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20
Welfare Centres.
At the end of the year six welfare sessions were in operation
weekly. Much valuable help continues to be given freely
by the voluntary workers at the Centres.

These figures show a general increase over the previous
year's figures. 776 infants under one year attended at the
Centres for the first time during the year, and 210 first attendances
over one year of age were made.
At the end of the year there were 892 under one year of age
and 1,181 over one year of age who had attended at the centres
during the year. The 4,096 babies on the centres' registers is a
gross total figure of enrolments up to school entrant age, made
up of regular attenders, irregular attenders and children who
when on the verge of attending school rarely attend centres.
The figure is subject to fluctuation from time to time when
revised at school commencing age, changes of address and other
reasons. We may claim that of the full roll 50 per cent. are
regular in attendance. There were 776 new enrolments of the
under one year babies, which is a good proportion (87 per cent.)
of the 884 notified live births for the year. There were in addition
210 babies over one year of age newly enrolled during the
year.
Child Life Protection.
Only five individual foster mothers were on the register at
the end of 1945, having the care of five children under nine years
of age. 43 visits of inspection were made during the year by
the child Protection Visitors. There was no cause for complaint
in the care given.
Care of Illegitimate Children.
In last year's Report I summarised the provisions made by
the Council for the care of these children, and no change
arrangements have been made. Five mothers were sent to the
home where special care during the ante-natal and lying-in
periods is available.