London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Islington 1967
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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Day Care of Children
Day Nurseries
There are five Council day nurseries providing a total of 299 places for children under
5. Pour of these are training nurseries, and twenty students were in training during the
year. Seven students sat the N.N.E.B. examination in 1967, and all were successful.
The demand in the Borough for the day care of young pre-school children with consequent
pressure on the Council's day nursery accommodation continued. This is partly due to the
relatively high proportion of unsupported mothers in the borough.
It was possible to admit only children in the highest priority groups (i.e. where there
was one parent, or where the health of the mother or of the child was suffering, or a handicapped
child needed to mix with normal children). In common with the home help service, the
nursery service contributes to the prevention of children being taken into residential care.
The following table illustrates the high demand for places:
| Average daily attendance during the year | 269 | |
| Average rate of occupation | 90% | |
| Waiting list at the end of the year | Priority cases | 104 |
| Non-priority cases | 85 | |
| Total 189 | ||
Child Minding
Child minders are in two categories (i) those women registered by the Council under the
provision of the Nurseries and Child Minders Regulation Act 1948, to mind three or more
children and (ii) those voluntarily registered by the Council to mind less than three
children and who receive a weekly fee of 6/- from the Council. Regulations laid down by the
Council for these voluntarily registered minders include taking the child regularly to the
local welfare centre.
Before registration under either of these schemes the Council had to be satisfied about
the suitability of the minder to care for young children and that there were adequate
facilities in her home to meet their needs. All minders were visited regularly in their
homes by the Council's medical officers or health visitors. Statistics for 1967 are as
follows, with comparative figures for 1966 shown in brackets:-
Statutorily registered child minders at end of 1967 16 (17)
Total number of children actually minded at 31.12.67 59 (69)
Voluntarily registered child minders at end of 1967 45 (60)
Total number of children actually minded at 31.12.67 65 (99)
There were also two private day nurseries registered under the Nurseries and Child
Minders Regulation Act 1948, providing a total of 34 places. One of these nurseries is for
mentally handicapped children.
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