"Babies' Rest Centre" and "New Barn"
In early 1941, the American Foster Parents' Plan increased its contribution so that the number of children at the Children's Rest Centre rose to 30. In the summer of 1941, two additional buildings were equipped and opened. The "Babies' Rest Centre" at 5 Netherhall Gardens in Hampstead, was a large residential nursery for babies and young children, caring for up to 50 children. The country house, called "New Barn" near Chelmsford in Essex, was an evacuation residence for 30 children aged between 3 and 6 years.
Above: New Barn Country House
Anna Freud and Dorothy Burlingham formulated their fourfold aims for the nurseries as follows: (Burlingham and A. Freud, 1942, p 11):
- To repair damage already caused by war conditions to the bodily and mental health of children.
- To prevent further harm being done to the children.
- To do research on the essential psychological needs of children.
- To instruct people interested in the forms of education based on psychological knowledge of the child and generally to work out a pattern of nursery life which can serve as a model for peace-time education in spite of the conditions of war.
When the three buildings were all working at capacity in 1941, staff cared for 120 children who were between 10 days old and 6 years old. Anna Freud and Dorothy Burlingham supervised the London centres, while Alice Goldberger was in charge of New Barn. The core staff members were highly trained workers in the field of medicine, psychology, education, nursing and domestic science (Burlingham and A.Freud, 1942).
They supervised and trained the group of approximately 20 young women who also worked in the nurseries. Most of the staff and workers were refugees from Nazi oppression from Europe.
Anna Freud (centre) with her brother Ernst Freud (behind) and Dorrothy Burlingham (far right) in 1941.