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1936] 14
THE MILK SCHEME FOR NECESSITOUS EXPECTANT AND NURSING
MOTHERS AND CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS OF AGE.
During the year 1936, the sum expended in the provision of fresh and dried
milk for necessitous, expectant and nursing mothers, and children under live years
of age, amounted to £2,364 18s. 2d., as against £1,967 5s. Id. in 1935. The total
amount expended since the Order came into operation in 1918 is £68,527 7s. Od.
The total recipients during the year numbered 8,147, and the quantity of milk
supplied to them was equal to 182,206 pints (22,775| gallons).
DISTRIBUTION OF MILK TO NECESSITOUS MOTHERS AND
CHILDREN.
Scale of Income adopted by the Council, 18th January, 1935 :—
Per head.
6/- a week and under, after allowance for rent, Free.
6/1 to 7/5 a week, after allowance for rent, Quarter Cost.
7/6 to 8/- a week, after allowance for rent, Half Cost.
Children living at home and earning not to be counted as members of the
family for the purpose of the scale.
Discretionary power given to the Milk Sub-Committee to deal with applications
for milk where the gross family income is £3 a week or more.
HOME HELPS.
As stated in last year's Annual Report, the Council adopted a Home Help
scheme just at the close of the year.
The following are the duties of the Home Helps, from which will be gathered
also the limitations of their employment:—
Duties of Home Helps.
1. The Home-help shall act, during the time she is employed, under the
direct supervision of a Municipal Health Visitor.
The Home-help's duties shall be those ordinarily undertaken by the mother,
and include—where required—cleaning, cooking, washing, care of children,
mending and " marketing."
She shall, during her employment, be suitably attired, and must refrain
from discussing one mother or home with another or with their personal friends"
2. The Home-help must not undertake any work which properly belongs
to the sphere of a Trained Nurse or Midwife, nor assist at Confinements. She
may, however, be at hand to take charge of the household and provide the
hot water, etc., required.
3. After the confinement, she shall receive and take charge of the " soiled "
linen, see; that the mother gets her food and that her room is kept clean and
that the mother does not need to exert herself in any way.
4. In a similar way, she shall, when the midwife is not there, see that the
infant is properly fed and cared for and put to sleep in a separate cot.
5. She shall be responsible for the washing of the clothes as soon as possible
after the confinement is over, and keep the ordinary clothes washed in the
usual way. She is not expected to undertake arrears of washing unless unavoidable.
6. She shall get the meals prepared and tidy the house and take care of
any other children there may be, and see that those attending school attend
punctually and are clean and tidy.