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82
DAY NURSERIES
During the year the average attendances at the day nurseries
(Mondays to Fridays only) were as follows
Under2 yrs. Over 2 yrs. Total
Higham Hill Day
Nursery 11.8 30.5 42.3
Handsworth Avenue
Day Nursery 7.2 35.0 42.2
Both day nurseries are approved for training in the care of
children aged 0-5 years and have 60 places.
Training.—During 1956 seven nursery students gained certificates
awarded by the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health.
Their future careers were as follows :—-
General nursing training 3
Staff nursery nurses (including 1 who
obtained employment with another
Authority) 3
Private children's nurse 1
Scarlet Fever and Tonsillitis, Handsworth Avenue Day
Nursery.—On the 18th September a child was notified from the
Day Nursery to be suffering from scarlet fever and several cases
of sore throat followed. As a result all staff and children were
swabbed on the 26th September and of fiftysix persons swabbed,
seven yielded Haemolytic Streptococci Group A. The subsequent
typings were Type 1 (5), Type 3 (1), Type 12 (1).
Daily visits were paid each morning by the medical staff until
October 16th, and twenty suspects were excluded until bacteriologically
cleared. The co-operation of parents was excellent.
A child with scarlet fever was released in due course from
home isolation and returned to the Day Nursery on the 23rd
October after five weeks. In the light of subsequent experience,
it is a matter of regret that no typing of the organism was done,
nor clearance swabs taken.
Between the 28th and 30th November the same child and three
others were absent from the Nursery with sore throats. Subsequently
of these three children a brother and sister were notified
as scarlet fever and later another child.
Daily medical visits were again paid and suspects were excluded
until the Nursery was cleared early in January, 1957.
All parents were circularised by letter on the 30th November
and their co-operation again sought in keeping children with