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66
Special Unit
The special unit at Summerley day nursery, which provides
places for up to six children who show signs of being mentally
handicapped, continues to provide a very valuable service. The
training and care given to these children helps them to make maximum
progress before a decision has to be made concerning their
future educational needs. The admission of one or two children
who are severely subnormal and almost helpless has enabled the
mothers to keep these children at home at least for a time.
Private day nurseries and child-minders
During the year there has been a considerable increase in the
number of private day nurseries and pre-school playgroups registered.
These registrations have made a considerable amount
of work for a Senior Medical Officer and the Deputy Principal
Nursing Officer. Every effort has been made to give help and
encouragement to organizations and individuals wishing to open
a day nursery or playgroup. In addition, there has been a steady
flow of applications for registration as child-minders. At the end
of the year there were 52 private day nurseries (which include parttime
playgroups) with places for 1,249 children and 50 registered
child-minders with places for 265 children. These last two figures
are, however, only a small proportion of the actual numbers of
minders and children concerned.
On 1st November, 1968, the Health Services and Public Health
Act came into force and voluntary registration ceased from that
date. There were then between 500 and 600 known minders who
became immediately liable to seek registration. These minders
have only one or two children and many of them are well known
to the health visitors and will be registered in due course. All
minders seeking registration will have to be visited by a senior
nursing officer, and it will take many months before this work can
be completed. In the meantime, new applications continue to
come in as the new regulations receive greater publicity.
All minders and nurseries are visited regularly by the Council's
medical or health visiting staff and advice is given on child care,
including the play needs of children, and general health supervision.
Consideration may have to be given later on to the setting-up of
training courses for private nursery staff and child-minders.
Adoption and boarding-out
Medical advice is sought by the Children's Officer whenever a
child in care is being considered for adoption or boarding-out.
During the year seven cases were agreed to be suitable for adoption
and twelve were found suitable for boarding-out. In addition,
medical advice was sought in respect of 41 prospective adopters.