SIDNEY'S" PUBLIC NURSERIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 90, 9 January 1918, Page 3

SIDNEY'S" PUBLIC NURSERIES

: THE BABIES AND THEIR MOTHERS. The Sydney Day Nursery Association has three nurseries, where babies /of poor workiug women of Sydney aro properly cared for during the hours when £he mothers are forced to.' bs at work. In every case the youngsters are children whose mothers are the sole bread-winners, and each mother,. whose child is received, pays 3d. p-jr day towards the keep of her child. The 3d. per day doesn't nearly pay the full cost, of course, and the association is always appealing for subscriptions which are needed for the upkeep and extension of the work. . For though a certain number of babies, are cared for, there are many-more needing to be provided for if they are to have a chance of growing up healthy, ..intelligent men and women. Children vie cared for from the ages of six weeks to six years during the hours of -7 ff.m. and 6 p.m. The babies are kept in the front of the'house on .the wired-in verandah, and the toddlers amuse themselves in the back.'". The children rrc left each day by the mothers on their way to work, and called for- on' their way home, and it is only these mothers who realise the splendid work of the nurseries.- - , ■''■,'.. "And there is great scone for more nurseries," said ona of the hiatro'is. "The least we can do is to help the mothers.of our present and future .generations. lam constantly coming into contact with homes where there is not enough. money to ; buy the necessary comforts and.food, not enough money for proper lighting facilities,' thus compelling the children to lead or study in dim light.- The sleeping quarters, are always crowded, and the ventilation poor. Many of the bairns that corao to us have to be taught to play.' Ca,n you imagine in your wildest dreams anything so tragic? And these children of to-day are the Illation of to-morrow. It is our, work—woman's .work—to .'see that'tomorrow's .nation .'is of the best. The'work lies; at our very door. . "The mothers of many of the children have sad histories. Most of the

I cas&s are of desertion,, and they ci

| to'.me with pitiful tales. I suppose the average wage of the mothers whose babies are here is l about £1 per week, and that doesn't go far these days. I have even had mothers who earned 10s. a week in a, factory,; and Heaven alone knows how.thev managed to and soul together. "Wo get all sorts of babies, and the only thing we can do is to give them the best start in life that is possible' in the circumstances. You see, they are only in oiir charge during the day, and while a few have been with us for years, as a rule it is a moving population. If the kiddies were; ■in cur charge all the time we could be quite .sure that they were getting well cared for. Ijtut after they leave us—who knows? , "The elder children ; have a kindergarten schooling every day by a trained teacher, and it has been a great, success." ■ Visiting the.rear premises of the nursery, three youngsters in red twill ,thev are promoted to red frocks after the baby stage, when they are all dressed'alike in white), were having a groat time splashing in a low basin. Presumable thev were supposed to 1m washjng their hands and faces, but actually they were having a splendid dabble'in the soapy water.. "That's a great ■ characteristic of the Australian' child." said the matron. "Thev love the water; while the Englislnchild hates it. I noticed it-even in an English toddler of a few years, who simply loathed the water, and yclled at the sight of the bathroom. That's a thing very few Australian youngsters will do." ■