Description:From 1921, Oaklands was originally used as a working girls’ hostel. It changed function in 1924, becoming a convalescent home.
During the Second World War, there was a great need for nurseries to care for children when their mothers were working. For this reason, the Children’s Committee opened Wassell Grove (another convalescent home) as a residential nursery ‘for the care of children of mothers whose war-time activities prevented their attendance at a day nursery’. However, demand exceeded the accommodation available at Wassell Grove and thus Oaklands was also adapted as a residential nursery and opened on 15th April 1940.
By the mid-1960s most local authorities had phased out use of the large residential nurseries as they were no longer considered appropriate for the care of very young children. Birmingham was one of the few authorities with a significant amount of nursery provision remaining (in the form of five residential nurseries). In 1966, it was agreed that Birmingham should take steps to phase out its own nursery accommodation by, in the first instance, addressing the large out-of-city nurseries, namely Field House and Oaklands. To this end the building at Oakland was replaced with a new, smaller unit built on the same site.
In March 1967, Oaklands had accommodation for 40 children.
Oaklands closed as a residential nursery in 1977.
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Image: Publicity photograph taken for the Children's Committee, Birmingham City Council 1967. The Birmingham Children's Homes project has no photograph of Oaklands Residential Nursery at this stage.
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Source: This history was compiled by the Birmingham Children's Homes Project, an initiative to explore Birmingham City Council-run children’s homes between 1949 and 1990.