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67
THE EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT
for the
Year ending 31st December, 1937,
on
CHILD LIFE PROTECTION.
The arrangements made by the Council for discharging their duties in connection with Child
Life Protection were dealt with in the 1930 Annual Health Report. The Health Visitors have been
appointed Child Protection Visitors. The Council fix the number of children to be kept by each
foster mother. They consider cases where there appears to be any contravention of the law or where
the foster mother or foster home appears unsuitable. They draw the attention of the public to the
requirements of the law from time to time by means of posters, handbills and advertisements in the
local press and arrange for the advertisements in the local press to be scrutinized for anyone enquiring
for or offering homes for children for reward or adoption. A report on Infant Life Protection appeared
as Appendix G in 1931, and a memorandum on Child Life Protection appears as Appendix H in 1937.
The provisions of the Children & Young Persons Act, 1932, relating to Child Life Protection,
came into operation on 1st January, 1933. These provisions amended Part 1 of the Children Act,
1908. The principal amendments were as set out in the 1933 Annual Health Report, page 61.
On October 1st, 1937, the Public Health Act, 1936, came into operation and Part I of the
Children Act, 1908, and the Children and Young Persons Act, 1932, were repealed.
The 1936 Act is a consolidating Act with certain amendments.
The principal amendments introduced are as follows :—
1. Infant Life Protection now becomes Child Life Protection.
2. The word " foster child " is introduced in the law for the first time.
3. The authority administering the Child Life Protection Law is called the Welfare Authority.
4. Emergency notices of reception may now be given within 24 hours instead of within 12
hours of reception.
5. The manner in which notices are to be given is omitted in the 1936 Act and is governed by
Section 286 of the Local Government Act, 1933.
6. The 1936 Act makes it clear that the Welfare Authority have power to grant a certificate of
exemption from the provisions of the Child Life Protection Part of the Act to a boarding
school—a point which previously had been in some doubt.
7. Hitherto Voluntary Homes were exempted as a whole from the Infant Life Protection Law,
but under the 1936 Act it becomes necessary for the authorities of such homes to apply to
the Welfare Authority for a certificate of exemption if they desire to be exempted.
8. Provision is made that the part of the Act relating to Child Life Protection shall not apply
to any person who undertakes the nursing or maintenance of a child under any act for the
relief of the poor or any order made under the Act or undertakes the nursing and maintenance
of a child boarded out under sub-section (3) of Section 84 of the Children and Young
Persons Act, 1933.
9. Provision is made enabling the Welfare Authority to exempt persons who take children for
short holidays from bona fide charitable institutions from giving notices in respect of each
individual child but notice must still be given in respect of the first child received in each
year. All the children however are to be considered as foster children.
10. The prohibition of anonymous advertisements offering to undertake the care of children
under 9 years of age is extended to include all children and not only children under 9 years
of age.
11. A new power of defraying the expenses of maintenance of a child in a place of safety is
conferred on the Welfare Authority.
Two foster children died during the year. The cause of death in one case was certified as
broncho-pneumonia and prematurity. There was no post mortem and no inquest in this case. In the
other case there was a post mortem and an inquest and the cause of death was certified as concussion
through fall on head—accidental. In addition, seven children died in hospital within a few hours to
17 days of admission to hospital from foster homes. The causes of death were certified as :—4 GastroEnteritis
; 1 Marasmus, 1 Bronchitis and Enteritis, 1 Broncho-pneumonia.
The Council decided not to grant exemption from the child life protection provisions of the
Public Health Act 1936, to voluntary homes.