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Many Play-Groups are now staffed with the young N.N.E.E.B. nurse who is keeping her contact
with young children, and who one day will return to the Day Nursery.
In the early days, the lists of children awaiting admission at all the Nurseries were
long due to the lack of school places, but as more of these became available, children left
the Nursery at 4½ years of age and gradually the waiting lists became shorter. Today the
waiting lists is again heavy.
In the early years, up to 1965, medical inspection of children was carried out twice
weekly and monthly immunisation sessions for 20 children were held. Very few children are
now immunised at Day Nurseries, as most are either receiving injections at the Infant Welfare
Clinics or from their family doctor. The mother today is very keen on immunisation.
At one time it was rare for a Nursery not to have three or four bottle fed babies, but
today the baby is weaned and the mother prefers to stay at home until it is older. The
unmarried mother no longer slips in and out of the Nursery, hoping not to be noticed, but takes
a full part in all Nursery activities. Grandmothers are younger, with their own lives to lead,
and young mothers prefer to deal with their own children. However, throughout the years the
children have benefitted; particularly the children with speech and hearing defects, the children
of deaf and dumb parents, the children who fail to thrive, the withdrawn and the inarticulate
children.
In the early days, the office work at a Day Nursery was simple but effective. All
parents were charged the same fee, payable on a Monday. The cost was one shilling per day,
for which a printed receipt in the form of a ticket was issued. Banking of cash was simple.
Ordering of supplies and goods was by means of duplicate books and came direct from the
Central Stores in the area. Check on expenditure was thorough. Communication and co-operation
with Central Office staff was uncomplicated.
Then, in 1948, came the introduction of the National Health Service Act which transferred
responsibility for Day Nurseries (and other Health Services) from the local Borough
Councils to the Essex County Council. At first, the effects were not noticeable but gradually
more elaborate procedures were introduced. The Nursery fees substantially increased and a
system of assessing each parent's financial situation came into being. Central Stores ceased
to exist and orders for supplies went out to contractors, but gradually things settled down and
ran smoothly, principally because all the Nurseries still maintained their own contacts with
the officers at their own local Town Hall, and they remained the same with the exception of
one or two new officers. They were still a closely knit community, and all staff were known
by name.
Expenditure had to be contained, which was no hardship as living within a budget had
always been a "must", but now an explanation of over expenditure had to be given and sent
to County.
Years went by and through various ways the 'amalgamation' of London Boroughs
became talked about. In 1965 this also became a reality. The change was immediately felt,
as all the Day Nurseries lost their immediate contacts that through the years had been closely
built up. New names were introduced, and from a small unit we became part of a vast organisation.
This was not peculiar to us, but was experienced by Day Nurseries far and wide. Some
unnecessary office work was abolished but some complicated book work was added. No longer
were staff appointments made in the evenings, which had been social occasions for all Matrons
concerned.
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