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On 31st December, 1957, there were 97 children on the Day Nursery Registers. None
were under 6 months of age, 9 were between 6 months and 1 year, 19 were between 1 and 2

The analysis of the reasons for admission shows that the nurseries continue to fulfil
a real social need in the community, and help to prevent the break-up of families.
There is little change in the reasons for admission, but happily there were no
children admitted this year because of desertion by one or other parent. The 7 children
admitted for social reasons are children of "problem families". As part of the Council's
"Problem Family Scheme" it was agreed that from time to time certain children coming from
problem families might have day nursery charge waived, at the discretion of the Chairman of
the Health Committee. These 7 children who attended during 1957 come from two families in
each of which a mother of limited mental ability was finding it extremely difficult to cope
with a number of pre-school children. Although a good deal of other support has also had to
be given to these families by way of visiting and material help, there is little doubt that
the relief to the mother provided by day nursery care for her young children has enabled
her to carry on in circumstances which otherwise might well have overwhelmed her and have
led to the break-up of the family. All the temporary admissions were because of the
mother's admission to hospital. In these circumstances, the admission of pre-school
children to a day nursery is often the only way of keeping the home together. It can of
course, only be of use when satisfactory home care can be provided for the children in the
evenings and at week-ends.
The average daily attendance of day nursery children remains much the same as in
the previous year, although every effort has been made to increase it. This rather low
figure increases the unit cost per child per day, and our attention is drawn to this from
time to time. It is difficult to find a way of improving it. It is obviously undesirable
for very young children to be brought to the nursery in inclement weather, or when they
are suffering from any illness, however slight. In addition to this, the mother herself
may be ill from time to time and not fit to go to work and unable to either bring baby
to the nursery, or to pay the nursery charges during her period of illness. Again, in a
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