View report page

Investigation being conducted by Mr. H. J. B. Atkins, Director of the Department
of Surgery, Guy's Hospital, into the health history of female children who have
never received human milk.
Survey of illegitimate children.
The investigation being conducted by Dr. W. F. Dunham, of the Department of
Physical Medicine at Charing Cross Hospital, into the early detection of infantile
cerebral palsy had extended by the end of the year to five of the nine health divisions.
Day nurseries and occasional creches
The Council's policy since 1951 has been to maintain day nursery accommodation Day
substantially at the level at that time but to watch for any indication of redundancy Nursenes
which might occur, despite efforts to secure full occupation within the limits set by the
scheme of priorities for admission.
During 1954 one grant.aided and four maintained day nurseries were closed and
the accommodation was reduced at three others. The loss of places was partly offset
by increasing the accommodation at one maintained nursery by 30 places. The net loss
was 208 places.

The priority waiting list for admission at the end of the year was 916 as compared
with 621 at the end of 1953. This increase was due to the introduction of the third
priority group referred to later.
One training day nursery was closed and one was reduced to non.training status.
The number of training day nurseries at the end of the year was 59 (56 maintained
and 3 grant.aided).
The rules governing eligibility for admission to day nurseries are as follows:—
1. The first priority for admission shall be given equally, subject to the other rules,
to the children (including adopted children) of:—
(husbands are totally disabled or in prison, or unmarried mothers, provided they
are maintaining an independent home and are employed at least 35 hours a week
including meal times ;
(b) parents where the mother is in ill.health and cannot care adequately for the
children, or during the mother's confinement;
(c) parents who are living in housing conditions detrimental to health, or where
other environmental factors are such that it is desirable for the health of the child
that it should be admitted to a day nursery ; and
(d) widowers or where the mother has left the home.
2. The second priority for admission shall be given, subject to the other rules, to
the children of parents where, because the father is unemployed or his earnings are
so low, the mother is compelled to go to work as an economic necessity and is employed
at least 35 hours a week, including meal times, provided the joint net income of the
parents as calculated in accordance with approved rules does not exceed a week.
3. Vacancies not required for children in the first and second priority classes shall
be offered to other children in a third priority class whose parents are both working,
if able to do so (the mother being employed for at least 35 hours a week, including
meal times), and whose joint net income, as calculated in accordance with approved
rules, exceeds £9 a week.
63