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The clinic services commenced in Romford in 1917 with one
Child Welfare Session per week held at the Public Baths. This
remained the only centre until 1932, when additional sessions were
commenced at Church Halls at Collier Row, and Princes Road.
At the present time, apart from other clinic services, 13 Child
Welfare Sessions are held weekly and one monthly at nine clinics.
Attendances at the Child Welfare Clinics in 1964 were as
follows:—
Number of children born in 1964 who attended 1,518
Total number of children who attended 3,899
Total attendances 24,183
The 1,518 children born in 1964 who attended the clinics during
the year represent approximately 88 per cent. of the total number
of children born, after allowing for the fact that mothers of
babies born in the last two weeks of the year could scarcely have
had an opportunity of taking their babies to a clinic before the
end of the year.
Distribution of Welfare Foods. Distribution of Welfare
Foods was continued from all Child Welfare Clinics and from the
7 shops undertaking distribution on a voluntary basis.
The following are details of the number of items distributed
during the year with those of 1963 for comparison.
1964 1963
National Dried Milk 28,316 32,747
Cod Liver Oil 2,719 3,000
Vitamin Tablets (A and D) 2,800 3,296
Orange Juice 36,358 35,396
Day Nurseries. The three Day Nurseries in the Borough were
opened during the war years to enable mothers of young children
to help the war effort by going to work. The Western Road Nursery
was opened in 1942, followed by Collier Row and Rush Green
Nurseries in 1943. The latter two are of war-time construction
and are now nearing the end of their useful life. A replacement
for the Collier Row Nursery is now being built and should be
completed in mid-1965. A new Day Nursery at Rush Green to
replace the existing one is included in the ten year development
plan for 1965-66.
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