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(j) Home Helps.
Under the Council's maternity scheme, home helps are provided for women who
have toddlers at home when the mother has to enter hospital for her confinement.
Further, the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee, on 11th January, 1935,
approved of my suggestion whereby a home help might also be provided for a period of
a fortnight—to be extended, if necessary—in cases where the mother was suffering
from some illness other than that arising out of parturition, and where, at the same
time, assistance would be helpful. During 1935, it was only necessary to provide
two home helps on these grounds.
(k) Day Nurseries.
There are in Shoreditch three day nurseries—all established under voluntary
agencies. The Sun Babies' Nursery, Norris Street, has accommodation for 100
children; the Brunswick Place Day Nursery has accommodation for 40 children, and
the Emergency Open-air Nursery School, Trinity Place, has accommodation for
40 children, so that there is day nursery accommodation in the Borough for 180
children. Although the Sun Babies' Nursery takes also children from Islington, the
majority of the children who attend reside in Shoreditch.
In 1934 an arrangement was entered into between the Borough Council and the
Secretary of the Emergency Open-air Nursery whereby ten children under five years
of age could be sent to the institution. In April, 1935, this number was increased
to 20 and during that year 23 children were sent to the nursery. These children
made a total of 1,384 attendances. Apart from these 23 children who had " free
places" in the nursery, other 39 children attended this nursery during the year.
The total number of attendances at the Sun Babies' Nursery was 19,220, and at the
Brunswick Place Day Nursery the whole-day attendances were 7,277.
It might be thought that the needs of the Borough so far as day nurseries are
concerned are adequately met, but in view of the Minister's suggestions, and in view
also of the fact that a proportion of the population of Shoreditch consists of families
in which the mother goes out to work, it might be advisable to reconsider the question.
I am of opinion that, in view of the Council's financial responsibilities in the case of
certain day nurseries, more active supervision should be exercised, and I especially
desire to emphasize the point that if, in the future, further day nursery accommodation
is required, this should be supplied by the Borough Council.
(l) Home Nursing.
Facilities are available for the nursing of patients in their homes and an arrangement
is in force under which the Shoreditch and Bethnal Green District Nursing
Association carry out this work. During 1935, 221 children between the ages of one
and five years were visited by these nurses, the total number of visits made being 2,086.