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The number of foster-mothers decreased by 8 during the year.
Complaints have been few but any which have arisen have been
minutely investigated. Conditions are occasionally found which
are not satisfactory, and there are two or three foster-mothers who do
not appear to appreciate to the full their responsibilities. The chief
difficulties encountered are (a) the action of some foster-mothers
in adopting children, or taking a child's mother into her house and
so evading the Act; (b) a tendency for foster-mothers to try and
look after too many children with insufficient help; (c) where a
foster-mother has children of her own to ignore these in her statements
as to the number of foster-children she can look after.
Unfortunately the law relating to foster-children allows of
many loopholes and it cannot be said that it gives adequate powers
to local authorities either in their supervision of the children, or
in any proceedings which can be taken against foster-mothers. The
Act does not require foster-mothers to be registered with the local
authority, and from time to time persons are found by the health
visitors having the care of children for gain who have never notified
the fact to the local authority as is required by the Act. Ignorance
is always pleaded as the excuse. Again it would seem that ah
foster-children are taken under emergency action because it is the
exception rather than the rule to receive the 7 days notice required
under the Children Act, 1932; 48 hours or less, or even after the
reception of the child, is the most usual intimation.
The Health Visitors paid 2,400 visits to foster-mothers for the
purposes of supervision.