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52 Maternity and Child Welfare.
13. A Day Nursery for children whose mothers
have to go out to work.
14. A Hostel for unmarried mothers and their
babies.
The completeness of the scheme is evident from a
study of these two lists and is indicative of the deep
and sympathetic interest which first the Public Health
Committee, and later the Maternity and Child Welfare
Committee, and also the Council, have taken in making
provision for the care of the mother and her child.
Although under some of the heads there is not a great
deal to show, because the year 1919 was in many respects
a year of beginnings, nevertheless signs are not wanting
that greater advantage will be taken in the future of
the facilities offered.
Before considering the scheme in detail it is necessary
to allude to one of the most important improvements
effected during the year. This was the opening in
January of a combined Maternity and Child Welfare
Centre and School Clinic at 13, Mattock Lane. Towards
the end of 1918 a house, standing in its own grounds and
overlooking the Walpole Park, an ideal situation, was
secured on a ten years lease. The road in which it is
situated is practically in the centre of the town readily
accessible from all parts of the Borough and is not
exposed to a great amount of traffic.
The ground floor rooms are devoted to the work of
Maternity and Child Welfare and the first and second
floor to School Clinic work, the whole of the Maternity
and Child Welfare and the School Medical work being
grouped in the one building, an arrangement which
favours the complete co-ordination of the work and the
intimate co-operation of the health visitors and school
nurses. This arrangement has, during the year it has
been in operation, proved an unqualified success.