CHILDREN'S CARE COMMITTEES.
(To THE EDITOR Of SZE " SPECTATOR.") 8'14—At the outbreak of the war there were over six thousand voluntary workers acting as members of Children's Care (School) Committees in London, one such Committee having been estab- lished for each of the thousand schools in the county. It is a matter of the utmost concern that very serious difficulty is being experienced in keeping this organization up to a. satisfactory- standard of efficiency, there.being not more than. about one thou-. sand really effective workers left, It is, of. course, realized that. Care Committee members and workers are just the kind of people who are best qualified' for voluntary war service, and that their absorption into such service was bound to result in a loss to the welfare of the London children. There are, however, I feel-eure, hundreds of people in and near London who have some leisure- time, and- who would be willing, when convinced of the need. foe: their services, to come forward to fill the gaps in the Care Com-• mittee ranks and carry on the work. Persons trained for social service are of course most useful, but, no helper would be-refused, on the ground of lack of training, as it is felt that those wbe will offer will.do so out of a desire to help the nation in the great task of reconstruction that lies before it, and if inexperienced will be content to be guided by others. The Care Committee work gives- scope for persons.of widely diverse experience and predilections. There are three main divisions of its activity. It selects children, who are insufficiently fed, in order that they may be provided with meals until such time as the arrangements of the home can, be so improved as to render school feeding unnecessary; it follows up in the home the result of the medical inspections in the school, with the object of persuading parents to obtain the treatment necessary for the well-being of their children; and it sees that, as far as possible, all children on leaving school are placed in suit- able employment. None: of this work is very easy, and it needs for its satisfactory performance tact and a live interest in children. in order that the work may be successfully accomplished. If those of your readers who feel they can offer one or two mornings or afternoons or more a week will communicate with the Education Officer at the Education Offices, Victoria Embankment, he will be very much pleased to arrange that the time they can place at the disposal of the Council shall be utilized to the best advantage. Help is wanted in practically every part of London, although the need is greatest in Bermondsey, parts of Camberwell, Deptford, Shoreditch, Bethnal Green, Stepney, Finsbury, Poplar, St. Pan- eras, Islington, &c.—I am, Sir, Ste.,
Joint W. GILBERT,
Chairman of the L.C.C. Education Committee.
Education Offices, Victoria Embankment, W.C.
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