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16-1-37—M.K. died in the Willesden Municipal Hospital, the cause of death being certified
as gastro-enteritis.
In this case there was difficulty in finding a suitable foster mother within reach of the child's
mother and the child of four months' old was looked after by three different foster mothers within a
week, one of whom did not want a foster child and only took it temporarily to oblige the mother.
Example 3.—Four changes in six months.
P.Q., born 22-4—38, was received by Mrs. M. 29-5-38. The child remained with her for two
months. The Council refused to grant Mrs. M. a licence and the child was then received by Mrs. D.
He remained there for one week only. Mrs. D. did not want the care of a young baby and also she
had the chance of taking another foster child whose mother could pay more money. The child was
then received by Mrs. H. who kept the child for four months. During that period the payments
were few and very irregular. The child had scarcely any clothes. Mr. H. lost his work and was
on unemployment insurance. Mrs. H. tried to get the foster child removed. She sent letters to
the mother but these were returned address unknown. Mrs. H. applied to the Public Assistance
Officer for the removal of the child as being deserted. She had to keep the child another week before
he was removed to the Central Middlesex County Hospital. This baby had five different homes
in six months.
Example 4.—Four changes in four months.
P.G. was born 30-12-37 in the Central Middlesex County Hospital. Mother and child had
to remain in the Central Middlesex County Hospital for two months because the mother had nowhere
to go. Eventually she persuaded a friend to give her a room and to fetch her from the hospital.
The baby was taken to Mrs. R. She was a small, delicate child. The first 12s. 6d. was paid in
advance but the mother could not produce the second payment so the baby was handed back to her.
The mother was working and could not look after the child. She applied to the Child Protection
Visitor for the address of another foster mother and she was given Mrs. W. The Child Protection
Visitor also advised her to apply to the Crusade of Rescue for help. This was the girl's second child.
The Crusade of Rescue had taken the first child. Mrs. W. took the child on a promise of payment
but only kept her for one week. The child was then taken to Mrs. C. The Crusade of Rescue had
taken the case over and paid Mrs. C. The child remained with Mrs. C. for two months and was then
taken into one of the Crusade of Rescue Homes. This child had five different homes in four months.
Example 5.—Nine changes in four years.
M.W., born 8-2-35, a pale, nervous child with dirty habits, was moved on nine different
occasions because the mother did not keep up her payments. The child had scarcely any
clothes and what he did have had been given by the various foster mothers. On two occasions
the foster mother had been unable to trace the mother and had taken the child back to his aunt.
The aunt is poor and has several children of her own. The mother was found and made to remove
her child, by the husband of the aunt. The Rescue Worker has had a great deal of trouble with
the mother. She is said to have been living with various men. The last that was heard of the
child was that he was with his mother in the King's Cross area.
Example 6.—Mother a nuisance to foster mother.
L.G., born 29-7-30, had seven different homes in a year. The mother paid regularly but
when she went to see her child once a week she gave him sweets and cakes and kept him out late at
night with the result that the child was sick and ill practically every time he went out with his mother.
The boy was rude and difficult to manage. The foster mothers would not be bothered with him.
He has been with the present foster mother for two years and appears to be happy and has made
good progress in general health and at school. The present foster mother believes in discipline and
is capable of exacting it. If the mother kept the boy out late one week she refused to allow her into
the house the next week. The mother now co-operates with the foster mother.
Fees.
The Child Life Protection law takes no notice of fees. They are a matter of arrangement
between the mother and the foster mother and no responsibility of the welfare authority.
The fees paid for foster children in Willesden are generally 12s. or 12s. 6d. a week. They are
sometimes as low as 5s. a week and only very occasionally as much as £1 a week.
Frequently the payments are irregular and not infrequently they lapse altogether. Sometimes
they never materialise at all.
There is nothing the foster mother can do in such cases but
(1) Give the child back to its mother ;
(2) Get the child taken by the Public Assistance Department;
(3) Keep the child for nothing.
(1) Give the child back to its mother.
This is not always easy and seldom satisfactory for the child.