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8
The Mothers' and Infants' Welfare Association opened a
new Infant Welfare Centre on the new Addington Estate to meet
the growing number of young families residing thereat. The
need for this Centre was great, and it rapidly became too small,
so that the Association had to obtain larger premises. A new
high level record of attendances was reached; some impression
of the use made by mothers of the Infant Welfare Centres may
perhaps be obtained when it is seen that 80,629 attendances were
made during the year, and of these 3,789 were new cases, 2,692
being under one year of age. The total number of births
recorded in Croydon during 1938 was 3,335; it follows, therefore,
that a high proportion of the babies born are taken by their
mothers to an Infant Welfare Centre at least once during their
first year of life. The average attendance per session over all
the Centres was 84.6, again a record number, and one which
necessitated, at certain of the Centres, the employment of two
Health Visitors in order to deal satisfactorily with the work.
Owing to a modification of the conditions laid down by the
Ministry of Health under which milk could be supplied to
nursing and expectant mothers and to young children, the
amount of wet milk supplied free or at under cost price rose from
173,000 pints in 1937 to 261,000 pints, and the amount of dried
milk from 11,480 packets in 1937 to 14,108 packets in 1938.
Although the Public Health Act, 1936, consolidated public
health law in many respects, it, unfortunately, did nothing to
tighten up and make workable on a satisfactory basis the law
relating to foster children. There are too many loopholes, and
the legal procedure is too cumbersome for really satisfactory
supervision to be maintained. In view of this position particularly
careful attention has been given by the Health Visitors to
this matter.
Sanitary Inspection.
Housing.—The Leighton Street Redevelopment Scheme
reached its final stages and demolition of existing unfit houses in
this area proceeded together with plans for the erection of new
flats on the site. The Wilford and Forster Road Redevelopment
Scheme also went forward, and sanction to deal with the
area as a Redevelopment area was obtained after the usual local
enquiry held by the Ministry of Health. At the same time a start
was made on the inspection of houses in the Upper Norwood
district in order to gather data for the representation of an area,
including Eagle Hill, Crystal Terrace, Naseby Road and Spa