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32
Day Nurseries
There are two day nurseries in the Borough providing accommodation
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 places
(b) Walton Avenue, South Harrow 60 places
A high standard of care is given at both our local authority day
nurseries. The full quota of staff has been maintained at both nurseries,
the aim being to have fully trained N.N.E.B. staff nursery nurses. This has
obtained at one of our day nurseries. A nursery assistant who has worked
for some years at the other nursery was accepted by Waltham Forest
Technical College to commence a year's course as a mature student in
September and she made a brilliant start. There were 12 nursery students
at the nurseries in their first and second year attending either Kilburn or
Chiswick Polytechnic for the theoretical part of their training.
There is always a waiting list of priority cases, mainly unsupported
mothers, but many of these women find child-minders or relatives or
friends to care for their children whilst they go to work.
The nurseries attempt to give an environment as near like home as
possible. The children are in family groups and, when the children start in
the nursery, the mothers are encouraged to stay with their children for a
good part of the time during the first week. The students or staff have their
meals with the children, using large tables and chairs, which were introduced
during the year. There is a keen warden at each nursery and they
supervise the staff and students ensuring that the children receive the
right play stimulation. It becomes increasingly noticeable that these
children are frequently emotionally disturbed due to their home circumstances,
the majority coming from one parent families.
It has been possible to find places for all emergency cases. There
have been more short term cases of children, whose mothers have been
admitted to hospital and where other arrangements have not been possible.
An effort has been made to encourage mothers to stay with their children
for a few hours on one or two occasions before their admission to hospital
and they are also encouraged to telephone their children from hospital and
speak to them in the 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 talking
environment is desirable, children showing behaviour problems, and
suitable physically handicapped children.