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26
Day Nurseries
The day nursery service in the Borough provides accommodation in
two nurseries for 110 children aged 0—5 years for whom nursery provision
is required on health grounds.
These nurseries are at:
(a) Headstone Drive, Wealdstone 50 place
(b) Walton Avenue, South Harrow 60 place
and are of the type erected during the war.time emergency. Although still
serviceable, they fall short of modern standards and provision has been
made for their replacement in the Borough's ten year development plan.
The Headstone Drive Nursery is recognised as a training nursery for
the purposes of students seeking the qualification of the National Nursery
Examination Board. The students attend Chiswick Polytechnic for their
theoretical work and carry out their practical training in the day nursery.
In certain cases where it is considered attendance at a day nursery
would be beneficial to progress, certain handicapped children are admitted
without charge. The present categories are deaf, partially deaf, children
of deaf and dumb parents where a talking environment is desirable,
children showing behaviour problems for whom absence from their home
environment for some part of the day is advisable and finally for suitable
physically handicapped children under the age of two years—the Education
Committee usually accept financial responsibility for suitable physically
handicapped children over the age of two years.
Nurseries and Child Minders Regulation Act
In addition to the nurseries run by the Borough, there are a number of
privately run nurseries and also a large number of child minders who are
registered under the Nurseries and Child Minders Regulation Act.
In Circular 5/65 the Minister of Health stated that in view of the
considerable increase in the numbers of child minders registered under the
Act since Circular 143/48 was issued, it was felt that some amplification
and modification of the advice contained in that first circular was now
required. All local health authorities were, therefore, asked to review
their arrangements in force in their areas for the keeping of registers and
the supervision of premises and persons and submit a report to the Minister
on the result of this review.
The procedure at present carried out in the Borough is as follows:—
(a) Registration
Arrangements are made for the applicant(s) to be interviewed by a
Medical Officer at the home or premises where it is proposed to carry
out the daily care of children.