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assistance in a variety of circumstances, mostly to
expectant and nursing mothers and children under
5. During the year 182. new cases were dealt with
and a total of 2,037 visits were paid, very little fewer
than the pre-war figure.
Convalescent Treatment.—It had not been found
practicable to resume the Council's pre-war convalescent
arrangements but grants were made to the
Invalid Children's Aid Association in respect of 7
children sent away by that body.
NURSERIES.
On the 1st April, 1946, under the scheme approved
by the Ministry of Health with the concurrence
of the London County Council, arrangements
were made for the transfer to the responsible control
of the Borough Council of the former war-time day
nurseries at Columbia Market, Pritchards Road and
University House. Owing to the increasing difficulty
in obtaining- and retaining adequate staff it
was found impossible to use the nurseries to capacity,
as will be seen from the following statistics as to
average attendance of children in the four quarters
of the year.
March qr. June qr. Sept. qr, Dec. qr.
Columbia Market 51.4 54.8 48.9 48.3
Pritchards Road 42.5 43.2 41.1 43.7
University House 38.4 31.8 39.8 35.4
This situation was particularly anomalous as
throughout the year there was a long list of children
awaiting admission, many of them of mothers
urgently needing employment for maintenance. In
the circumstances, the Public Health Committee