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Care of the unsupported mother and her child.
The work of caring for unsupported mothers
in the borough is divided between the medical
social workers based in the health department
of the London Borough of Ealing and the
medical social workers of Hounslow and
District Welcare Association It is becoming
increasingly evident that the major contribution
is now being made by Welcare. In 1968.
for instance, the medicai social workers of
Ealing dealt with 35 cases resident in
Hounslow, whereas Welcare dealt with 115
cases. In 1969 the corresponding figures are
23, dealt with by Ealing and 144 cases by
Welcare Not all the children were born to
single girls; there were also married and
divorced women who sought help Over 19%
of these mothers who had babies in 1969 were
under 17 years of age. The figures submitted
by Welcare of maternity cases delivered in
1969 also reveal that the number of mothers
keeping their babies was greater than those
where children were offered for adoption
This in turn, involves the workers in a
greater amount of work in the field of continuing
support and with a formidable problem of
accommodation Despite the practical help
support and encouragement given to these
mothers to enable them to stand on their own
feet, many sooner or later became homeless
The 1969 report of Welcare states: 'We are
most concerned to notice that many of these
one parent families are compelled to move
from place to place and with what effect
upon the child. We are only too aware of the
fact that, as we often have to suggest a
very unsatisfactory housing solution we are
not tackling long-term need which is
certainly to get the mother and child settled
in one place' Thus much remains to be done
and it seems to me that social planners,
architects and housing authorities must ensure
the provision of the means for meeting the
needs of single parent families' particularly
in urban areas, for the keynote to success in
helping the more vulnerable in our society
must be early and constructive intervention,
for at times of crisis young children are
particularly vulnerable Dr. Christie has
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continued to represent the borough on Welcare's
committee and this year, Welcare has recorded
in their annual report their appreciation not only
of all the work of the committee but especially
that of Dr. Christie who has with her department
been a tower of strength to us'. Much, however,
yet remains to be done including a re-assessment
of the financial grant provided by the borough to
Welcare, for not only is the case-load rising but
the amount of work in the field of continuing
support.
Since the closure in 1968 of the mother and
baby home run by the London Diocesan Council
for Wei-Care no such home has been available
within the borough Thirty-six cases were
mai ntained during the year in homes outside
the borough
Day nurseries
Each of the council's day nurseries provides
day care for children aged six weeks to five
years, where the sole parent must work to
support the child or parental ill-health occurs
or where home conditions present health dangers,
or where suitable facilities for handicapped
children, including the periodic relief for their
parents are necessary. Quarantine periods,
when no now admissions could be made,
particularly affected the Hounslow day nursery
this year, resulting in a drop of approximately
1,500 in the total number of attendances
compared with the previous year. Waiting lists
remain at all our nurseries which at no time
could be fully staffed
The attendances made by children were as
under:-
Feltham Day Nursery 11,103
Portsdown House Day Nursery 6 901
Nantly House Day Nursery 10 410
During 1969 two nursery nurses attended a
two week refresher course at Chiswick Polytechnic.
All nursery students passed their
final examinations and were awarded the
N N E B certificate.
In 1967 I reported that planning had begun
on the replacement of Nantly House day nursery
by a larger and more modern nursery, incorporating
a specially designed unit for the more
severely handicapped children This year I