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16
The services of a consulting pediatrician and
hospital provision at the Central Middlesex Hospital
when in the opinion of the consultant the removal of
the child to Hospital is indicated.
The services of a Home Help.
CHILD LIFE PROTECTION:
The group of children for whom the Council have
responsibility are:—
(1) Children maintained for reward and dealt with under
Part VII of the Public Health Act, 19.36.
(2) Children dealt with under Section VII, Adoption of
Children (Regulations) Act, 1939.
All the Health Visitors are nominated as Child Life Protection
Visitors, each Health Visitor being responsible for the
care of the foster children in her area. The scheme operates
under the general supervision of one of the Departmental
Medical Officers who investigates and reports upon each new
case before submission to the Council, and also scrutinises the
Health Visitor's case records and visits in every instance in
which further investigation would appear to be indicated.
22 foster-mothers gave notice of having in their care 36
children; one foster child died during the year. 58 persons
gave notice of their intention to adopt 59 children. Observations
should here be made on a Report of the Care of Children
Committee (Curtis Report) which was appointed in March,
1945, by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the
Minister of Health and the Minister of Education jointly, with
the following terms of reference:—
"To inquire into existing methods of providing for
children who from loss of parents or from any cause
whatever are deprived of a normal home life with
their own parents or relatives; and to consider what
further measures should be taken to ensure that these
children are brought up under conditions best calculated
to compensate them for the lack of parental
care."