Babies' Home

Alternative Names

• Foundling Hospital
• Infant Asylums

The term Babies' Home generally refers to institutions for children under the age of three, though not all institutions which served this purpose were named babies' Homes. For instance, in the nineteenth century, such institutions were often known as infant asylums and others were called foundling hospitals. These institutions were usually associated with services for unmarried mothers, and often functioned (officially or not) as adoption agencies. Staff in babies' Homes were usually trained nurses. Some institutions also provided training for mothercraft nurses.