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DAY NURSERIES
There are four non-residential day nurseries in the borough operated by the Council,
providing places for a maximum of 210 children under 5 years of age. In one of the
nurseries there is a special unit for the care of mentally handicapped infants for whom
transport is provided. The aim of this service is to provide relief for the parents,
particularly the mother rather than to afford her the opportunity of going out to work.
Two of the day nurseries are classified as training nurseries and provide practical
training facilities for student nursery nurses undertaking courses for the examination
of the Nursery Nurses' Examination Board.
In addition the Council has a claim on 25 places at a voluntary day nursery in
respect of which an annual grant is made to the voluntary body concerned. The Council's
nurseries are staffed by 74 persons, which include matrons and nursing and domestic staff.
Children are admitted to the nurseries in the following circumstances:
First priority is given to cases where the mother is in ill-health and cannot
adequately care for the children, or during a mother's confinement; where living conditions
are detrimental to health or where it is considered desirable for the health of the
child that it should be admitted to a nursery; where mothers are required to work because
they are widows, unmarried, separated or divorced, or whose husbands are totally disabled
or in prison, provided the mother works at least 35 hours a week.
In addition there are the second and third priority categories, for children whose
mothers are compelled to go to work as an economic necessity, and where vacancies are not
required in the other priority classes, for children whose parents are both working,
provided that the mother is employed 35 hours a week.
Private day nurseries, of which there are six in the borough (maximum capacity 135
children), are subject to registration and inspection by the Council under the provisions
of the Nurseries and Child Minders Regulation Act 1948. Two additional nurseries were
registered during the year providing accommodation for 45 children. (Statistics on
page 105 ).
CHILD MINDERS
Anyone looking after more than two children for payment for a fair part of the day
must register with the Council under the provisions of the Nurseries and Child Minders
Regulation Act 1948. There is also a system of voluntary registration of persons caring
for less than three children. Lists of child-minders and day nurseries are available on
application to the Health Department. At the end of the year there were six statutory
and 52 voluntary child-minders.
36.