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ill, lying-in, an expectant mother, mentally defective, aged, or a child
not over compulsory school age." This general power does provide an
avenue whereby assistance can be given to mothers in the normal day-today
management of households with young children.
Although it is hoped that eventually this facility will become available,
at the present time recruitment to the domestic help service is barely
sufficient to meet the needs of what may be called "emergency cases."
In particular, great demands are made upon the service by households
with chronic sick persons, who are awaiting admission to hospital, and
who oftentimes have to be nursed at home for long periods because of the
general shortage of hospital beds.
Day Nurseries
Mothers are often called upon to undertake commissions, not necessarily
of an emergency nature, which cannot be performed satisfactorily,
or perhaps not be performed at all, if they are obliged to have with them
their young children.
Neighbours, relatives and friends can help very much on these
occasions, but it would be a boon to women if they could occasionally
leave their young children at a Day Nursery so that they could feel free
to do anything they wished by themselves in the knowledge that their
children would be in good hands. I am writing more fully on this matter
in the section dealing with Day Nurseries.
"Sitters-In"
The time when women with young children are perhaps most housebound,
is in the evenings, and it is very desirable that they should have the
opportunity of going out with their husbands on some recreative pursuit,
be it only a weekly visit to the cinema.
The vogue for "sitters-in" has become very popular in America
and I only hope that it will become an established feature of everyday
life in this country.
House Design
Elsewhere in this report will be found reference to the efforts which
are being made to improve the amenities of ordinary homes, particularly
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