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Eye Defects and Treatment.
Arrangements were made during the year 1938 whereby children
suffering from eye defects could be referred by appointment to special
sessions for young children held at the Surrey County Council's Clinic in
Whytecliffe Road, Purley, and these facilities have continued throughout
the war years.
In 1946 appointments were made for 16 children to attend, which is
more than the average number referred annually since the inception of
the scheme.
Dental Treatment.
The number of ante-natal and nursing mothers and children under
5 years of age who received dental treatment from the panel of private
dental surgeons under the Council's Scheme increased to 121 in 1946 as
compared with 47 in 1945. This was partly due to the reduced scale of
charges in respect of children which the Council decided to adopt in 1945.
Day Nurseries.
The local Day Nurseries underwent very considerable changes during
1946. When the year commenced there was still accommodation for
approximately 200 children in the 2 Voluntary Nurseries at Purley and
Coulsdon and the 3 Wartime Day Nurseries at Selsdon, Purley and Old
Coulsdon. The nett cost of the latter was being met entirely by the
Government, and while the local Council was heavily subsidising the cost
of the 2 Voluntary Nurseries, whose expenses had increased but whose
incomes had dropped both very appreciably, a good proportion of these
subsidies was also being met by the Government.
When in December, 1945, the Government decided to reduce its
grants on wartime nurseries from 100 per cent. to 45 per cent. there was
a natural desire on the part of the Council to reduce the local expenditure
on nurseries. Insofar as these were helping the adjoining Districts of
Croydon and Caterham it was reasonable to request both the former,
and the County Council on behalf of the latter, to meet the cost of their
children attending the local Nurseries, which requests were acceded to.
Upon an analysis being made of the position of local residents then
using the nurseries and those on the waiting lists (all the nurseries were
full with waiting lists, except Selsdon, which had up to about 50 children
utilising its 60 places) it was considered that the Council would be fulfilling
its obligations as a child welfare authority by providing a minimum
of 60 places primarily for the following groups:—(1) children from birth
to 2 or 3 years of age whose parents needed to work to exist; (2) children
of 2 to 5 years whose parents similarly needed to work and whose needs
would not be met by nursery school facilities and (3) children needing
admission for health reasons.
To achieve this reduction in local responsibility and expense (1) the
County Council, as the Education Authority, was approached and it was
• agreed to divide the accommodation as between nurseries and nursery
schools, on the understanding that the latter would be open for the same
hours and under the same conditions as the nurseries, and (2) the charges
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