MONDAY, MARCH 12, 1979
QUALITY OF CHILD CARE CENTRES IMPROVED
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THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR. THOMAS LEE SAID TODAY (MONDAY) THE QUALITY AND SERVICES OF CHILD CARE CENTRES HAVE GENERALLY IMPROVED SINCE THE CHILD CARE CENTRES ORDINANCE CAME
INTO OPERATION THREE YEARS AGO.
MR. LEE SAID THE GOVERNMENT LAST YEAR SPENT OVER $20 MILLION IN SUBVENTION FOR CHILD CARE CENTRES TO HELP THEM BRING THEIR SERVICES IN LINE WITH THE REGULATIONS AND CODE OF PRACTICE.
HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE PO LEUNG KUK'S FUNG PAK LIM NURSERY IN UPPER PAK TIN ESTATE, IN WHICH HIS WIFE LATER UNVEILED A PLAQUE TO MARK THE OPENING, FOLLOWED BY TOUR OF ITS FACILITIES.
THE DIRECTOR SAID THAT SINCE THE ORDINANCE CAME INTO OPERATION, MORE THAN 200 CHILD CARE CENTRES HAD REGISTERED WITH THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AS HAVING MET THE REQUIRED STATUTORY STANDARDS.
MORE THAN HALF OF THESE CENTRES ARE SUBSIDISED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND PROVIDE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES WHICH CANNOT AFFORD PAYING HIGHER FEES AT PRIVATE NURSERIES, HE SAID.
THE PURPOSE OF THE ORDINANCE, HE SAID, IS TO ENSURE THAT THE CENTRES ARE SAFE AND THE SERVICES PROVIDED ARE UP TO AN ACCEPTABLE STANDARD IN THE INTEREST OF THE CHILDREN.
MR. LEE PRAISED THE PO LEUNG KUK FOR ITS OUTSTANDING WORK IN VARIOUS FIELDS OF SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICE, PARTICULARLY
IN CHILD CARE.
♦THE KUK OPENED ITS FIRST DAY NURSERY AS EARLY AS IN 1964 AND IS NOW RUNNING A TOTAL OF 11 DAY NURSERIES AND TWO DAY CRECHES ALL OVER HONG KONG, HE SAID.
WITH A CAPACITY FOR 120 CHILDREN, THE FUNG PAK LIM NURSERY REPRESENTS YET ANOTHER ACHIEVEMENT BY THE KUK IN THE FIELD OF CHILD CARE IN RESPONSE TO THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE CHILD, HE ADDED.
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