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Where an illegitimate child is to be brought up as a member of its
mother's family and no special help is required under the scheme,
the subsequent visiting is undertaken by the District Health
Visitor. In all "problem" cases, that is, those cases where the
mothers wish to place their children with foster-parents, with
daily minders or in a day nursery, or where help is required with
regard to adoption or affiliation orders or in obtaining work with or
without their children, the Child Protection Visitor continues
visiting and works in close liaison with the Moral Welfare Worker
of the Hackney and Stoke Newington Welfare Association attached
to the London Diocesan Council for Moral Welfare Work.
The Moral Welfare Worker does a considerable amount of work
in placing mothers in maternity homes on the London County
Council's approved list and in obtaining grants from the County
Council towards the charges. She also meets the girls at railway
termini, escorts them to and from refuges or to a convalescent home
at Cricklewood from which the children are adopted.
During the year 121 "problem" cases were dealt with and a
considerable amount of time was involved in interviews, clerical
work and visiting, occasional evening visits being made. In this
connection the Child Protection Visitor made 598 visits during the
year.
88 illegitimate children were born in St. Margaret's Maternity
Home, Victoria Park Road, during 1945. The mothers of these
children came from all parts of the country. The 88 children were
dealt with in the following way:—
8 went home with their mothers;
20 were sent to foster-parents;
60 were adopted.
The Salvation Army dealt with 141 illegitimate children born
in the Salvation Army Mothers' Hospital. These children went
with their mothers from the Mothers' Hospital to Salvation Army
Mothers' and Babies' Homes for about six months and then were
(a) taken home by their mothers, (b) sent to foster-parents or (c)
taken with their mothers into domestic service. The mothers of
these children came from all parts of the country.
There is also a Jewish Association which works independently
and its work is good and the financial help to mothers liberal.
Five cases were assisted under the scheme of guaranteed payments
to foster-mothers and one case under the scheme for
guaranteed payments to daily guardians.
The Council contributed the sum of £143 towards the funds of
voluntary organisations concerned with moral welfare work.