LEFT BABIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3764, 4 May 1926, Page 30

LEFT BABIES.

WORK AT THE CRECHE. “I think this place is beautiful, and it will be a great boon to mothers,” wrote Lady Alice Fergusson in the Visitors’ Book of the Children’s Creche shortly alter the opening of the Exhibition. The distinguished visitor was particularly taken with the creche, and was amongst the first to record her impressions of what has proved one of the most useful Exhibition departments. It was instituted as the result of an offer made to the Exhibition dir«_ tors by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and well the ladies of the committee and their friends havt worked in the service of visiting mothers. Lady Fergusson’s prediction was fulfilled to the letter. The Children's Creche has been a very great boon indeed to mothers. It has taken a place in the Exhibition that has been of the"- utmost importance, for the presence of the willing and capable W.C.T.U. workers has made it possible for hundreds of mothers with infant children to visit Logan Park. At all times they have been secure in the knowledge that the babies will be in safe hands until the round of sightseeing is over. The creche is beautiful in it is an ideal nursery, equipped with everything that could be desired. It is artistically constructed and furnished, but throughout the keynote has been efficiency. When infants are received, mothers are handed check tickets, duplicates of which r.re attached to their respective babies. The infants are then placed in the care of one of the helpers in the creche, and everything possible is done to ensure that they will ha happy, contented, and out of harm’s wav until such time as the mothers return. Since November 17 this commendable work has been carried on. Every day voluntary workers have sat nursing children whose parents are seeing the rights of Logan Park, and never since the Exhibition opened have there been any accidents or illnesses in the creche. There has been a complete absence of complaints from mothers, while every day sincere praise has been given for the work of the committee! headed by the energetic chairwom~n, Mrs E. Macartney. On Tuesday Mrs Macartney, who has been supervising at the Cretke ..very day since the Exhibition opened, gave her opinion as to the results of the work and the success of the W.C.T.U. innovation. “To date we have had 2969 children at the Creche, and by the close of the Exhibition wo will have cared for more than 3000 babies,” she said. ‘‘The passing months have conclusively proved to all of us that all our work has been well worth while—the Creche was needed, and it has been appreciated, making us more than satisfied with what has been achieved. The largest number of children we had during any one day was 118. and strangely enough this total was reached for three consecutive days.” Throughout the Creche has been controlled by a special committee of the W.C.T.U., and the only paid orker was the capable secretary, Miss A. Webb. Union members and their friends had, according to Mrs Macartney, been untiring in their efforts, and she had never been at a loss to find ladies willing and ready to spend a day looking after the children. Their work had been very greatly appreciated. The Exhibition directors had done all in their power to make the department a success, and the committee was greatly indebted to their kindly .assistance. Those in charge of the Creche had only to express a wish and it had been fulfilled The building had proved ideal in every way, and workers wanted for nothing when attending to the needs of the babies in their care. She was also pleased to report that the Creche had been a complete success from a financial viewpoint. “Silver spoons were given to the 1000th baby, the first twins to arrive at the Creche, the first triplets and the first Chinese baby, which made its appearance to-day,” she concluded. “There have been no accidents and lio trouble of any kind. The work has been exceedingly arduous, but it has been pleasant and the sincere thanks of the mothers have been our best rewards.” Thus the Creche has taken a proud place in an Exhibition acclaimed as practically perfect. In the words of Dr 11. Mains, of London, a Child Welfare specialist who visited Logan Park—“lt could not be improved upon.”