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32
Home Help for Mothers.
The Home Help paid 229 visits during the year and her work
was found of considerable value. She also assists at the Centres
when not occupied with her other duties.
In addition to her ordinary work, in her unoccupied time she
carries out cleansing of unclean heads, under a special scheme.
She was trained at one of the London Cleansing Stations, the
Council provides the Sacker's combs and the necessary shampoo
and towels. A fee of 1/- is charged for each case. By this means,
any child who is excluded from school, can be back within two days,
and the cleansing is not carried out by any officer of the department
acting as such.
There have been certain parents who objected to going to the
Home Help, but a considerable number of parents have been very
glad of the opportunity. The presence of this service acts in
another way, in that if a case is taken before the Magistrates the
fine is considerably heavier now that means are at the disposal of
the parents, whereby the child can be re-admitted to school within
48 hours. There is certain class of parent who rather than face the
fact of paying the 1/-, will spend more than that on various medicaments
wherewith to cleanse the child's head, and run to the extreme
limit of the period allowed by the Committee, and then at the last
minute face the fact that that it is better to pay 1/- and get the head
clean, than run the risk of a substantial fine by the bench.
During the year, 132 children have been cleansed.
Grants of Milk.
Milk is supplied free or at reduced rates to expectant mothers
(during last three mouths of pregnancy) to nursing mothers, and to
children under three.
The scale of grants for provision of milk has been fixed as
follows:—
Where the family income after deducting rent is less than
4/- per head free.
4/- to 5/- per head parent pays 1/3cost.
5/- to 7/6 „ „ 2/3
Where the amount is over 7/6 per head, no grant is made.
Number of grants made during the year was 137.