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OCCASIONAL CRECHES
14.2.3.3 Occasional creches provide facilities for looking after children under 5 years of
age whilst their mothers visit hospital, attend to shopping, domestic duties, etc., or take
part in activities at the family health clinics at which the creche sessions are held.
Children needing relief from adverse home conditions are also catered for, as are those
who need particularly to mix with other children. The charge of Is. 9d a session is
abatable in necessitous cases, and no charge is made whilst the mother is attending a
centre activity. It is the policy of the Department of Health and Social Security that
creches should be financially self-supporting as far as possible, and this policy has
prevented our hiring other premises and staffing them for use as occasional creches on
any large scale. The Council decided that the Department of Health and Social Security
be requested to relax the ruling that occasional creches be financially self-supporting.
PLAY CENTRES
14.2.3.4 The Borough Engineer and Surveyor's Department runs community play centres
under the Physical Training and Recreation Act 1937. These are open daily from 10 a.m.
to 8 or 10 p.m. both to children (without any lower age bar) and to their parents.The main
difference between occasional creches and play centres is that in the former mothers
leave their children to be looked after whilst in the latter, mothers should remain in charge
of any children under 5 years old. No specific provision is made for children under 5, but
play leaders are on duty at times (e.g. during school hours) when only children under 5
accompanied by their mothers can be expected to attend. No charge is made. On the other
hand, as already stated, mothers who leave their children at occasional creches, save in
certain circumstances, pay Is. 9d for this service.
PLAY PARKS SCHEME
14.2.3.5 The Greater London Council operates a play parks scheme to establish seasonal
play leadership by part-time staff in the Council's parks. Whilst initially intended for
school-children only, subsequently "one o'clock clubs" were started for the children
under 5. These arrangements are also made under the Physical Training and Recreation
Act of 1937, but mothers or guardians are not expected to leave the children; they must
stay for the duration of the session and accept responsibility.
NURSERY SCHOOLS
14.2.4 The Inner London Education Authority has no directly run nursery schools in
Camden. There are three independent schools, however, which are assisted by that
authority and cater for 200 children under the age of 5 years.
NURSERY CLASSES
14.2.5 There are nine nursery classes attached to primary schools in Camden, catering
for 400 children under the age of 5 years.
PLAY GROUPS
14.2.6.1 There are in the borough a number of play groups. These establishments are
open for mornings or afternoons only, or, if open all day, cater for different children at
the morning and afternoon sessions. Such play groups, unless caring for children for "a
substantial part of the day" did not come within the provision of the Nurseries and ChildMinders
Regulation Act 1948, but fell due to be registered from 1st November 1968 as
already indicated. A list of playgroups is maintained in the Health Department, and the
Council's health visitors pay frequent visits to these playgroups and advise where
necessary.
14.2.6.2 Arrangements were made for a play group to be started by the Save the Children
Fund at Quex Hall in Kilburn, an area particularly lacking in play facilities. This playgroup,
which operates for 10 sessions a week, caters for 20 children at each session and
opened in September, 1967.
14.2.6.3 The Family Services Committee in 1967 set up a working party to investigate
possible sites for other playgroups in church halls, housing estates, etc. and during
1968 preliminary plans for a number of these were under way.
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