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Cumberland Road Day Nursery under the auspices of the Canning Town Women's
Settlement has continued to provide 30 useful places and, as previously, has been
visited regularly by one of the Council's Health Visitors, and by a Medical Offiaer from
time to time.
Child Minders
Three child minders are on the register, but two did not receive any children
into their homes during the year.
Welfare Foods
The distribution of Welfare Foods has continued from all the Child Welfare Centres
and from the Public Hall, Canning Town. As before the W.V.S. have kindly been responsible
for this service at West Ham Lane Clinic. The only changes in the service have been minor
administrative adjustments.
Recuperative Holiday
Twenty-two unaccompanied pre-school children and 25 mothers with children were
sent to holiday homes.
Unaccompanied children- These children are referred mainly on account of debility
due to environmental conditions, infectious disease or acute illness. They are sentnaway
because their condition requires a period of convalescence if it is not to become chronic,
although the mother is unable to accompany them, usually for domestic reasons. They are
mainly the older pre-school children.
Mothers with children- Of the mothers who went away with children, 22 were referred
on account of physical and nervous debility following confinement, repeated pregnancies,
domestic worries, or anxiety. Three mothers went to accompany their children.
Our thanks are particularly due to the staff of the West Ham Branch of the Invalid
Children's Aid Association of Winterton House, Buckinghamshire, and of St. Helens,
Letchworth, who have given such devoted care to the mothers and children.
Liaison with Children's Officer and Medioal Care of Deprived Children
The Council's medical officers undertake the regular medical examination of
children in the nine Children's Homes and two Residential Nurseries, and are available to
advise on any medical matters. They also examine the children boarded out in West Ham,
and when practicable, they see the children immediately before admission to or discharge
from the Homes. When this is not practicable, other arrangements are made. There is a
great deal of informal consultation between the Health and Children's Departments, both
between administrative officers and between health visitors and the Child Care Officers.
Formal meetings of the Co-ordinating Committee have been convened regularly by the Children's
Officer. The Medical Officer of Health has taken the chair, and many senior officers of
the health department have attended. Whenever possible the district health visitors of
the families on the Agenda have been present, and have contributed to the discussion.
The N.S.P.C.C. inspector is a frequent visitor to the department, and the Society's woman
visitor has done much sterling work for West Ham families.
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