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32
CARE OF THE UNMARRIED MOTHER
The Croydon Association for Moral Welfare continued to act
for the Corporation and received payment on a capitation basis
for cases dealt with by their Social Workers. The Corporation
also paid hostel fees in respect of approved cases for whom such
accommodation was required.
During the year under review-
182 cases were dealt with by the Social Workers;
43 cases were admitted to Mother and Baby Homes;
4 cases were temporarily accommodated at Glazier House
The Croydon Home of the Moral Welfare Association).
The Committee agreed' to meet financial responsibility for
the stay of unmarried mothers in Mother and Baby Homes for a
period of three months except for girls up to 18 years of age,
for whom the period would be extended to cover a total of six
months and such assistance was given in 20 cases. These younger
mothers would normally go to Homes specialising in their care.
Of these younger mothers, their ages at the time they applied
for help were:-
15 years old - 6 cases
16 years old - 8 cases
17 years old - 6 cases
MIDWIFERY
As compared with 1958, 51 more mothers had a home confinement.
Following a minor outbreak of infection in the maternity
wards, the local hospital curtailed bookings. The Corporation
introduced a reduced charge for maternity home helps, which
greatly eased the task of refusing to many mothers a hospital
bed. The practice of early discharge from hospital was also
used whenever overcrowding of maternity wards was threatened and
this was an added factor in increasing the work of the domiciliary
midwifery service.
The appointment of two part-time maternity nurses was of the
greatest assistance in dealing with this aspect of the work and
thus enabling the domiciliary midwives to concentrate on actual
confinements. The year was also unfortunate because of a heavy
incidence of sick leave amongst domiciliary midwives, which in
aggregate was equivalent to the loss of one midwife throughout
the year.