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Preliminary consideration has also been given during the year to the changing
needs of these girls. A few years ago it was the exception for an unmarried mother to
be allowed to remain within her family circle to have her baby at home, and the
health department's problem was to provide short term accommodation for large
numbers homeless for this reason. The picture today has changed. It is much more
common for an unmarried mother to continue to live with her parents and therefore
although often requiring support from a medical social worker, she is not in need of
residential accommodation. There still remain however a smaller number of mothers
who are on their own, and in today's housing shortage their plight would be very
great but for the mother and baby home. The old pattern of admission six weeks before
confinement and discharge six weeks afterwaras does not however, meet their need.
I feel that we should aim to provide such a mother with accommodation until she has
succeeded in finding employment, has made arrangements for her baby, and obtained
really suitable accommodation of her own. This process of rehabilitation takes much
longer than the customary six weeks after delivery and future plans must acknowledge
this fact. In addition, the dormitory type of accommodation at present provided
appears to be inappropriate and a hindrance to rehabilitation. Consideration is therefore
being given to the possibility of providing more bedsitting-rooms. During the
year 114 mothers were accommodated in the home, and 53 of these were resident in
the borough.
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