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SUNDAY, AUGUST 6, 1978
SCHEME TO HELP DISABLED CHILDREN TO INTEGRATE INTO COMMUNITY
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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS JOINED HANDS WITH THE TARY SECTOR TO LAUNCH A TRIAL SCHEME WHICH AIMS TO HELP INTEGRATE DISABLED CHILDREN INTO THE COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING THEM PRE-SCHOOL CARE IN DAY NURSERIES.
UNDER THE SCHEME, CHILDREN AGED TWO TO SIX YEARS WITH MINOR DISABILITIES CAN BE REFERRED FOR ADMISSION INTO GOVERNMENT- SUBVENTED DAY NURSERIES WHERE THEY CAN INTEGRATE WITH NORMAL CHILDREN OF THEIR AGE.
THE EXPERIMENTAL SERVICE WAS INTRODUCED LAST MONTH AFTER THE DEPARTMENT BEGAN LAST YEAR EXPLORING WITH VOLUNTARY AGENCIES THE POSSIBILITY OF PROVIDING PRE-SCHOOL CARE UNITS FOR DISABLED CHILDREN IN THEIR NURSERIES.
AS A RESULT, SIX WELFARE AGENCIES HAVE RESPONDED TO THE IDEA AND STARTED OPERATING SUCH UNITS IN NINE SUBVENTED DAY NURSERIES RUN BY THEM, ANOTHER NURSERY WILL JOIN THE SCHEME IN JANUARY NEXT YEAR.
MR. LAU KAI-CHUEN, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT'S CHILD CARE CENTRES ADVISORY INSPECTORATE, SAID TODAY THOSE NURSERIES JOINING THE TRIAL SCHEME WERE ALLOCATED ADDITIONAL SUBVENTION TO MEET ADDITIONAL STAFF COST.
+ IN ADDITION, GRANTS FROM THE GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES FUND ARE AVAILABLE FOR NECESSARY STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS AND THE PROVISION OF SPECIAL FACILITIES AND TRAINING FOR STAFF, HE SAID.
TO BEGIN WITH, MR. LAU SAID, THE NUMBER OF DISABLED CHILDREN TO BE ADMITTED TO EACH PARTICIPATING NURSERY IS LIMITED TO SIX.
+ONLY CHILDREN WITH MINOR DISABILITIES - THOSE WHO ARE MILD-GRADE MENTALLY RETARDED, SLIGHTLY PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED OR SLIGHTLY IMPAIRED IN SPEECH, HEARING OR SIGHT ARE ADMITTED, + HE SAID.
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ADMISSIONS ARE BY WAY OF REFERRALS MADE BY WELFARE AGENCIES AND RELEVANT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH, AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS.
MR. LAU SAID THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL SERVICE WAS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR MILD-GRADE DISABLED CHILDREN TO MIX WITH NORMAL CHILDREN IN A HOMELY SETTING AS AN IMPORTANT PART IN THEIR SOCIAL REHABILITATION PROCESS.
+ IF THE SCHEME PROVES SUCCESSFUL, IT IS HOPED THAT THIS SPECIAL SERVICE COULD BE EXPANDED ON A LARGER SCALE TO BENEFIT MORE DISABLED CHILDREN, HE SAID.
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