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Voluntarily registered Child-minders
Women who look after during the day one or two children aged under five
years are encouraged to register voluntarily with the Council. Those who are
registered receive a fee of six shillings a week while minding a child. In return
the child-minder agrees to conform to the Council's requirements including regular
attendance at the welfare centre with the child, and to accept supervision by the
Council's officers who visit the premises regularly and offer advice and
assistance as required. Minding charges are a matter for agreement between the
parents and the minder.
There were 67 minders looking after 85 children registered under these
arrangements at the end of the year.
DAY NURSERIES
There are ten day nurseries, with places for 584 children under 5 years of age.
Nurseries are open daily (Monday to Friday). Admission is normally restricted
to children with medical or social needs, e.g. those with only one parent who
must go to work, those where the home conditions are detrimental to health, or
where the mother's health is poor, or where the father's health is poor or his
earnings so low that the mother has to go to work to supplement the family income.
There is a heavy demand for places and a waiting list for admission is kept.
"HANDICAP" REGISTERS
Much importance is attached to the development and maintenance of a complete
register of all babies and young children who have congenital handicaps or who
because of adverse factors occurring during the mother's pregnancy or labour, are
"at risk" of developing such handicaps. Information provided by general
practitioners, hospitals and midwives is supplemented by the observation of clinic
doctors and health visitors. Every child whose name is on the handicap and
observation register is brought forward for review by a senior medical officer at
appropriate intervals so that the necessary remedial action may be taken. A
special review to consider the need for special education is arranged at 2 years
9 months.
OCCASIONAL CRECHES
Occasional Creche sessions are provided at selected welfare centres for the
minding of small groups of children from 2 to 5 years of age while their mothers
visit hospital, attend to shopping or other domestic duties, or take part in the
activities of the welfare centre where the Creche is held.
The charge for the service is ls.9d. a session for each child, abatable in
necessitous cases. No charge is made when the parent is a attending a centre
activity or a hospital appointment.