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32
permits for the issue of rationed goods proportional to those
granted to the day nurseries.
Should the Committee decide to establish a scheme of " Daily
Minders," I suggest that the scheme be submitted to the Ministry
of Health for approval, and that an advertisement be issued
inviting persons to apply for registration as " Daily Minders."
THE CARE OF ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN
Circular 2866 of the Ministry of Health drew the attention
of Welfare Authorities to the importance of this matter. In
February, 1944, a meeting was held between representatives of
the Surrey County Council and the autonomous Maternity and
Child Welfare areas of the County, and it was decided that each
authority should review the position in its own area, and consider
by what means the position might be improved.
In April, 1944, a conference of the autonomous Maternity and
Child Welfare Authorities was held at Mitcham. The need for
hostel accommodation was generally agreed, but the Medical
Officer of Health of Mitcham was requested to draw up concrete
proposals for establishing a hostel in order that the position
might be more fully discussed at a subsequent meeting.
Unfortunately the flying bomb attacks prevented the meeting
of the conference taking place before the end of 1944.
On February 2nd, 1945, a conference of the interested local
authorities took place at Mitcham and discussed the Medical
Officer of Health's report. Owing to the difficulty of obtaining
suitable accommodation it was agreed by the conference that the
Merton and Wimbledon Moral Welfare Association should be
approached to ascertain whether the association would be prepared
to re-establish their Home in Gap Road, Wimbledon, if the
financial backing of the interested local authorities was obtained.
The Home at Gap Road had been badly damaged by enemy
action, but was capable of repair at a reasonable cost. Representatives
of the conference held various meetings with
representatives of the Merton and Wimbledon Moral Welfare
Association. Unfortunately the Gap Road premises could not be
repaired under a cost of works payment as the Wimbledon