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At the time when the provisions of the Act of 1918 were brought
into operation in Stepney, there were 20 Infant Welfare Centres,
4 Ante-Natal Clinics, 10 Creches and a Dental.Clinic, all of which
were operating in the Borough on a voluntary basis. In this year the
Council appointed four Health Visitors. The Infant mortality rate
was then 115 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with 178 during
the five years from 1890 to 1894.
Within two years, 14 Municipal Health Visitors had been appointed,
5 Municipal Infant Welfare Centres had been established in the Borough,
and the milk scheme was further developed, the cost of this scheme
having, within one year ended December 1919, mounted from £10 to £500.
In this year 94 cases were supplied. During the following year the
estimate for the milk scheme was increased to £3,000, and 1,381 persons
benefited from the scheme.
About this time the Infant Mortality rate showed a noticeable
improvement, the number of deaths for the year 1922 being 79 per
1,000 live births as compared with 115 for the year 1918.
Developing the maternity and child welfare services on progressive
lines the Council increased the number of Health Visitors and
established further welfare centres. The milk scheme was further
extended and by 1924, 10,000 persons were supplied during the year at
a cost of £4,000. By 1926, there were 6 Municipal Welfare Centres
and in addition seven Convalescent Homes were being used by.the
Borough Council. During the following five years 7 Municipal Welfare
Centres were in operation in addition to the 9 Voluntary Infant
Welfare Centres.
Prior to the commencement of the war in 1939 the Council employed
10 Health Visitors, there being in addition 14 Voluntary Health Visitors.
There were 7 Borough Infant Welfare Centres and 9 Voluntary
Infant Welfare Centres, and 5 Voluntary Day Nurseries.
On the outbreak of the war the 5 Voluntary Day Nurseries were
evacuated to safe districts and the Borough remained without day
nurseries until 1942, when the War-time Day Nurseries were opened,
one at the. Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children, Glamis Road accommodating
50 children, the second at Old Church Road with 60 children
and the third at Robt Montefiore School, Vallance Road with 60 children.
Only one of the 5 Voluntary Day Nurseries (St.Paul's, Wellclose
Square) returned to Stepney after the war and is still functioning.
Only one Voluntary Infant Welfare Centre, The Dame Colet at
29. Duckett Street, continues in the Borough, the remaining 8 which
were operating in the Borough in 1938 having been taken over by the
Borough Council on the following dates:- Shadwell Memorial Hall,
291 The Highway in 1940; Women's League of Service, 12 Clare Street ,
the Minories-December 1940; St.John's Mission Hall, 61 carr Street
- December 1941; East Stepney Jewish Centre, Beaumont Street - August
1942; Jewish Infant Welfare Centre, Berner Street-1943; "Jewish
Mothers Welcome," Berner Street-1943; Jewish Infant Welfare Centre
(of the "Jewish Sick Room Help Society") 36 Underwood Road in 1945;
Stepney Infant Welfare Centre and School for Mothers, then at No.2
Salmon Lane in 1946.
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