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Nurseries and Child-Minders Regulation Act, 1948
The number of private day nurseries registered under the Act and the number of places
provided, as compared with 1955, were:
At 31st December
1955 1956
Private day nurseries statutorily registered
56 58
Places provided 1,640 1,646
The number of child-minders, both statutorily and voluntarily registered, as compared
with 1955 was:
At 31st December
1955 1956
Child-minders statutorily registered 106 102
Children minded 649 611
Child-minders voluntarily registered 743 777
Children minded 851 886
Child-minders who, for reward, look after more than two children—other than
relatives—under the age of five years from different households are required to register
under the Act. Those who are not required to register under the Act are encouraged to
register voluntarily and they receive a small weekly payment in return for which they
accept supervision by the Council and allow their homes to be inspected.
Medical
supervision
Residential establishments for young children
The Medical Officer of Health advises the Children's Officer on the health and hygiene
of children in London County Council residential establishments. A visiting medical
officer is appointed to each nursery to carry out routine medical examinations and
immunisation. Children and staff are taken on his list for general medical services. On
appointment all staff in the nurseries have an X-ray of the chest which is repeated
annually in most instances.
A consultant psychiatrist visits the residential nurseries to give guidance to the staff
on the mental health of the children. She advises on individual children showing signs of
emotional disturbance. Those children who require psychiatric treatment are referred
to the local child guidance clinic.
No serious outbreaks of infectious disease occurred in the nurseries although small
numbers of children developed measles, Sonne dysentery and winter vomiting during
the periods in which these infections were prevalent in the general population.
There was a mild outbreak of food poisoning at one nursery, which affected
38 children and 12 members of the staff. The cause was Cl.Welchii which was found in
minced meat which had been reheated for dinner.
Central medical staff visit private residential nurseries where children are placed by
the Children's Officer. Arrangements are being completed for routine medical examinations
of children by a visiting medical officer and staff are encouraged to accept annual
X-ray examination.
Adoption and
boarding-out
Children who are to be boarded out, with or without a view to adoption are
medically examined by the visiting medical officer or family doctor. Prospective
adopters may be interviewed by a medical officer where the family background or
medical history may require special consideration before a child can be placed satisfactorily.
Advice is also given, if requested, on the suitability on medical grounds of
prospective adopters to adopt a child.
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