity and Child Welfare
scheme is only concerned with children under the age of five.
MILK SCHEME.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Act gives power to provide
meals or milk for expectant and nursing mothers. Under the
Borough Council scheme one pint of milk per day may be provided
for nursing mothers and for expectant mothers during the last
three months of pregnancy. From the date of weaning until the
age of three years, one pint of milk daily may be provided for the
infant. From three months to twelve months the quantity of
milk may be increased to 1½ pints daily, and the period during
which milk is obtainable may be extended from three to five
years, on a special medical certificate.