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6. DAY CARE OF CHILDREN
Pre-school Playgroups
A young child's ideal environment might appear easy to attain, but in practice
it is often not so. It consists of two loving parents, a home with indoor and outdoor
play space, companions of the child's own age and play materials. Pre-school
playgroups make an important contribution to the social education of children,
particularly when the circumstances of modern living make one or more of these
desirables unobtainable. It is important to recognise that they are not organised to
allow mothers to go out to work, and indeed, the hours at which most operate (9.30
to 12 noon) would not allow but for the briefest period of employment. Unfortunately
at present they tend to be for the children of enlightened parents, and there does
seem need for greater facilities. The Council is involved in the subject of playgroups
in two ways. Firstly, the Council requires pre-school playgroups to register as private
day nurseries and as such they are inspected under the provision of the Nurseries
and Childminders Regulation Act, 1948, with the object of safeguarding the health
and welfare of the children. Secondly, the Council has decided that such groups
should be encouraged, and therefore, subject to adherence to the Council's Code of
Practice, playgroups in the Borough are eligible to receive financial assistance. At
the end of the year there were 21 playgroups in the Borough which included 6 which
were registered for the first time during the year. Of these 6 were in receipt of a
Council grant.
Child Minders
In the not uncommon circumstances today of both parents working the problem
of the care of the children is solved in a variety of ways. An au pair girl may be
employed, a grandmother may care for the children, or a neighbour may help.
Alternatively, children may be placed with a registered child minder, and it is in
this circumstance that the Council is concerned. A child minder is defined as a
person who receives into her home for reward three or more children of whom she is
not a relative from more than one household for a substantial part of the day or for
any longer period not exceeding six days. Under the provisions of the Nurseries and
Child Minders Regulation Act, 1948, such a person is required to be registered by
the Council. On receipt of an application to be a child minder an inspection is made
to determine whether the premises are satisfactory, and those looking after the
children are fit and proper persons. If registration is agreed then further inspections
are carried out at regular intervals.
At the end of the year there were 11 registered childminders in the Borough,
which included 4 who were registered for the first time during the year.
There are certain aspects of child minding which give cause for concern:-
1. Registration is only required by the regulations if more than two
children not from the same household are minded. There would seem to
be need for legislation requiring registration without any conditions if
a child is minded for reward.
2. Minders may fail to notify the Authorities, and parents are not, in general,
particularly concerned whether the minders are complying with the law.
Illegal child minding is often detected if the health visitor is already
visiting the house to see the minder's own children. If this is not the
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