View report page

THE WORK OF CHILD WELFARE CENTRES
The work of child welfare centres consists of supervision of the
development of normal young children and those ascertained as "at risk",
early detection of abnormalities of development; provision of facilities
for immunisation and vaccination against infectious disease; giving advice
concerning the feeding and management of children and the measures necessary
for the promotion of family health. The nature and content of this work has
changed very considerably since its inception. The emphasis is now directed
away from the detection and treatment of the gross defects found in former
years towards the more subtle problems of developmental abnormality and
family relationships. Advice concerning behaviour problems now forms a
very considerable part of the work carried out by medical officers and health
visitors in their consultation clinics, work demanding very different skills
to those formerly necessary.
Special toddlers clinics have been held in all the main clinics where
children are seen by appointment annually for assessment of their physical
and mental development and where more time can be devoted to mothers who
have problems than is possible at the general clinic sessions. Special
sessions are arranged for immunisation and vaccination of children where
the numbers attending justify separation from general infant welfare sessions.
-49-