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while 391 were assisted. The corresponding figures in regard to patients
attended by midwives acting as maternity nurses were 177, 31 and 46.
The average number of cases attended by each midwife was 67.
DAY NURSERIES.
Some few years ago, when the question of the provision of one or
more day nurseries in the district was considered, because of the
small demand there appeared to be for such an institution, no steps were
taken to establish one. Instead, encouragement was given to arrangements
by which mothers who wished to go to work could have their
children looked after in other homes.
In February favourable consideration was given to the question of
using the maternity and child welfare powers of the Council to establish
nurseries specifically with the object of releasing to undertake war work
mothers who, because ol the necessity to care for their children, could not
otherwise do so. An enquiry instituted by the health visitors to determine
the extent to which mothers would go out to work if arrangements
could be made for the care of their small children seemed to show that
at that time there was a demand for a nursery to serve the Harrow Weald
and Wealdstone North areas and for one or more nurseries in the Edgware
district. At the same time it was felt that there would be sufficient
demand from mothers scattered throughout the rest of the area to
necessitate some provision being made, even though requests were not
on a scale sufficient to justify establishing nurseries. The Committee
therefore agreed that approval be sought of the Ministry for the establishment
of full-time nurseries in the Chandos and the Wealdstone Recreation
Grounds, and for approval to arrangements for the organisation of a scheme
for supplying persons to take charge of infants at their homes during the
absence of their mothers on war work. A subsequent circular of the
Ministry laid down that provision of nurseries for children of mothers in
employment shall be regarded as a war provision, the net approved
expenditure of the authority being repayable by the Ministry. Particulars
were also given of the arrangements by which in approved districts
the payments of mothers to daily minders for looking after their
children could be supplemented by a sum payable by the local authority.
Local publicity was given to the scheme but very limited use was made of
it. In all there were received nine offers from mothers who would be
prepared to look after the children of others, and only eleven applications
from those wishing their children placed, and even these small numbers
were so scattered that only to the most limited extent was the supply
present in the same district as the demand. By the late summer it
seemed there was an increasing demand for the provision of nurseries
arising largely from the necessity, because of straitened financial circumstances,
for a large number of women whose husbands were in the Services
to go out to work. Representations were therefore made to the
Ministry seeking approval for the establishment of war-time nurseries at
five sites in the district. The position at the end of the year was that a
nursery was to be established at 129, Spencer Road, Wealdstone ; that
negotiations were still being carried out with the management at the
Tyneholme nursery school, while decisions were being awaited as to the
exact siting of the other three proposed nurseries.