London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Dagenham 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Dagenham]
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DAY NURSERIES
DAY NURSERY ATTENDANCES JANUARY—DECEMBER, 1959
| Day Nursery | Number of approved places | Average Daily Attendance | Average No. on Register | Total Attendances | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goresbrook | 70 | 26.2 | 37.5 | 6,693 | ||||||||
| Chadwell Heath | 54 | 46 | 33.3 | 8,497 | ||||||||
| Kingsley Hall | 40 | 19.2 | 13.2 | 3,380 | ||||||||
| TOTALS | 164 | 91.4 | 84 | 18,570 | ||||||||
| Nursery | Widows | Parents Separated | Desertion | Illness of Mother | Illness of Father | Unmarried Mothers | Socioeconomic | Mothers working to supplement income | Total | |||
| Goresbrook | — | 3 | - | 5 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 25 | 44 | |||
| Chadwell Heath | 2 | 2 | - | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 37 | 55 | |||
| Kingsley Hall | 2 | 4 | - | 2 | - | - | 3 | 13 | 24 | |||
| Number of children in all Nurseries 1959 | 4 | 9 | - | 10 | 2 | 9 | 14 | 75 | 123 | |||
On the whole the average daily and total attendances were higher than last year
but, of course, were still much below capacity. The high fees remain a great deterrent
and coupled with this is the difficulty experienced by the mothers in obtaining good jobs.
This has been an increasing problem during 1959 and explains some of the fluctuations
in our numbers. At least one third of the parents receive assistance with their fees;
the remainder find it hard going to pay the full price and countless would-be entrants
find the price prohibitive and make other arrangements for the care of their children.
The need, unfortunately, has not diminished but for large numbers of people the high
price they would have to pay would defeat its own object.
But in spite of this, and moreover, in spite of the obvious economic pressure that
the maintenance of the nurseries causes the authorities, they nevertheless have remained
open. Not only have they remained open (and this is a commendable fact in itself) but
they have remained as efficiently run and as generously equipped as when they were
operating to full capacity.
Both Chadwell Heath and Goresbrook nurseries are recognised training nurseries
for the Nursery Nurses Course, and there seems to be no lack of candidates to restaff
and no lack of trainees.
The few handicapped children have obviously benefited by their stay in the nursery
and continued to make progress throughout the year.
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