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special units to accommodate severely sub-normal children are attached to three day
nurseries. Certain other handicapped children are admitted free of charge on the
recommendation of a case conference.
Merryfield Day Nursery was approved by the Department of Health and Social
Security for training students.
Where children in the highest priority groups are unable to attend a Council day
nursery, approval has been obtained for the Council to contribute towards the fees of a
registered child-minder, private day nursery or playgroup, after taking into account
parental means on the same basis used for determining charges at the Council's nurseries.
Number of day nurseries at 31 December 1969 6
Number of places 341
Number of special unit places 30
Total attendances during 1969 70,072
Total attendances at special units during 1969 3,986
Occasional Creche
Creches for the minding of young children while their mothers take part in centre
activities, attend clinics, visit hospital or attend to shopping and other domestic duties,
are provided at five of the Council's centres, at one voluntary centre and at one church
hall. One additional creche was started in a Council centre during the year but another
was closed and the accommodation made available to the Save the Children Fund to run a
daily playgroup. The charge at the creches is three shillings per session, abatable in
necessitous cases, although no charge is made when the parent attends hospital or a centre
activity. Where two or more children from one family attend, the charge is one shilling
and sixpence for the second and subsequent children.
Number of sessions during 1969 1,109
Total attendances during 1969 17,578
Nurseries and Child Minders Regulation Act 1948
(As amended by the Health Services and Public Health Act, 1968).
Under this Act the Council has a duty to keep registers —
(i) of premises in their area, other than premises used wholly or mainly as private
dwellings, where children are received to be looked after for the day or for a
part or parts thereof of a duration, or an aggregate duration, of two hours or
longer, or for any longer period not exceeding six days;
(ii) of persons in their area who for reward receive into their homes children
under the age of five to be looked after as aforesaid.
The amendments introduced by Section 60 of the 1968 Act considerably extend
the coverage of the Act by including within the requirement to register anyone who minds
children to whom she is not related for reward for at least two hours a c ay. The Act gives
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