MONDAY, APRIL 17, 1970
INCREASED SUBVENTION FOR CHILD CARE SERVICE
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILD CARE SERVICE IN HONG KONG IS TAKING ANOTHER STRIDE FORWARD THIS YEAR WITH A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE OF $7.7 MILLION IN GOVERNMENT SUBVENTION.
THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR. THOMAS LEE, DISCLOSED THIS TODAY AND SAID SUBVENTION PROVISION FOR CHILD CARE SERVICE THIS YEAR HAD GONE UP TO $24.7 MILLION FROM LAST YEAR'S $17 MILLION.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE CARITAS DAY NURSERY IN CHAI WAN, MR. LEE SAID THIS REPRESENTED THE GOVERNMENT'S CONTINUED SUPPORT TO VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IN MAINTAINING AND EXPANDING CHILD CARE SERVICE.
HE SAID THE INCREASED PROVISION, APART FROM FINANCING THE ADDITIONAL 1,000 SUBVENTED CHILD CARE PLACES TO BE MADE AVAILABLE THIS YEAR IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EXISTING POLICY, WOULD ALSO COVER THE COST FOR IMPROVING SERVICE QUALITY.
+ON TOP OF THAT, NON-RECURRENT EXPENDITURE SUCH AS CAPITAL OUTLAY FOR THE SETTING UP OF NEW CENTRES, REPROVISIONING OF EXISTING ONES AND THE PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT, WILL BE PAID FOR BY THE LOTTERIES FUND, + HE SAID.
MR. LEE RECALLED THAT IT HAD BEEN STRESSED TIME AND AGAIN THAT THE PROVISION OF COMPREHENSIVE WELFARE SERVICES COULD ONLY BE ACHIEVED WITH CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR.
+WITH EXAMPLE-SETTING ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS THE CARITAS TAKING THE LEAD, ONE SHOULD BE CONFIDENT OF THE PROGRESS MADE BY THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IN THIS SPECIFIC FIELD, HE SAID.
MR. LEE PRAISED THE CARITAS FOR ITS OUTSTANDING SOCIAL SERVICE ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE LAST 25 YEARS, PARTICULARLY IN THE FIELD OF CHILD CARE SERVICE WITH 10 DAY NURSERIES ALREADY SET UP ALL OVER HONG KONG.
APART FROM THE EXPANSION IN CAPACITY TOTALLING 1.340 PLACES AT PRESENT, HE SAID IT WAS GRATIFYING TO LEARN THAT CARITAS WORKERS WERE CONSTANTLY AWARE OF THE NEED FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF SERVICE QUALITY.
THEIR IDEAL OF FOSTERING THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, INTELLECTUAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILDREN PLACED UNDER CARE COINCIDED IN FULL WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF THE CHILD CARE CENTRES ORDINANCE ENFORCED LAST YEAR, HE SAID.
+WITH CONCERTED EFFORTS FROM ALL SECTORS I AM SURE THAT THE COMING YEAR, WHICH ALSO HERALDS THE ADVENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S YEAR, WILL WITNESS CONSIDERABLE ADVANCEMENT IN THE CHILD CARE FIELD IN HONG KONG.+
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