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in charge of the convalescent home. In 1946, 101 children
under five years of age received this treatment, with considerable
and lasting benefit to the majority.
DAY NURSERIES. The Day Nurseries were fully used
in 1946, and throughout the year there was always a very
considerable waiting list, owing to continued employment of
women in factories, canteens, hospitals and offices. Every
effort was made to admit in the first place the children whose
mothers were obliged to work, namely, children of widows or
unmarried mothers, or where there was definite financial hardship
at home. In January, 1946, the Howards Road Day
Nursery had to vacate the permises rented from Plaistow
Maternity Hospital, and from February to June the Nursery
carried on at the Children's Hospital, Balaam Street, Plaistow.
Later, the ward in which the Nursery was accommodated was
required by the hospital authorities, so that this Nursery closed
at the end of June, provision being made for necessitous cases
in the two adjoining Nurseries, where it was possible also to
absorb the staff. From July to December the five remaining
Nurseries worked to full capacity, and, in view of this, it was
agreed by the Education and Maternity and Child Welfare
Committees, at a joint meeting in October, 1946, that these
Nurseries should continue to function as Day Nurseries for a
further period of twelve months at least. Ultimately the Liverpool
Road, E.16, and Station Street, E.15, Nurseries will
remain as Day Nurseries; the other three, viz., Litchfield
Avenue, E.15, Osborne Road, E.7, and Plaistow Road, E.15,
will become Nursery Schools.
The health of the children in the Nurseries gave rise to
little anxiety, and there was no serious epidemic at any Nursery.
The children attended more regularly and there was a more
stable population than in the war years, when the district was
subject to frequent air attack. This stability resulted in a
better general supervision, so that the majority of children
gained weight satisfactorily and improved both physically
and mentally, as a result of good food, regular routine, fresh
air and ample playing space both in and outside the Nursery.
All the Nurseries were affiliated to the National Society of
Children's Nurseries, and arrangements were made to train
the student nursery nurses for the diploma issued after examination
by the Society. During 1946 one student nursery nurse
gained' the diploma and was appointed to a more senior position
in one of the Council's Day Nurseries.
CHILD LIFE PROTECTION. The health visitors act as
Child Life Protection Visitors to foster-children in their own
districts. During 1946, 11 foster-mothers were registered and
visited under Part xiii of the Public Health (London) Act 1936.
Following registration, the home is visited and the child supervised
at least once every two months by the visitor. No
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