THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 1982
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WELFARE BODIES URGED TO SUPPORT NON-INSTITUTIONAL CHILD CARE
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THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE. MR SELWYN ALLEYNE, TODAY (THURSDAY) APPEALED TO VOLUNTARY WELFARE AGENCIES AND OTHER CHARITABLE AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS TO SUPPORT HIS DEPARTMEN EFFORTS IN NON-INSTITUTIONAL CHILD CARE.
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ZONTA CLUB OF KOWLOON. HE SAID: THE TASK WE FACE MUST INVOLVE A JOINT EFFORT BY THE GOVERNMENT, BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES BUT, MOST OF ALL BY INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.+
HE NOTED THAT AT PRESENT, THE MAJORITY OF CHILDREN WHO COULD NOT BE CARED FOR ADEQUATELY IN THEIR OWN HOMES WERE PLACED IN RESIDENTIAL INSTITUTIONS.
NO MATTER HOW WELL AN INSTITUTION WAS RUN AND HOW MUCH WAS DONE TO CARE FOR AND NURTURE THE CHILDREN IN IT, IT LACKED +THE BASIC INGREDIENT OF NORMAL FAMILY LIFE WHICH IS SO ESSENTIAL TO THE BALANCED DEVELOPMENT OF ANY CHILD+.
+WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHILD CARE, THEREFORE, WE ARE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT SOLVING A PRESENT PROBLEM, BUT ABOUT PREVENTING POSSIBLE FUTURE PROBLEMS FOR THE INDIVIDUALS CONCERNED, MR ALLEYNE SAID.
*THIS IS WHY I CONSIDER IT SO IMPORTANT THAT WE DO MORE TO DEVELOP NON-INSTITUTIONAL FORMS OF CARE FOR CHILDREN.+
THE DIRECTOR DESCRIBED FOSTER CARE AS +POTENTIALLY THE MOST SATISFACTORY FORM OF PLACEMENT FOR A CHILD BECAUSE HE IS ABSORBED INTO A NORMAL FAMILY+.
HE NOTED THAT TRADITIONALLY, IN MOST COUNTRIES, FOSTER PARENTS RECEIVED NO DIRECT REMUNERATION FOR THEIR WORK, BUT WERE MOTIVATED BY THE DESIRE TO SHARE THE COMFORT AND LOVE OF THEIR OWN HOME WITH A CHILD WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE DEPRIVED OF THESE BENEFITS.
+FOSTERING IS COMMUNITY SERVICE IN THE REAL SENSE, MR ALLEYNE SAID, IT IS THE SAD THING
+ IT IS THE SAD THING, THEREFORE, THAT IN A COMMUNITY SO STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY CHINESE CULTURE AND COMMITTED TO THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY LIFE, THAT THERE EXIST ONLY SOME 35 FOSTER FAMILIES IN HONG KONG AT THE MOMENT.
HE FIRMLY BELIEVED THAT HONG KONG MUST DEVELOP FOSTERING AS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO INSTITUTIONAL CARE AND SAID, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT WAS LOOKING CLOSELY AT WAYS OF RECRUITING MORE FOSTER PARENTS.
IN JANUARY THIS YEAR, THE MAINTENANCE AND INCENTIVE ALLOWANCES PAYABLE FOR EACH CHILD PLACED WITH A FOSTER FAMILY WERE INCREASED TO $1 000 PER MONTH.
/+I BELIEVE THAT