No. 1 of 1951" which is administered by the Social Welfare Officer on behalf of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs. Under this Ordinance, girls under 21 living away from their parents and in need of care and protection and those who have been adopted are statutory wards of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs. Registration for adopted daughters is compulsory and for adopted sons voluntary.
23. Up to 31.3.55 there were 4,285 children whose welfare was being supervised by officers of the Child Welfare Section, and of these 1,433 were children in need of care and protection, 1,668 were adopted girls and 1,184 were adopted boys. Among the adoptions registered were those of 6 boys and 3 girls whose immigration to U.S.A. was arranged under the Refugee Relief Act of 15.7.53. Much care was exercised by Children's Officers to ensure that the adoptions would be a success. In addition to adopted boys and girls, other categories of cases to whom care and supervision were extended included children whose parents were in prison or hospital, children found wandering, begging, ill-treated, abandoned, or who were beyond control, and children whose parents had brought their marital disputes to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs for settlement. Many of the children who were in need of care and protection were sent initially to the Po Leung Kuk which was first established as a place of refuge in 1897.
24. Together with the carrying out of statutory functions, officers of the Child Welfare Section maintained closed liaison with the 19 children's homes (including babies' homes) in the Colony run by voluntary organizations having the care of over 2,000 children. Many of these are in receipt of Government subventions and are moving progressively towards modern methods of child care in order to provide a home background approaching that enjoyed by children living with their parents.
25. The Christian Children's Fund Incorporated, ad- ministering six children's homes, made efforts to form family groups within some of their larger homes. St. Christopher's Home, one of the three subsidized by this Fund, was organized
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