SOCIAL WELFARE
169
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 accommodation 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.
To give better support services to battered women and other needy women and young girls, the department set up the Wai On Home for Women which has a capacity of 40 and provides short-term accommodation for women with or without children who are having serious personal or family problems and are in need of temporary shelter. These women and children may be victims of domestic violence or girls aged between 13 and 21 years facing a crisis and feeling helpless.
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The department has continued its efforts, in co-operation with other government departments, to tackle the problem of street sleeping. Four regional outreaching teams are operated by the department which focus on the unmotivated and difficult cases requiring assistance, while family-services centres continue to work with the willing street sleepers. Services provided to street sleepers include housing, medical, financial and material assistance and other welfare services. In response to the recommendations of an inter- departmental co-ordinating committee on street sleepers set up under the auspices of the Health and Welfare Branch, and with the support and assistance of the department, a voluntary agency has opened a hostel in Yau Ma Tei as a pilot scheme designed to provide more permanent accommodation for street-sleepers and other homeless persons on a 24-hour basis.
In the area of child care services, the department operates the Chuk Yuen Children's Reception Centre and the Sha Kok Children's Home for the temporary care of children aged up to eight. The Child Protective Services Unit provides services for children who are, or have been abused, whether physically, psychologically, sexually or grossly neglected. The department's Adoption Unit co-ordinates adoptions both in Hong Kong and overseas, the latter with the assistance of the local branch of the International Social Service. During the year, there were 384 new applications for adoption; 331 adoptions cases were handled and 271 local adoption orders were granted. 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. In 1988, the total number of foster care places was 180.
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A steering committee comprising representatives from the department and the voluntary sector was formed during the year to oversee implementation of the recommendations of the Working Group on the development of residential child care services.
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 29 426 places in day child care centres and 738 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 8 700 children were receiving fee assistance at the end of the year.
A hotline service is operated to deal with public enquiries concerning the services of the department and to provide immediate telephone counselling or advice where necessary.