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patience and adaptability is required to gain a child's confidence. Often
every approach is resisted at first and then when the toddler's cooperation
is finally won it is almost as difficult to persuade him to
leave.
Many children are found to become bored and difficult especially
in their fourth year when their brothers and sisters are all at school
and there is insufficient playing space at home. Many of them
would benefit from admission to nursery schools or nursery classes
but these are in such short supply that there are long waiting lists
for entry. Usually the foresighted parents who get their children's
names on to waiting lists early are not the ones in the most need
and it happens that a child before reaching compulsory school age
urgently requires to spend some part of the day in school and no
place can be found for him.
The teeth are always examined and it is not infrequent to find
that dental caries appears in two to three year olds. Cases are
referred for dental treatment and advice is given on teeth-cleaning
and the dangers of too much sweet eating together with the importance
of conserving the teeth in early life. Much time is also spent on
children's feet. Where definite abnormality exists referral is made
for orthopaedic advice but more often there is discussion on suitable
shoes and shoe-fitting.
Daily Guardian Scheme
There has been an increase in the number of children minded
by the day under this scheme as can be seen from the following
table
Number of Daily Guardians on register 197
Number of Daily Guardians minding Children 111
Number of Children being minded 141
Total number of Children minded during the year 297
Total number of days minded 29,128
The number of women who offer their services has always
exceeded the demand. The scheme is in operation for those working
mothers who ask for assistance in finding suitable daily minders
for their children. It has proved to be a very useful service for
those who do not qualify for day nursery admission. There are
proper safeguards including the selection, registration and visiting of
daily guardians by health visitors. The cost of payments made
to daily guardians by the County Council is based on one shilling
per day per child for each working day on which the child is minded.
Parents make their own arrangements direct with the daily guardian
for payment in excess of this. Amounts charged vary considerably
throughout the Area as do the services provided.
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