HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL -28 June 1989
香港立法局
·九八九年六月二十八日
58
this Council as to the adequacy of child care services. In relation to child care centre places, whilst refusing to admit any shortfall the Administration has pointed out as early as 1987 that in the light of full utilization of the existing centres, it would seem that a considerable demand for such places existed. Surprisingly, the position remains the same today. In early 1989 the Administration once again acknowledged that day nurseries are fully utilized and that indications are that there is a currently unmet demand. However nothing is being done and nothing is proposed to be done. If indications have existed for such a long time that there is an unmet social demand in the territory, what justification has the Administration got to delay investigating into and carrying out a review to assess the position, to ascertain whether a shortfall actually exists and if so, to come forth with proposals as to how to cater for the demand?
According to the Census and Statistics Department, the number of children born in Hong Kong between 1983 and 1988 totals over 450 000. They are the children who now fall within the zero to six years bracket. Together with other children not born within the jurisdiction, my guesstimate is that we should have near half a million children within this age bracket in Hong Kong. Accepting that around 220 000 children within this age bracket go to kindergartens and around 30 000 are accommodated in day nurseries and day creches, we still have more than 200 000 children within the zero to six age bracket who have to be taken care of by friends, relatives or child-minders. We frequently hear of children having to be returned to China to be taken care of by relations there. We know of accidents to children taking place from time to time where parents or child minders have been negligent, irresponsible or otherwise incapable of taking proper care of children. We know of cases of young children plummeting from height as a result of being left unattended at home. We know of incidents where children have been abused by child-minders. If our current child care services are adequate, why are all these happening? How many more children will have to return to China before the Administration would concede that child care centres are insufficient? How many more child-minders will have to be brought to court for abusing children before the Administration would consider it necessary to impose some form of control over those who mind children on a commercial basis? How many more children will have to fall out of buildings before the Administration would consider it timely to review the whole structure of our child care services?
In my opinion, it is undesirable and indeed unrealistic to adhere to fixed working ratios and plans particularly in relation to the provision of social services. The demands of our society constantly change; people's attitudes and aspirations constantly change. Our social services must be flexible enough to