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-12-
Home Helps.
The Council's scheme for the provision of home
helps, which has been in operation since 1920, was revised
during the year. The effects of the revision were to
increase the weekly family income limit within which home
helps may be provided, and to increase to £2. 0s. 0d. per
week the wages paid to casual home helps. The scheme was
extended also to provide for hone helps being granted to
mothers who, for reasons of health, other than childbirth,
are temporarily unable to look after their young children.
Hone helps were supplied under the Council's
schene in 76 cases at a cost of £138. 8s. 0d.
Registered Daily Guardians.
In co-operation with the Ministry of Labour, the
Council have introduced a scheme for the registration of
daily guardians to care for children under five years of age
whose pothers are engaged on work of national importance.
Under this scheme the Council make a payment to the guardian,
in addition to the mother's contribution, of 4s. 0d. per
week for each child taken for four days or pore per week,
and 2s. 0d. for each child taken for less than four days
per week.
During the year 41 women were placed on the
register and 71 children were cared for under the scheme.
The cost to the Council, which is reimbursed by the Ministry
of Labour, amounted to £212. 6s. 0d.
At the end of the year there were on the register
14 daily guardians who were caring for 17children.
Care of Illegitimate Children.
During the year, particular attention was given
to the care of illegitimate children and, in co-operation with
the Ministry of Health, the London County Council and all
other London boroughs, it was decided:-
(a) to institute a scheme of guaranteed
payments to foster mothers, and
(b) to provide greater financial assistance
to voluntary bodies.
A detailed scheme was prepared by a special
Advisory Committee of the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing
Joint Committee, and this was adopted by the Council. That
part dealing with guaranteed payments to foster mothers
cane into operation on the 1st January, 1945, and the part
dealing with increased financial assistance to voluntary
bodies was scheduled to take effect as fron the 1st April,1945
Care of Premature Infants.
On the 22nd March, 1944, the Minister of Health
issued circular 20/44, approving recommendations of his
Advisory Committee on the Welfare of Mothers and Young Children
dealing with the care of premature infants.
The Council adopted the recommendations which included
such provisions as the loan of special equipnent, the
supply of breast milk, the services of a paediatrician, etc.,
and authorised the granting of these services to any