The thesis examines the experience of English local authorities under the arrangements recommended by the The Care of Children Committee, chaired by Dame Myra Curtis, Principal of Newnham College, Cambridge. The committee was set up in 1946 by three government departments to enquire into existing methods of care for children who have from loss of parents or from any cause whatever been deprived of a normal home life with their own parents or relatives; and to consider what further measures should be taken to ensure that the children are brought up under circumstances best calculated to compensate them for the lack of parental care". The committee recommended that the children in public care should come under one department in each authority with a children's officer as head and free of other duties. In paragraph 441 of their report they said, "this may indeed be said to be our solution to the problem referred to us". The committee examined the existing statutory provisions and administrative arrangements and said how the children were cared for at the time. Their extensive list of recommendations was broadly put into effect by the Children Act 1948, which remained in force until 1 April 1971 when social services for children were taken over by the social services committees under the Local Authority Social Services Act of 1970.