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The Chair was taken by the Chairman of the Health Committee, who
introduced a panel of speakers consisting of the principal medical
officers in charge of the maternity and child welfare services, the
Deputy Children's Officer, a Centre Superintendent from the welfare
centre in the area where child-care difficulties are prevalent,
Mrs. P. Jeffrey, the Community Worker of the London Council of Social
Service, with special concern for immigrant families, and the Inspector
of the NSPCC for the borough.
A great deal of effort had already been devoted to this matter and
this was fully appreciated. A number of main recommendations were made
for the local control and improvement of the day care of children.
Inevitably, these to a great extent had been anticipated but it may be
useful to set them down and comment on what it was found possible to do
during the year:-
1) Increased publicity should be given by all concerned to the law
relating to the day care of children.
Special posters were widely displayed throughout the borough,
advertisements were placed in the local press, and leaflets were
made available and distributed widely; in many cases, with the
assistance of the departments of the Council and the voluntary and
other associations concerned in the borough.
2) There should be a determined effort to ascertain cases of illegal
child-minding which, when detected, should be followed by legal
proceedings against the offender.
Few cases were found during the year notwithstanding the vigilance
of health visitors, public health inspectors, and other staff
carrying out domiciliary work in areas where this practice was
likely, and in none of them was it possible to secure evidence on
which a prosecution could be based. The local authority's
officers do not have power to enter premises where children are
minded, or are believed to be being minded, without a warrant and
it is necessary to establish that the children are being minded
for reward. It is extremely difficult to obtain this information
not only because parents are disinclined to lose even a sub-standard
service which may enable them to work and augment their income by
day, but they are also reluctant to assist the authority in what
they regard as a police activity. Representation on this point was
included in the report to the Ministry of Health.
3) In cases where it is considered that existing child-minders are
unsuitable or irresponsible, efforts should be made to educate and
supervise them. In cases where improvement could not be expected,
their registration should be cancelled.
Generally speaking, the existing child-minders and proprietors of
day nurseries were neither unsuitable nor irresponsible. The
Council's officers at their visits of inspection were able to offer
advice and assistance and any work required in the interests of
the children was carried out by the persons responsible.
4) Efforts should be made to recruit more child-minders.
Every effort has been made by the Council's health visitors but,
nevertheless, the number of voluntary child-minders had dropped
by twenty-one, and of registered child-minders by one, by 31st
December, 1966. This is accounted for to a large extent by the
unsatisfactory nature of their accommodation rather than the
unsuitability of the individuals concerned.
5) The possibility of holding classes or instructional sessions for
child-minders should be explored.
From the comment on (4) above, it will be seen that there has not