In the Children's Homes

What was it like to be in one of the Children's homes?

What were their schools like, what did they eat and did they have time to play?

Explore the three modules below and see for yourself.

You can also go to the Virtual Children's Home, choose a room and discover how it looked and what went on there.

	Some of the homes were small and in ordinary family houses. Small groups of children lived with a master and a matron who acted as parents to them and they would be sent to the local schools. Very young children under 7 years old were put with foster parents. Other homes were quite large with up to 40 children, especially the industrial homes where older children were trained in skills for work outside the homes. There was a strict routine to their day. They started with chores, prayers and breakfast before school. The children slept in dormitories of 5 or 6. In the morning each child had house duties to do: sweeping and dusting, peeling potatoes or getting the young ones ready. From the age of 9 children were expected to make their own beds. They would take turns to work in the laundry. To find out more go to the section about working in the laundry. It wasn't all chores and school. They played with dolls and toy soldiers, marbles and hoops. Cricket and football were popular and they held fetes to raise money for the home.