SOCIAL WELFARE
1995, there were 560 foster care places, 89 small group homes and 26 residential institutions, three of which were operated by the department. The development of the service is guided by the principle that a family setting is the best environment for the healthy development of a child and should be the preferred choice over an institutional setting, particularly for young children.
Child care centres provide day-care services for children under the age of six. The department's Child Care Centres Advisory Inspectorate registers and inspects all child care centres to ensure they meet standards laid down in the Child Care Centres Ordinance and Regulations. Occasional child care service was expanded to assist families to take care of their children for brief periods in attending to urgent business. Five day nurseries extended their operating hours to meet the needs of working parents. The Fee Assistance Scheme assists low-income families to pay child care centre fees.
The qualification requirements for child care centre staff were raised in September 1995 with a corresponding improvement in their pay scales. The Working Party on Kindergarten Education was re-convened in 1995. Recommendations on the practicalities of unifying pre-primary services were submitted to the Administration at the end of the year. The Social Welfare Department operates a telephone hotline service.
Medical Social Service
The Social Welfare Department and the Hospital Authority continue to provide medical social services to help patients and their families deal with their personal and family problems arising from illness or disability.
Care of the Elderly
Care in the community, and by the community, is the guiding principle for the planning and development of services for elderly people. During the year under review, the government embarked on a large number of initiatives recommended by the Working Group on Care for the Elderly. An Elderly Services Division has been established in the Health and Welfare Branch to co-ordinate and oversee the overall policy on care for elderly people.
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Residential care is provided for old people who, for personal, social or health reasons, have to be cared for in a residential setting. At the end of 1995, there were 1156 self-care places, 6 411 home for the aged places and 7 644 care-and-attention home places. In addition, community support services were provided to enable the elderly to live in the community for as long as possible. At the end of the year, there were 163 social centres, 24 multi-service centres, 23 day-care centres, 107 home help teams, 17 respite care places, two volunteer worker programmes, eight older volunteer programmes, two outreaching teams, one holiday centre, one pool bus service and 58 400 senior citizen cards issued. Financial assistance as well as housing assistance continue to be provided for those in need.
The Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance, with the exception of the penalty section, came into operation on April 1, 1995. It aims to ensure that residential care homes for the elderly provide services of a reasonable standard and that the welfare of the residents is safeguarded. Under the Ordinance, residential care homes are regulated either by licence or certificate of exemption. The Residential
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