View report page

37
the nurseries (or new ideas and advice and I (eel this is a
valuable contribution to child care in the area.
It is a disquietening (act that more mothers are going out to
work and leaving their children. in the hands of people with
whom they have no ties of blood or a((ection. For many, the
"affluent" society does not really exist at all unless the
mother goes out. to work and if she does the increase of income
is often accompanied by an impoverishment of family life.
It surely must be the aim of all those who are concerned
with the true well being of the community to work for economic
conditions where one wage will keep one family in comfort.
Details of attendances at the nurseries are shown in
Appendix 11.
Private Day
Nurseries and
Child - Minders
In last year's report mention was made of the Local Health
Authority's powers in their supervision of those persons running
Day Nurseries or acting as Childminders.
This relationship is one of ambivalence as far as the nursery
proprietresses, childminders and ourselves are concerned.
On the one hand we support them by advising on the physical
and emotional needs of the children and on the other we act in
an almost judicial capacity when we are obliged to reprove
(either mildly) or in cases of persistent disregard of regulations,
bring the offenders before a Committee.
We can, and do lay down minimum standards for the material
environment in which the young child may live for up to ten
hours a day. What we cannot do is to ensure that all applicants
have a genuine affection for children which will provide a warm
secure atmosphere in the Nursery. It is inevitable, however
carefully the interviewing of applicants is carried out, that a
minority of unsuitable people motivated mainly by financial
gain will be allowed to open nurseries. Where profit is the
over riding concern we usually find dull diets, deficient in
protein, and more important, dull lives for the children. In
such establishments there is no encouragement for the child
to adventure in his environment — the environment is physically
restricted and its contents colourless and unstimulating.
To the mother or father contemplating putting a child in the
care of strangers for profit I would say this:— However good a
nursery, it will be a poor substitute for an affectionate home
but if you are obliged to make use of this "service industry"
be certain that the home in which you place your child is