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Foster-Children.
Number of foster-children on register on 1st January, 1943 36
Number of foster-children who were notified during 1943 19
Number of foster-children returned to their mothers during 1943 10
Number of foster-children taken off register for various other
reasons during 1943 21
Number of foster-children on the register on 31st December, 1943 24
Foster-Mothers .
Number of foster-mothers with children on the register on the
1st January, 1943 30
Number of persons who became foster-mothers during 1943 15
Number of foster-mothers whose names were taken off the register
during 1943 25
Number of foster-mothers with children on the register on the
31st December, 1943 20
Number of houses visited by the Sanitary Inspectors for the
purpose of the Act during 1943 15
Number of visits made by the Sanitary Inspectors for the purpose
of the Act during 1943 34
Adoption of Children (Regulation) Act, 1939.—This Act came into
operation on the 1st June, 1943. Section 7 of the Act in which Welfare
Authorities are concerned, provides inter alia:—
(a) That any person (other than a registered adoption society or a local
authority, and not being the parent or guardian or a near relative of the
child or the person in whose care or possession he is to be placed), who
participates in making arrangements for the adoption of a child under the
age of nine years, must give notice, in writing, of the arrangements to the
Welfare Authority for the area in which the adopter resides, not less than
seven days before possession is taken of the child by the adopter. This
does not apply when an adoption order is made.
(b) That an adopter must notify a Welfare Authority if he changes
his address or if the child dies. In the latter event he must also notify a
coroner.
No notices were received during the year.
Work of Health Visitors.—The Ilford area is divided into 13 districts,
one nurse carrying out all home visits both for Maternity and Child Welfare
work and School Medical Service work in each area.
The following is a summary of the home visits made by the Health
Visitors during 1943 as far as the Maternity and Child Welfare work is
concerned:—
First visits to newly-born infants 2.786
Subsequent visits to children under 1 year of age 7,656
Subsequent visits to children over 1 year of age and under 5 18.567
Visits to expectant mothers 352
Home visits for other reasons 2,773
Total visits paid 32,134
Issue of Clothing Coupons to Expectant Mothers.—The issue of
additional clothing coupons to each expectant mother to enable her to
buy materials for garments for her baby was made through the Public Health
Offices from the inception of the Scheme by the Board of Trade on the 7th
August, 1941 until the 24th July, 1943, when the distribution was taken
over by the Ministry of Food through the Local Food Office.
During 1943 additional coupons were issued to 1,601 expectant mothers
from the Public Health Offices.
Supply of Milk to Expectant and Nursing Mothers and Infants.—
A total of 1,002J lbs. of dried milk were given free under the Regulations of
the Ministry of Health during 1943 to 65 infants. These figures include the
supplementary issue of 90 20 oz. packets of National Dried Milk to
17 infants who were receiving the Dried Milk under the National Milk
Scheme. Since July, 1940, the supply of liquid milk by the Council has
been suspended as this is now provided under the National Milk Scheme.