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abandoned. The maternity hostel has been mentioned; this
was closed partly on account of the high cost, and partly because
other accommodation became available in the Borough. Municipal
midwives were also tried, but speedily became redundant.
"Home Helps" for the mothers during confinement have never
been viewed with favour by the Committee, although for a short
time one home help was employed. When a mother goes into
hospital for confinement, there is occasionally difficulty in obtaining
help in the management of the home and the supervision of
the other children during her absence, and sometimes it has been
possible to arrange for some of the children to go into a children's
home during this period. The Committee might consider giving
assistance in such cases.
Toddlers' Clinics for children between the ages of two and
five are conducted at some of the centres. The attendances are
apt to be small, partly because many children go to school at the
age of three, and partly because mothers often prefer to have both
children seen at one time rather than attend a special clinic for the
benefit of the toddler. It is true that when a second baby arrives
the toddler is often apt to be somewhat neglected, and this is the
reason for urging the establishment of nursery schools in the
Borough. The Maternity and Child Welfare Act permits the
the provision of meals for mothers, and, so far as I know, this
suggestion has never been tried in this Borough.
The staff on the whole is adequate, and the falling birth rate
has brought about much more intimate and personal contact than
was possible only a few years ago. It is satisfactory to know that
so large a proportion of expectant mothers receive ante-natal
supervision, and that so high a percentage of infants attend the
infant welfare centres. This, of course, is partly due to the fact
that the Borough is almost wholly industrial in type, but it has
been accomplished in the face of at least one severe drawback.
Most of the clinics are conducted in premises which are ordinary
houses or other buildings adapted for the purpose. They are, in
many cases, quite inadequate, and the Council does not possess,
at present, one single building specially constructed for the