London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
This page requires JavaScript
60
Day nurseries
Day nurseries and occasional creches
During 1953, four day nurseries were closed and two replacement nurseries were
opened. A former play centre was brought into use as a part-time day nursery.
The accommodation provided in the Council s 104 maintained and 6 grant-aided day nurseries at 31st December, 1953, as compared with the previous year when the numbers were 105 and 6, respectively, was:
| Age Group | Maintained | Grant-aided | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-2 years | 2,017 | 2,006 | 50 | 50 | 2,067 | 2,056 |
| 2-5 years | 3,879 | 3,813 | 189 | 189 | 4,068 | 4,002 |
| Total | 5,896 | 5,819 | 239 | 239 | 6,135 | 6,058 |
The priority waiting list for admission to day nurseries was 621 at the end of the
year, as compared with 1,130 at the end of 1952.
The increased charges introduced on 1st January, 1953, for attendance at the day
nurseries, had an immediate effect on occupation, but the position had substantially
improved by the middle of the year. There was, however, still considerable underoccupation,
and the Council decided to amend its scheme of priorities for admission to
day nurseries by the introduction of a third priority. This decision enabled vacancies
not required for children in the first and second priorities to be offered (subject to the
rules governing admission to the nurseries) to parents who were both working and were
unable to make other satisfactory arrangements for the care of their children but whose
income precluded their children qualifying for admission on economic grounds under
the second priority. The standard charge, which is reducible according to the parents'
means, of 4s. Od. a day (2s. Od. a day for the second and subsequent children of the same
parent or parents), was retained but the Council introduced a supplementary charge
to parents whose net income (calculated in accordance with a scale which takes into
account certain outgoings) exceeded a fixed sum. The amount of this supplementary
charge varies according to the parents' income. These decisions came into force on
2nd November, 1953, in respect of children admitted to day nurseries on and after that
date, but were deferred until 4th january, 1954, for children admitted before 2nd November,
1953, to enable the parents' circumstances to be reviewed.
No further general reduction was made in the number of training day nurseries,
and only two day nurseries opened on Saturday mornings.
Facilities were made available for the attendance of speech therapy and educational
psychology students at selected day nurseries.
Occasional
creches
There was a small increase in occasional creche facilities during the year, but no
general expansion took place having regard to the view of the Minister of Health that
the expenditure would be undesirable.
Nurseries and Child-Minders (Regulation) Act, 1948
Private day
nurseries
The number of private day nurseries registered under the Nurseries and Child-Minders
(Regulation) Act, 1948, and the number of places provided, as compared with 1952,
were :
At 31st December
1952
1953
Private day nurseries statutorily registered 63 60
Places provided 1,841 1,795
Child-minders
The number of child-minders, both statutorily and voluntarily registered, as compared with 1952, were as follows:
| At 31st December | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 1953 | |
| Number of child-minders statutorily registered | 96 | 112 |
| Number of children minded | 504 | 638 |
| Number of child-minders voluntarily registered | 794 | 793 |
| Number of children minded | 856 | 854 |