CIVIC SERVICE FOR MOTHERS

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26651, 9 February 1952, Page 2

CIVIC SERVICE FOR MOTHERS

BRISBANE CENTRE FOR CARE OF CHILDREN A public amenity that is greatly appreciated by mothers of young children is provided in Brisbane. It is the child-minding centre at the Brisbane City Hall. The nursery is on the roof of the eight-storeyed civic centre. It can take 100 children ranging from 10 days to five years and has a turnover of 200 a day. Each age group has its own section in charge of a trained nurse and assisted by kindergartens. Mothers leave children for the moderate charge of 6d an hour, the city council subsidising the cost of running the centre. In the baby section bottles are prepared and there is a room for mothers to feed their babies. Bigger Jjabies are Riven sieved vegetables Jhd other foods. There are Oslo health lunches for the older children. Children’s murals decorate the walls. Equipment and surroundings are kept spotlessly clean and well cared for. There are cots, play pens and swings, out on the roof are a slide, sand pit and tricycles and the centre has every other piece of equipment found in die modern kindergarten. Ten kindergarten teachers are trained a year. The brief training period is understandable because the trainees do practical work at the centre during the day and take lectures at night. Queensland is the only Australian State to have this course. The training entitles graduates to teach in kindergartens.