MENTAL HEALTH SEEVICES FOB A POPULATIOX OF A MILLION 79

behaviour—change with age. The work of a Child Keception Centre,
furthermore, would provide a valuable training in social medicine and
an insight into its sad and sordid aspects. The proposed association
with the Psychiatric Unit would linfc up the psychiatric services of an
area with the various institutions, schools and homes wherein children
might be placed. Some sort of specialization might be introduced
into these places to meet the needs of the area. Local cognizance
would be taken of how they were administered, and reforms intro-
duced where they were needed. Much healthy light and air would be
let into some quarters.

How should a Child Reception Centre be organized ? Since the
period of residence would be short—perhaps an average of a fortnight—
there would be no general need for teaching nor for any established
relations with a school. But since many of the centre's inmates would,
prior to admission, be attending schools, the Education Committee
would be much concerned in its activities, though it is doubtful if it
could be the responsible authority. The following age-distribution
is suggested:

Age-groups. Numbers.

0-4 Xursery : both sexes .... 8
5-11 Juniors: both sexes . . . . lo-f-lo

12-16 Boys......15

12-16 Girls ...... 15

Total . . .68

Within the reception centre some differentiation or grading of
children might be found desirable. The Royal Medico-Psychological
Association has urged that, before certification, every high-grade
defective should be kept for a time under observation in a special unit
or in an existing institution. A part of the reception centre might be
adapted for this purpose. A similar argument applies to certain
delinquents whose inclusion, for purposes of observation, in the
reception centre would serve a different purpose from that of the
fi Classification Schools 7 which are being set up by the Home Office,
The latter play their part at a later stage in the delinquent's cajreer,
and are designed to effect best placement, after aa order has been made
by the Court, in the differently specialized Bemand Homes aod Schools.

Ttie proximity of such a centers to a Teaching Psychiatric Unit
would again provide valuable material in a new field. All agree that
psychiatrists could help in the problem of delinquency both by giving
expert advice to the courts and, in suitable cases, by providing treat-
ment. The arrangement here suggested might do much to stimulate
and develop this important branch of psychiatry.

Hie accommodation for Child Reception Centres might largely
consist, as a start, of converted Army huts. The children, whose
period of residence would be short, could be housed in units of up to
twelve or fifteen. The permanent staff would need more subslantial
accommodation.

The success achieved by the organizations described in this