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54
In view of the number of mothers and children attending the
Centre at the Friends' Meeting House it was decided to divide
this Centre and additional premises were found at Emmanuel
Church, Ilford Lane, and a very satisfactory Centre is now
flourishing there.
The Barkingside Centre had never shown the success common
to the others, and in December it was decided to amalgamate
it with that at Newbury Park. This has been done with
improved results.
More satisfactory premises are being obtained for the Newbury
Park and Albert Road Centres, which will enable the work
to be carried on under better conditions.
The amount of work and the appreciation which has attended
the extension of the Welfare Centres is shown by the following
figures for the past year:—
Total number of attendances of Infants 5,643
First attendances 629
The monthly figures being as follows:—
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apl May. June July Aug Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
First attendances 53 23 48 44 66 53 61 51 60 66 64 40
Subsequent 323 294 316 368 454 439 502 415 554 728 661 589
Total number of children on rolls December 31st, 1919, after
omission of all those who had not made an attendance for six
months, 652.
The main function of the Infant Welfare Centre is advisory,
and treatment should be limited to that required for digestive and
similar disturbances.
Very many of the minor ailments of infants are due to errors
of feeding and a doctor's advice can prevent more serious illnesses
resulting. The purpose of a Centre is therefore preventive rather
than curative. The scope of the work of a Centre is laid down
by the Ministry of Health as follows:-
(1) Consultations by a Doctor.—This is carried out in
Ilford in a satisfactory manner, all the infants attending