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35
CIRCULATION OF BOOKLET ON REARING OF CHILDREN.
The Maternity and Child Welfare services of the district have
been improved in certain respects.
At its meeting in May, 1934, the Maternity and Child Welfare
Committee determined that on every occasion when a notification
of a birth was received, a letter of congratulations to the parents
should be sent and a booklet enclosed, called " To Mothers and
Fathers." This booklet, which consists of some 90 pages, is a complete
guide to the rearing of a child as regards its clothing, its health
and its mental well-being. It contains a chapter for fathers, a
chapter for mothers, and advice concerning diet. The book is
excellent and up to date in every respect, in that it is being completely
revised and kept modern year by year. It is issued under
the auspices of the National Council for Maternity and Child Welfare
Centres, and every page of it has been prepared by experts in
maternity and child welfare.
I am informed that this book has been much appreciated by
the recipients, and has served, not only as a useful guide at the time,
but as a stock book of reference concerning the rearing of children
in the right and proper manner.
I am at present preparing a leaflet which will be enclosed with
this book pointing out the services which the Council is willing to
render to mothers and children whose circumstances are such that
they cannot obtain these services except through the help of the
Council.
HOME HELPS.
The scheme for the provision of Home Helps set out a scale
shewing the charges to be made according to the incomes of those
who desired the benefit of this service. The scale did not include
the provision of a Home Help free of charge, and on every occasion
where it was thought that no charge could rightly be made the case
came up for consideration before the Committee.
In December, 1934, the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee
determined that where the income of the family was 6s. per
head or less, after making various allowances for rent, etc., that a
Home Help should be provided free of charge. This new arrangement
has proved satisfactory.
THE UNBORN CHILD.
In October, 1934, the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee
considered the question of altering the Council's Scales for the
granting of help in order to take into consideration the unborn child.
It was found that certain ante-natal mothers applying for help