London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Tottenham 1960
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham]
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There has been an increase in the number of children minded by the day under this scheme as can be seen from the following table
| 1960 | 1959 | 1958 | |
| Number of Daily Guardians on register | 197 | 166 | 160 |
| Number of Daily Guardians minding Children | 111 | 90 | 73 |
| Number of Children being minded | 141 | 106 | 85 |
| Total number of Children minded during the year | 297 | 231 | 175 |
| Total number of days minded | 29,128 | 23,591 | 16,628 |
The number of women who offer their services has always exceeded the demand. The
scheme is in operation for those working mothers who ask for assistance in finding suitable daily
minders for their children It has proved to be a very useful service for those who do not qualify
for day nursery admission. There are proper safeguards including the selection, registration and
visiting of daily guardians by health visitors. The cost of payments made to daily guardians by
the County Council is based on one shilling per day per child for each working day on which the
child is minded Parents make their own arrangements direct with the daily guardian for payment
in excess of this. Amounts charged vary considerably throughout the Area as do the services
provided
Day Nurseries
The number of daily attendances at the three day nurseries has increased this year and is
accounted for by the rise in numbers at Park Lane Nursery.
All three nurseries are recognised by the Ministry of Health as suitable for training nursery
nurse students who take the two-year course for the National Nursery Examination Board's examination,
This course provides practical work in day nurseries and theoretical teaching at the
Tottenham Technical College All qualified members of the day nursery staff assist in the
practical training of student nursery nurses and in the care of normal children.
The nursery day is a long one to enable working mothers to leave their children before they
start work and to collect them at the end of their working day. Day nursery vacancies are allotted
to children in certain priority groups The largest of these is one where the mother is the sole
wage earner.
Handicapped Children
A few handicapped children have been admitted to the nurseries during the year. In each
case there has been medical recommendation for day nursery accommodation, three of these have
qualified in accordance with the categories of such children dealt with under Section 56 of the
Education Act 1944 for the maintenance of which the Education Committee accepts responsibility.