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approved daily guardians on the Register with accommodation for a total of 105
children. 51 of these were employed as such at the end of the year and were caring
'or 88 children. The amount paid out in subsidies by the Borough Council for 1047
totalled £816 3s. Od.
Day Nurseries.
At the beginning of 1947 there were 9 Day Nurseries in operation. The number
of child places was 483.
Three circulars were received from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of
Education during the year.
The first, in March (Circular 30/47 (Ministry of Health) and 135/47 (Ministry of
Education))—dealt with recruitment of Wardens.
The second, in August, (Circular 119/47 Ministry of Health) dealt with the
free supply to each Day Nursery child attending during the morning and afternoon
of 2/3rds. pint of liquid milk per day and 6 ozs. of cod liver oil per 12 weeks. All
Day Nurseries had to register in order to benefit and Day Nurseries not belonging
to Local Authorities had to be certified by the Medical Officer of Health to be genuine
non-residential Day Nurseries suitable to receive benefit. The source and quality
of the milk supplied had also to be certified as suitable by the Medical Officer of Health.
The third circular, in December (Circular 168/47 (Ministry of Health) and 157/47
(Ministry of Education) ) dealt with a complete revision of all salaries of non-domestic
workers in Day Nurseries. This joint circular was adopted as from 1st October, 1947.
In October the Day Nursery in Huntingdon Street had to be closed as the building
was found to be a dangerous structure. All the children in attendance at the Nursery
were found places at other Day Nurseries.
During the year there was a total of 190 cases of infectious disease at the Day
Nurseries. The greatest number of cases was due to measles and whooping cough
which accounted for 61.6 per cent, of all cases. There was only one case of diphtheria
(nasal) during the year.
1947 will be remembered as the year when there was an alarming outbreak of
Poliomyelitis all over the country. Special precautions were taken at all Day
Nurseries in the Borough because of the vulnerability of the child population. The
Ministry of Health had advised that if a case occurred at a Day Nursery it should be
closed and that a contact should be excluded for three weeks. One child was excluded
from Camden Road Day Nursery as a contact, but the case was not confirmed and the
child was re-admitted. There were no cases of Poliomyelitis among Day Nursery
children during the year.