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68
THE NINTH ANNUAL REPORT
for the
Year ending 31st December, 1938,
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Children Act, 1908, and the Children and Young Persons Act, 1932, were repealed.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 were set out in the 1937 Annual Health Report, page 67.
The Council do not grant exemption from the child life protection provisions of the Public
Health Act, 1936, to voluntary homes.
Two foster children died during the year. The cause of death in one case was certified as
" Meningeal haemorrhage due to injury to his head caused by accidentally falling in a bath." There
was a post mortem and an inquest in this case. In the other case there was a post mortem but no
inquest and the cause of death was certified as " Patient regurgitated contents of stomach, inhaled
some of this and suffocated." In addition, one child died in hospital within a few hours of admission
to hospital from a Babies' Home. The cause of death was certified as due to Marasmus and
Malnutrition.

J In addition 15 mothers took foster children for short periods in most cases during the confinement of the
mother, but did not wish to become registered foster mothers.
* In these 16 cases the licences were re-issued in respect of new premises.
The actual number of new individual Foster Children who came under observation was 240.
Removed from observation—
Number given up 217
„ reached the age of 9 years 13
„ died 2
„ legally adopted 3‡
„ ceased to be taken for gain or taken over by Public Assistance
Committee 2
„ left Willesden with their Foster Mothers 6
Total 243