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In 1946 the Council decided, in view of the strong demand for women in
industry, to continue the Municipally directed War-time Day Nurseries as a postwar
feature of the Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme, but decided to return
the Staffordshire Street Nursery to the pre-war controlling authorities of this
institution in order that the nursery school activities which were interrupted by
the war might be resumed. There are now four Municipal Nurseries in the Borough
with a total place capacity of 180 children.
Careful consideration was given to the suggestions outlined in a Ministry
of Health Circular for implementing the Nursery Service by the provision of
schemes of registered daily guardians, evening "sitters-in" and the establishment
of afternoon creches at Maternity and Child Welfare Centres. Past failures to
recruit a sufficient number of suitable persons to act as foster mothers did not
encourage the belief that the response to an appeal for persons to enrol as daily
minders would justify a scheme for this analogous service, nor was it considered
practicable to arrange for a scheme of "sitters-in" or for the use of Infant Welfare
Centres as afternoon creches; consequently the Council decided against promoting
any of these suggested supplementary services.
On the other hand, a close scrutiny of all applications for admission to the
Nurseries was undertaken, and a scheme was adopted which provided for a proportionate
allocation of places to cases falling within four priority categories as
follows:—
1. Mothers employed in industries vital to production.
2. Widows, unmarried mothers and separated wives.
3. Insufficient income.
4. Mothers who for some good reason were incapable of undertaking the
full care of their children.
As a result of the application of this priority scheme many mothers were
unfortunately compelled to withdraw their children from the Nurseries to make
room for other mothers whose circumstances conformed to the Council's revised
arrangements for admission. Nevertheless, the altered arrangements for admission
has made no difference to the length of the waiting list for accommodation,
but the new Scheme has ensured an equitable distribution of the available provision
to applicants most in need of the Nursery Service.
An active propaganda campaign was undertaken in this year for recruiting
suitable women to undertake Home and Domestic Help duties which resulted in
the Council being able to build up the panel of Helps and to meet all demands
for assistance in the home during the confinement of the mother and in special
cases of illness of members of the family.
Every endeavour was made in 1947 to dispose of the outstanding problem
of replacing the unserviceable premises used as an Infant Welfare Centre at 114
Lordship Lane. An approach was made to the Authorities of the Tell Grove
Congregational Church which had recently been repaired following enemy action
damage, and it is satisfactory to record that negotiations for the transfer of the
Centre's work to these premises resulted in a tenancy arrangement being concluded
for the use of the premises for Infant Welfare and Diphtheria Prevention Services
for the Dulwich district from September 3rd last.