SOCIAL WELFARE
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interviews during the period specified in a probation order. The probation officer also works closely with the probationer's family and arranges any special treatment or services that may be appropriate. Volunteers also participate in the probation service under a volunteer scheme.
The Social Welfare Department operates six residential institutions and remand homes to provide training and residential facilities to help young offenders reintegrate into the community. These include the Begonia Road Boy's Home, the Ma Tau Wai Girls' Home, the Castle Peak Boys' Home, the O Pui Shan Boys' Home, the Kwun Tong Hostel and the newly opened Pui Chi Boys' Home. After-care workers try to establish good relationships with offenders during their stay in residential institutions and help them reintegrate into the community upon discharge. Complementary to the services provided by the Social Welfare Department, the voluntary agencies provide various types of services with a view to helping young offenders and young people with behavioural problems.
Family Welfare Services and Child Care
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Family services are aimed at preserving and strengthening the family unit by helping individuals and families both to solve problems and to prevent them from arising. Services are provided by the Social Welfare Department, mainly through a network of 20 family services centres and by a number of non-government welfare agencies. These services include counselling on personal and family problems; care and protection of young people under the age of 21; residential and foster care for children up to the age of 21; and day care for children under six; referrals for schooling, housing, employment, financial assistance, legal advice, medical attention, home help and, where appropriate, placement in institutions for elderly or disabled persons. The number of active cases at December was 21 352.
The Social Welfare Department is responsible for carrying out a number of statutory responsibilities under the Protection of Women and Juveniles Ordinance, the Offences Against the Persons Ordinance, the Marriage Ordinance, the Guardianship of Minors Ordinance and the Matrimonial Causes Ordinance. The department provides supervision and/or residential accommodation for boys and girls under 18 whose parents or guardians do not exercise proper care over them, and for those under 21 who have no parents or guardians or who are adopted other than by a court order.
Special efforts have been made in the field of child care. The Social Welfare Department operates a children's reception centre for the temporary care of children aged up to eight. A Child Protective Services Unit has been set up to provide intensive services for children who have been, or are suspected to have been, abused, whether physically, psychologically or sexually. Through the Adoption Unit, the Social Welfare Department handles both overseas and local adoption. The assistance of the International Social Service, Hong Kong Branch, is sought in arranging overseas adoptions. During 1984, there were 386 legal adoptions, 62 proposed adoptions and 41 overseas adoptions.
Child care centres are established for the care and protection of children under the age of six. Such centres must comply with the standards laid down in the Child Care Centres Ordinance and they are subject to registration and inspection. At the end of the year, there were 23 061 places in day child care centres and another 964 places in residential child care centres. Low income families may apply for fee assistance through the Social Welfare Department. Some 11 400 children were receiving fee assistance at year-end.
Social work services are also provided by medical social workers stationed in hospitals and clinics. During the year, they handled 94 643 cases.