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115
Co-operation between a local Vicar and the management of a
nearby factory (with generous financial support from the latter
organization) enabled a private Day Nursery/Play Group to be
opened in a Church Hall. This has proved to be a most successful
venture; it is hoped that arrangements can be made for a small
number of children who urgently need to attend a Nursery for
medical or social reasons to be sponsored by the Council for acceptance
by this Group.
Council Places in Day Nursery
In Waiting
Unsupported Mothers 6 3
Lone parent 4 4
Deaf children 1 —
Occasional Creche Service
Each week a creche is held at two Welfare Centres at which
children under five years of age are cared for while their mothers
undertake various duties such as visits to hospital or attend activities
in the same Centre. One of these creches is consistently well attended
but, so far, the use of the other session has proved disappointing.
A nominal charge is made for the use of these facilities which
is abated when necessary. No charge is made to any mother who is
using the service to enable her to attend hospital.
Adoption, Foster Parents and Boarding Out
Adoption—One of the most serious social problems of the
country today (although happily of no great moment in this Borough
at present) is the difficulty experienced in the assimilation into
society of coloured immigrants in order that hostility and discrimination
may be avoided.
A corollary to this situation, which is becoming pregressively
more important, is that of the settlement of children of differing
racial origins who, for various reasons, are deprived of a family
life.
Responsibility, generally, for the placement of these children
rests with Adoption Societies and with Children's Departments and,
for most adopters, there is an obligation, under Section 3 of the
Adoption Act, 1958, to notify the local authority of their intention
to adopt.
Health visitors are often in close contact with such children
and in some instances their records are of considerable value to the
Medical Officer when his observations are sought by the various
agencies concerned with adoption.