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9
mother shall know to whom to turn immediately an emergency
arises needing extra equipment, help in feeding the infant, and so on.
Of the 321 premature children notified in the year, 85 were born
at home and 236 in hospital. Of the former, 5 died in the first
24 hours, and 72 survived the first month. Of the 236 born in
hospital, 20 died in the first 24 hours, 28 died later and 183 are
known to have survived the first month. The remaining 5 were
taken away by their parents who could not subsequently be traced.
Illegitimate Children.
The Southwark Diocesan Association for Moral Welfare undertakes
on the Council's behalf the Lambeth part of the joint London
Scheme. The Council's grant to the Association was £233; Assistance
was given to 108 unmarried mothers and their children, and
to 30 married mothers and their illegitimate babies. As the result
of the efforts of the Welfare visitors, no less than 67 girls were able
to return home with their babies which is the best solution of the
difficulty. Of the rest, 6 remained with co-habiting parents, 4
babies were cared for by foster mothers, 29 were adopted, 2 mothers
found homes with friends for themselves and their babies, 8 to
situations with mothers, 3 to lodgings with mothers, 2 in hostels
with mothers, and 10 mothers made their own arrangements.
The remaining 7 babies did not survive the year.
Home Helps.
513 (229) applications and home helps provided—cost to Council,
£922 15s. 0d. (£366 9s. 0d.), the rest of the gross cost of
£1,484 11s. 0d. being paid by the applicants.
The service is designed to help those women who find it impossible
to arrange otherwise for their home duties to be performed without
assistance during the lying-in period. Often a relative or friend is
willing to act as home help but to do so must give up remunerative
employment which she cannot afford. The Council's home help
service covers just such cases and assistance towards a financial
loss of up to as much as £3 a week was given during the year. The
more general charge is from £2 to £4 for the fortnight.
Again it is possible to record that no application was refused
except in those cases where the income was £7 a week or more
when financial assistance towards the cost was deemed not to be
necessary.
Domestic Helps.
The domestic help scheme is run upon entirely different lines
from the home help service. Here there is no time for making