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SOCIAL WELFARE
adoptions and 57 overseas adoptions. Through the Central Foster Care Unit, the Social Welfare Department works closely with three subvented foster care agencies to promote foster care services in Hong Kong. Subvented foster care places totalled 120 in 1985.
A special working group was set up during the year under the auspices of the Social Welfare Advisory Committee to examine policies on the provision of residential services for children in need of care and protection.
Child care centres are established for the care of children aged under 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 25 093 places in day child care centres and another 910 places in residential child care centres. Families with a low income and a social need for children to attend a child care centre may apply to the Social Welfare Department for assistance in meeting fees charged. About 11 700 children were receiving fee assistance at year-end.
A hotline service is operated by the Social Welfare Department to deal with enquiries from the public on matters relating to the services of the department and to provide immediate telephone counselling or advice where necessary. A total of 15 917 calls were received during 1985.
Social work services are also provided by medical social workers stationed in 57 hospitals and clinics. During the year, they handled 90 580 cases.
A broad range of family life education programmes are co-ordinated by the Social Welfare Department. The programmes aim at improving the quality of family life through the promotion of interpersonal relationships and social consciousness, which may help prevent family crises and consequent social problems. In 1985, the theme of the annual publicity campaign was again 'Building a Happy Family', and stressed such areas as how to be a good parent, child rearing and the parent-child relationship, which contribute towards the prevention of child abuse. In addition to the major publicity campaign, family life education programmes are organised by social workers at the district level, with 56 family life education workers from 14 subvented welfare agencies providing the service.
Care of the Elderly
'Care in the community' remains the guiding principle for the planning of services for the elderly. Subvented welfare agencies are the main instrument for the provision of a broad range of community support services for the elderly, which have the objective of enabling old people to continue to live independently in the community. Services include home help and 'meals on wheels' operations, community education, day care and social and recrea- tional activities. At the end of 1985, there were two outdoor recreational buses, 35 home help teams, 78 social centres for the elderly, 10 multi-service centres and two day care centres. A priority housing scheme benefits families with elderly relations living with them. in applying for public housing and priority is also given to housing old people in public housing estates under a special quota system and the compassionate rehousing scheme.
However, not all elderly people can be catered for within the community and residential facilities are provided for those who, for health or other reasons, can no longer live with their families or alone. In 1985, 825 additional subvented places were provided and at the end of the year there were 5 885 places in homes/hostels (including 1 877 non-subvented places) and 1 367 places in care-and-attention homes. Provision of residential places should be significantly boosted by the decision of the Housing Authority to equip and operate hostels in public housing estates and make more premises available for old people's homes and care-and-attention homes in estates. The government also provides sheltered housing