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32
Circular 37/68 reviewed day care facilities for children under five and the
Minister indicated that the responsibility of local health authorities should
continue to be limited to arranging for day care where there are special
needs.
viz:— (a) Only one parent
(b) Mother's illness
(c) Mother inadequate
(d) To prevent breakdown of mother or family
(e) Bad home conditions.
The necessity for provision of safe play areas in new housing estates is
emphasised.
Local health authorities may make greater use of their powers to
provide for day care for children in special need in facilities provided
privately or by voluntary organisations.
The Minister is prepared to give approval for local health authorities
to:—
(a) Pay child minders a small weekly sum in return for their willingness
to accept priority children placed by the authority and to pay the
minding charges in appropriate cases.
(b) Pay reasonable charges for children in priority groups to receive
day care in groups run by private or voluntary bodies.
This circular also included a memorandum of guidance in relation to
the standards for day care of young children and the standards already
imposed in Harrow follow very closely the standards that are now being
recommended.
Following consideration of these circulars the Council decided that
single-handed minders undertaking full day care should mind only 3
children under 5, including their own children. With a full-time assistant
7 children could be minded. That single-handed minders undertaking
sessional care should mind up to 5 children. After this the ratio to be 1
adult to 8 children. In addition formal approval under section 22 of the
National Health Service Act, 1946, was sought from the Minister to enable
the Authority to arrange and pay a reasonable charge for children in the
priority groups to receive day care in nurseries or part-time nursery
groups run by private or voluntary bodies.
In Harrow it has been one of the conditions of registration that the
adults responsible for minding children should have an X-ray of the chest
to exclude any danger of pulmonary infection. However, following the
Ministry of Health and Home Office Circular of October 1967, which
asked for particular attention to be drawn to the X-rays of those responsible
for the care of the children, all registered child minders and their
assistants were urged to have a further X-ray of chest if three years had
elapsed since the previous one.