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DAY NURSERIES - PRIVATE
Four full-time day nurseries in the Borough registered under the Nurseries and Child-Minders Regulation
Act continue to provide places for 73 children. One is attached to a hostel and admits only the children of
residents; one is run by the Islington Society for Mentally Handicapped Children; one has allocated 20 of its
30 places to the Council, and children are admitted from the Council's priority waiting list for day
nurseries; the fourth nursery is run by the Spanish Sisters of Charity who give priority to children from the
Spanish community.
CHILD MINDERS
A large number of cases of illegal daily minding came to light during the year. Sources of information
varied widely, but the public have been most helpful in bringing to our attention unsatisfactory conditions
of daily care.
A steady flow of people applied to be registered and at the end of the year there was a total of 178
Registered Child-Minders permitted to take a total of 400 children.
Mr. Wehr, Welfare Officer from West Berlin, spent two days in the Borough visiting daily minders and
playgroups in the area.
PLAYGROUPS
A number of new playgroups began during the year and at the end of the year there were 28 groups in
the Borough registered for a total of 680 children. The Mayor and Mayoress visited them all during the year
— the children patently enjoyed the visit — the Mayoral chains being much fingered and admired.
An Assistant Nursing Officer was invited to speak to a parent-teachers association and groups of church
members on the need for new pre-school playgroups. The playgroup movement in the Borough appears
enthusiastic and willing to expand but is hampered by the lack of suitable buildings and unwillingness in
some quarters to allow premises to be used for this purpose.
STATISTICS (as at 31.12.70)
Full-time nurseries registered 4
Children permitted 73
Part-time playgroups registered 28
Children permitted 680
Child-minders registered 178
Children permitted 400
In November, 1970, the Council approved a scheme to subsidise: (a) the attendance of individual
children at selected nurseries and/or part-time play-groups run by private or voluntary bodies and
(b) individual children with selected child-minders. The playgroup sponsorship scheme is intended for
children in recognised priority categories known to health visitors as likely to benefit from attendance at a
play-group, but whose parents are unable or unwilling to pay the fee. In such instances, recommended by
health visitors, the Council undertakes to pay the play-group or nursery fee, and the health visitor keeps the
case under regular review. This scheme came into operation in January, 1971.
HEALTH VISITING
As can be seen from the statistics overleaf, the total number of home visits by health visitors has
increased. The health visitors are well accepted by all strata of society and have become adept at coping
with differing languages and cultures.
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