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Example 12.—Medical attention.
R.C.S., aged 2 years, the illegitimate child of a married woman, was placed in the care of a
foster mother, Mrs. P. The mother got into arrears with her payments. This child had an accident
when in the care of the foster mother. He was left in the bathroom with the foster mother's own
child for a few minutes. During the period the foster child climbed up the side of the bath and fell
into half a bathful of water. When the foster mother returned she found the child in the bath with
his head under the water. The child was unconscious, the foster mother partially revived him and
although the child appeared to be still very ill she did not send for a doctor. The child appeared to be
worse at night and the foster mother had said to her husband : " If this child isn't better I shall
have to call a doctor in the morning." The child was found dead in bed next morning. The
post-mortem revealed that the child's death was due to meningeal haemorrhage which could have
been caused through falling into the bath.
The foster mother's reason for not sending for a doctor was that she did not want to have a
doctor's bill if it could be avoided because the mother was already in arrears with her payments and
she herself would have to pay the doctor. The woman did not think that the foster child's fall
was serious.
This case would suggest that it is desirable that a foster mother should be able in an
emergency to call in the Public Assistance doctor without the procedure of having to go to the
Public Assistance Officer.
The Mother's Difficulties.
The majority of foster children are illegitimate. Their mothers are frequently in employment
and may work up to a month before confinement. During this last month when they are not
employed they must keep themselves and make some provision for the child.
They are generally confined in hospital.
At the end of ten days or a fortnight they are discharged.
They have no money left.
They have nowhere to go.
They are handicapped by the child.
It is important that they get work at once.
What often happens seems to be that such a mother finds some woman who perhaps out of
kindness or perhaps in hope of money later on, takes the child whilst the mother searches for work.
The child may be well cared for or not, but in any case the mother probably in the circumstances does
not enquire too closely. She is glad to get anybody to take the child. If she gets work and pays
the woman it may be that the child stays on for a time but if the payments are small and irregular
the child may be passed from one woman to another, finding no stability in life at all.
Mothers do not know how to find foster mothers for their children.
Further, for the most part they have not the knowledge or experience or the incentive to judge
as to the suitability of possible foster mothers.
The law does not help mothers out of their difficulties.
The law does not make it the duty of a welfare authority to find or recommend foster mothers.
Example 13.—The mother's difficulties.
On 17th February, 1937, Miss H. called at the Municipal Health Centre to ask for the names
and addresses of foster mothers with vacancies.
Miss H. said her child was born in Kingston and was now three weeks old. She came to
Willesden to be near a sister who was in service and took a room in Hampstead whilst looking for a
situation. She placed her child with a foster mother in Paddington. She had not been able to pay
12s. 6d. in advance as required because she was without money but had promised to pay with her
first week's earnings. She had obtained a situation to go to on 18th February, 1937, but on 16th
February, 1937, the foster mother brought the child back to her, stating that the Paddington
Authorities would not allow her to keep it.
Miss H. said she owed a week's rent for her room, she was now penniless and had no money
to buy food for the child and had only had a cup of tea that day. She could not go to work unless
she could find a foster mother. There was no foster mothers in Willesden with vacancies. Miss H.
was therefore urged to go at once to the Hampstead Relieving Officer.
It was subsequently ascertained that she did this and that the Hampstead Relieving Officer
telephoned to a Rescue Worker who found a temporary foster mother and later a permanent one in
Wembley. The mother was thus enabled to go into her situation on 18th February, 1937.