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Social Welfare
and to enhance the quality of elderly care. It is estimated that about 70 RCHES will benefit from the scheme. Ongoing monitoring and training has been conducted to ensure drug safety in RCHES.
Rehabilitation Services
With the aim of integrating persons with disabilities into society and helping them develop their capabilities fully, government departments and NGOs provide a variety of rehabilitation services to meet their different needs. These services are co-ordinated by the Commissioner for Rehabilitation on the advice of the Rehabilitation Advisory Committee.
Services for Children with Disabilities
At year-end, there were 1,860 integrated programme places in kindergarten-cum-child care centres, 1,757 places in special child care centres (including 110 residential places), and 2,613 places in early education and training centres for children with disabilities. In addition, 64 places in small group homes were provided for mildly mentally handicapped children who could not be adequately cared for by their families.
Services for Adults with Disabilities
To develop the potential of persons with disabilities, 1,633 supported employment places were made available for them to work in open settings with support and assistance, 432 places were created under the 'On the Job Training Programme for People with Disabilities' and 311 places were made available for young persons with disabilities or early signs of mental illness under the 'Sunnyway - On the Job Training Programme for Young People with Disabilities. There were 5,051 places provided in sheltered workshops for those not yet ready to compete for open employment. There were also 453 places in integrated vocational training centres and 4,257 places in integrated vocational rehabilitation services centres.
To improve employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, over $54 million was allocated to 23 NGOs to enable them to set up 76 small businesses providing over 580 job opportunities for persons with disabilities under the Enhancing Employment of People with Disabilities Through Small Enterprise Project. In tandem, the Marketing Consultancy Office (Rehabilitation) assisted vocational rehabilitation services units in developing their marketing and business strategies and employment-aided services.
Day activity centres provided 4,637 places where persons with intellectual disabilities were trained to live independently. There were 7,715 places in hostels and care homes providing residential care services for persons with disabilities who were unable to live independently in the community, or whose families could not care for them adequately, and 245 residential places were provided under the pilot BPS for private residential care homes for persons with disabilities. Elderly blind persons were provided with 825 places in care homes. For discharged mental patients, 1,509 places were provided in halfway houses and 1,507 in long-stay care homes.
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