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Grants of Milk.
Under the Ministry of Food scheme, expectant mothers, nursing mothers, and
children under five years of age were supplied with dried milk or liquid milk, free or at 2d.
a pint, according to income. Babies requiring special feeding, i.e., Cow & Gate, or Ostermilk
instead of National Dried Milk, were supplied through the Council's clinics. National
Cod Liver Oil, Orange Juice and Vitamin Tablets were also supplied under the Ministry of
Food scheme, and were obtained at the clinics during the usual clinic session hours.
There were eight applications granted during the year, as follows:—

Dental Treatment.
By arrangement between this Council and the County Education Authority, expectant
and nursing mothers and children under five years of age attending the Maternity and Child
Welfare Centres were enabled to have dental treatment and advice, including, if necessary,
the provision of dentures.
The number of attendances—1,075—is satisfactory, showing that mothers are coming
more and more to realise the importance of the examination and care of their own teeth at
a time, as during pregnancy, when there is a greater risk of permanent damage being caused
by the drain of calcium from the system, and also to realise that the care of temporary teeth
is quite as important as, if not more important than, the condition of permanent teeth of
young children.
(For statistics of dental treatment see Appendix, Table XXI. The figures show a
grand total of 1,068 attendances, compared with 1,153 for 1945.)
Day Nurseries.
The three Day Nurseries continued to care for the children of working mothers and
certain mothers in distressed home circumstances.
The number of children on the waiting list for places in these nurseries increased very
rapidly during 1947, and by the end of the year amounted to about 150. The Day Nurseries
were very much appreciated by the mothers of children who were admitted, as the benefits
of a day nursery stay were plain to see in both physical and mental outlook of the children.
School teachers have reported that children from day nurseries, entering school for
the first time, are usually better behaved and frequently of more educational knowledge
than children going from their own homes direct.
The opportunity for training young girls in the care and management of children and
the further opportunity of training them in their responsibilities as future mothers of young
children are very valuable social assets.
During the year three members of the Day Nurseries' staff obtained the diploma of the
National Society of Children's Nurseries.
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