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urged to take the infant to the centre and follow the skilled advice given there.
The visitors are instructed to watch such cases with a view to seeing that the
treatment is carried out. Whenever a visitor is doubtful as to the progress of an
infant the matter is reported with a view to an inspection being made by one of the
Council's medical officers. This practice has worked very satisfactorily and has
been of great assistance to the visitors.
A nurse infant ceases to be under this part of the Act at the age of seven years,
but as the child usually attends school from the age of 5 years it has from that age
the additional advantage of supervision by the school medical service.
The number of deaths of nurse infants during 1926 was 26, as compared with
38 last year, while inquests were held in 9 cases, as compared with 16 in 1925. The
verdict in 6 cases was death from natural causes, and in 3 cases accidental death.
Adoption of
Children
Act.
In past reports reference has been made to the question of adoption of infants.
A committee was appointed by the Home Secretary to examine the problem of
child adoption from the point of view of possible legislation, and at the request of
that committee evidence was submitted on behalf of the Council. The Committee
issued reports of its findings and a draft Bill to give effect to them.
This Bill passed its final stages in 1926 and came into force on 1st January,
1927.
It provides that infants (under the age of 21) who have never been married may
be legally adopted, the parents relinquishing all rights and responsibilities, which
are thereupon assumed by the adopters. The courts authorised to deal with applications
under the Act are the High Court, or at the option of the applicant, and subject
to rules which may be made by the Lord Chancellor, any county court or court of
summary jurisdiction within the jurisdiction of which either the applicant or infant
resides.
Upon any application for an adoption order, the court may postpone the determination
of the application, and may make an interim order (which is not an adoption
order) giving the applicant custody of the infant for a period not exceeding
two years by way of a probationary period. Section 8 (3) of the Act reads as
follows:—
For the purpose of any application under this Act and subject to any rules
under this section, the court shall appoint some person or body to act as guardian
ad litem of the infant upon the hearing of the application with the duty of
safeguarding the interests of the infant before the court, and where the body so
appointed is a local authority the court may authorise the authority to incur any
necessary expenditure, and may direct out of which fund or rate such expenditure
is to be defrayed, but nothing in this section shall be deemed to authorise
the court to appoint a local authority to act as guardian ad litem of an infant
except with the consent of that authority.
The concluding words, necessitating the consent of an authority to its being
made guardian ad litem, were included at the suggestion of the Council.
Mental Deficiency Act, 1913.
On the 31st December, 1926, of the 4,390 cases being dealt with at the expense
of the Council there were—In institutions, 2,469; under guardianship, 41; under
supervision, 1,856; in places of safety waiting other action, 24. There remain
3,669 out of the total number 8,059 of cases of alleged mental defect, of which
notice has been received since the Act came into operation. These cases include
447 in which no action could be taken; 1,528 ascertained not defective, not subject
or not to be London cases; 579 dealt with through the Poor Law; 969 removed from
the register (died, discharged or removed to mental hospitals or state institutions)