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7
CHILD LIFE PROTECTION.
At the end of 1946 there were 28 Foster Mothers and 44 Foster Children in Willesden.
There has again been a great scarcity of Foster Mothers throughout the year. Women, even when not otherwise
occupied, are unwilling to undertake the care of children in these difficult times.
ADOPTION OF CHILDREN (REGULATION) ACT, 1939.
This Act came into force on June 1st, 1943. It makes it unlawful for any body of persons to make any
arrangements for the adoption of a child unless that body is a registered adoption society or a local authority.
Adoption Societies have to be registered by the Councils of Counties or County Boroughs, and on September 8th,
1943, the Secretary of State issued the Adoption Societies Regulations, 1943, made under Section 4 of the Act. In
carrying out the obligations placed upon them Adoption Societies make considerable demands on the services of
Local Authorities' Officers.
Section 7 of the Act is the section with which Willesden as the Welfare Authority is concerned. This section
makes it the duty of any person, other than the child's parents or guardian or the person with whom the child is placed,
who participates in the arrangements for the placing of the child, to notify in writing the Welfare Authority of the
area in which the child is to be placed. It is illegal for the adopter or any other person concerned to give or receive
any remuneration or reward. It is the duty of child protection visitors to visit and examine such children and the
premises in which they are kept and further to seek out any children in respect of whom a notice should have been
given. A child may be removed from the person with whom it is placed on the same grounds as a foster child. The
provisions of Section 7 do not apply if the other person participating is a registered Adoption Society or a Local
Authority or when the child is legally adopted or reaches 9 years of age. There are certain other exceptions.
If a child is placed in the care and possession of another person by its parents without any other person in any
way participating in the making of the arrangements it does not come within the provisions of Section 7 of the Act,
and the Health Visitor can then only exercise such supervision as is possible without compulsory power in the course
of her maternity and child welfare work.
14 persons gave notice under Section 7 (3) in 1946 in respect of 18 children. There were 7 children under
supervision at the end of the year.
THE CARE OF ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN.
The Ministry of Health issued Circular 2866 dealing with this matter on October 1st, 1943, and a revised
edition on November 16th, 1943. A report on the subject appeared in Appendix A of the 1944 Annual Health Report.
It is hoped that the premises secured for the stay of mothers and illegitimate children will be ready for occupation
in the near future.
NURSING HOMES.
2 new homes were registered in 1946.
The total number of homes on the register at the end of 1946 was 5, providing accommodation for 4 maternity
patients and 20 other patients.
AGED AND INFIRM PERSONS.
The suitable care of aged and infirm persons was reported on in the 1943 Annual Report. The Domestic
Help Service will shortly be extended to assist the aged and infirm (see below, Domestic Help Report).
SOCIAL PROBLEMS GENERALLY.
This subject was dealt with last year. Progress has been made with the establishment of homes and hostels
as indicated above.
DOMESTIC HELP.
Here again the position remains unchanged and there is still no domestic help available.
In June, 1946, the Ministry of Health issued Circular 110/46 which dealt with the development of adequate
schemes for the provision of Home Helps and Domestic Helps. As the result of the suggestions contained in the
circular, the Council agreed to appoint a full-time paid organiser, who came on duty January, 27th 1947. Since
that date, up to and including March 31st, 1947, 39 persons were helped.
20 were old people and 19 for sickness or other reasons.
THE SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE.
During 1946, 4,596 children were medically inspected at routine inspections and 19,871 at special inspections
and reinspections.