SOCIAL WELFARE
Family Welfare Services and Child Care
145
The Social Welfare Department and a number of welfare agencies are involved in the provision of family services which have the objective of maintaining and strengthening the family unit through helping individuals and families to solve problems and prevent them from arising.
The department operates a network of 22 family service centres and there are 23 such centres in the subvented welfare sector. Services provided under this programme include counselling on personal and family problems; care and protection of young people aged under 21; residential and foster care for children up to the age of 21, 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.
A number of statutory responsibilities arising from 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 lie with the Social Welfare Department. The department provides supervision and residential accom- modation for young people aged under 18 whose parents or guardians fail to exercise proper care of them, and for those under 21 who have no parents or guardians or who are adopted other than by a court order.
Child care service continued to be a focus of particular attention in 1986. The Sha Kok Children's Home had operated effectively for around one year as an extension to the frequently overcrowded Chuk Yuen Children's Reception Centre run by the department for the temporary care of children aged up to eight. The Child Protective Services Unit provides services for children who have been, or are suspected to have been, abused, whether physically, psychologically or sexually. The Social Welfare Department's Adop- tion Unit co-ordinates adoptions both within Hong Kong and overseas, the latter with the assistance of the local branch of the International Social Service. During the year, there were 440 new applications, 525 local adoptions, and 91 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 160 in 1986.
A special working group was set up under the auspices of the Health and Welfare Branch to examine policies on the provision of residential services for children in need of care and protection.
Child care centres are established for children aged under six. Such centres must comply with the standards laid down in the Child Care Centres Ordinance and are subject to registration and inspection. At the end of the year, there were 26 381 places in day child care centres and 795 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. A total of 10 923 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 14 339 calls were received during 1986.
Social work services are also provided by medical social workers stationed in 100 medical social service units in government hospitals and clinics. During the year, they handled a total of 94 500 cases.