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Adoption and boarding out
Children in care who are being considered by the Children's Committee for adoption
or boarding out are given a full examination by a general medical practitioner. These
medical reports are scrutinised by a medical officer of the Public Health department.
Should these reports reveal a medical defect or handicap in the child, or a history of
inheritable illness in the natural parents, the Children's Officer is advised whether the
child is medically fit for adoption or boarding out. In some cases, before the Children's
Officer is given this advice, the prospective adopters are interviewed by the medical officer
and an explanation is given of the implications of the child's defect or illness, or the
probability of inheritance of disease from his parents. A report may be sent in some cases
to the prospective adopters' family doctor. The number of children referred by the
Children's Officer is shown below:
1957 1958 1959 1960 1961
1. Adoption cases:
Suitable for adoption 178 167 228 267 257
Suitable for adoption subject to certain conditions .. 8 2 1 2 32
Unsuitable for adoption but suitable for boarding out 7 17 5 21 13
Withdrawn by Children's Officer 8 3 2 1 9
Under consideration at 31 December 4 1 2 5 4
205 190 238 296 315
2. Boarding out cases:
Suitable for boarding out 310 320 290 447 438
Withdrawn by Children's Officer 7 3 3 6 5
Under consideration at 31 December 5 1 3 7 7
322 324 296 460 450
3. Unsuitable for either adoption or boarding out .. 3 3 1 — 1
TOTAL 530 517 535 756 765
Care of the unmarried mother and her child
Moral welfare associations—Financial assistance is given to the five large moral welfare
associations of the major religious denominations (London Diocesan Council, Southwark
Diocesan Association, Westminster Catholic Social Welfare Committee (Crusade of
Rescue), Southwark Catholic Rescue Society, Jewish Board of Guardians).
1957 1958 1959 1960 1961
Total grants £9,625 £12,531 £13,555 £12,800 £13,250
Number of expectant and nursing mothers advised.. 2,684 2,975 3,005 3,292 3,288

*991 were pregnant on arrival in London.
Nearly one quarter of the total cases helped by the associations are girls from Eire.
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