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60
With reference to the remarks at the foot of page 71 of the
report for 1933, regarding the appointment of a Consultant to be
called in obstetric emergency, arrangements have been made to
meet this demand in 1935, and will be fully described in the report
for that year.
Foster Children.
The following tables show the number of foster children and
foster mothers in the district:—
Foster Children.
Number on register, December 31st, 1933 42
Number added to register 27
Number deducted owing to refusal, removal, deaths,
or reaching age of nine 33
Number on register, 31 st December, 1934 36
Foster Mothers.
Number on register, 31st December, 1933 37
Number of additions during year 13
Number taken off during year 16
Number on register, 31st December, 1934 34
Those who desire to be registered as foster mothers, on
making application to the Authority (the Dagenham Urban District
Council), receive a visit by a Health Visitor and Sanitary Inspector.
A full examination is made of the conditions obtaining in the home
and a report on the prospective foster mother is made by the
Health Visitor; further, if the foster mother should have recently
moved into the district and previously acted in this capacity, a
report is obtained from the Medical Officer of Health of the district
in which she formerly lived. It will be seen that every effort is
made to maintain a high standard of foster parent. According to
the existing law, when application is made for registration in the
case of the first child, the Local Authority has no power to refuse
except under certain specified conditions. If, however, it is
subsequently considered that the environment of the foster
mother may be prejudicial to the child, the procedure is to obtain
an order from the Court of Petty Sessions to prohibit the foster
mother from continuing to act as such. It is also competent for
the Authority to fix the maximum number of children which may
taken for reward by a foster mother. Unless there are special
circumstances attending the case, this number is fixed at on