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CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
There are within the borough seven welfare centres for the care of mothers and
pre-school children. Each provides a comprehensive range of services to meet the needs of
the particular district which it serves. One of these centres, the Violet Melchett Infant
Welfare, is provided by a voluntary committee, with grant aid by the Council.
At all centres there are ante-natal and post-natal clinics and child welfare
clinics, sessions for vaccination and immunisation and mothercraft classes. The full range
of welfare foods is sold, supplemented by a variety of other foods and vitamins which are
available at a reduced cost, to mothers attending the clinics.
At four of the centres, occasional creches are held, where young children may
be left for short periods.
The health visitors are based at the seven child welfare centres. The centres are
used not only for ante-natal and child welfare sessions, but for school treatment, cervical
cytology, family planning and, in effect, as advisory and educational centres for mothers.
They are also meeting places for social workers, representing both voluntary and statutory
services in connection with families of common concern.
At one centre, in a district where a high percentage of the mothers are working,
an evening child welfare session is held weekly. Here, children, who may be under the
care of child-minders during the daytime, can be brought by their mothers for consultation
with the doctor or health visitor, or for vaccination or immunisation. The continued high
attendance at this clinic has proved its usefulness in this particular area.
Child Welfare clinics:
Total number of sessions 1,462
Total attendances 32,660
Number of children attending during year -
Born in 1965 2,707
Born 1964-1960 3,986
Total attendances at special Toddlers
clinics 2,852
Ante-natal and Post-natal clinics:
Total number of sessions 908
Total attendances 5,876
Number of women attending during year -
Ante-natal 1,553
Post-natal 20