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59
Care of Illegitimate Children.
A block grant of £217 was paid to the Standing Joint Committee in respect of five
voluntary societies who make arrangements for the care of the unmarried mother and her
child. In no case was the Council asked to make a contribution towards the cost of caring for
an illegitimate child placed with a foster mother in the district.
Child Guidance.
An arrangement was made during the year with the Great Ormond Street Hospital,
for children recommended by the Council to receive treatment at the hospital's child guidance
clinic.
Foot Clinics.
Clinics for chiropody treatment were provided, starting in August, at Somers Town and
South Highgate Welfare centres.
Treatment is limited to children and expectant and nursing mothers, and as a result
attendances have been low. Application has been made to the Ministry of Health for permission
to extend the service to all female residents of the borough.
Day Nurseries.
There are seven day nurseries in the Borough, controlled by the Council, as follows:—
Day Nursery Accommodation
Margaret Day Nursery, 42, Phoenix Road, N.W.1 70
254-256, Camden Road, N.W.1 85
Coram Gardens Day Nursery, 40, Brunswick Square, W.C.1 54
108, Hampstead Road, N.W.1 80
Kentish Town Day Nursery, 27, Gospel Oak Grove, N.W.5 55
*Peckwater Street Day Nursery, Kentish Town, N.W.5 70
South Highgate Day Nursery, Chester Road, N.19 45
Regent's Park Day Nursery, 4, Prince Albert Road, N.W.1 52
* This nursery was closed down in May.
Priority for the admission of a child to a day nursery is generally granted when the mother
is the sole or main wage earner of the family, such as a widow, divorced or deserted mother,
or where there is a husband who through sickness is unable to support his family.
Semi-priority is granted to mothers who are State Registered Nurses wishing to do
hospital work.
All priority applications must be supported by Health Visitors' reports, and no child
is admitted to a nursery under the priority scheme unless such a report has been obtained.
When vacancies at a particular nursery are not expected for a considerable time, priority
cases may be offered places at other nurseries where vacancies exist, provided the alternative
nursery is reasonably near to the child's home. Mothers who accept these vacancies are later
given the opportunity of transferring the child to the nursery originally applied for, if they so
wish.
Children on the ordinary waiting list are offered vacancies at a nursery only when there
are no priority cases in their particular age group on the waiting list for that or a nearby nursery.
In actual practice such children are not often admitted.