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100
Effect of New Increased Charges.—The County Council's new
scale of assessment became operative as from January, 1953, and
later the Area Financial Officer reported to the Health Area SubCommittee
that following from the introduction of the increased
charges, 23 out of 62 children were withdrawn within the next few
days at Handsworth Avenue Day Nursery, and 19 out of 64 at
Higham Hill Day Nursery.
Of the total of 42 children withdrawn, 3 were due to nonfinancial
reasons. For the two months prior to the increased
charges, the daily average attendances at Higham Hill were 43.1
and at Handsworth Avenue, 33.4. These had increased respectively
to 49.5 and 34.9 during February and March. At the end of the
year, the averages were 47.6 and 47.7.
NURSERIES AND CHILD MINDERS (REGULATION)
ACT, 1948
Registration was continued in one case for the care of up to 16
children aged 3/5 years.
DAILY GUARDIAN SCHEME
This Scheme was begun in May, 1951, and Guardians are paid
a retaining fee of 1/- per day (6d. per half day), by the County
Council, whilst they are caring for a child. Guardians are approved
subject to a satisfactory Health Visitor's report.
The experience since the commencement has been as follows:—
1951 1952 1953
No. of Daily Guardians on Register
at 31.12.51 8 19 19
No. of applications for services of
Daily Guardian 25 23 26
Referred to Day Nurseries 10 — 20
Referred to Daily Guardian but
nothing further heard 6 11
Placed with Daily Guardian 9 12 1
Continued in care of Daily Guardian
from previous year - 2 8
These 9 children were in the care of a Daily Guardian for
periods as follows:— (Two of the children continued to be cared
for in 1954).