WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1983
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IMPORTANCE OF CHILD CARE CENTRES STRESSED
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WITH MORE WORKING MOTHERS AND NUCLEAR FAMILIES, THERE IS NOW A GREATER NEED IN HONG KONG FOR CHILD CARE CENTRES.
THIS WAS STATED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY THE NEW DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR JOHN CHAMBERS, AT THE RE-NAMING CEREMONY OF THE TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS LO WONG PIK SHAN DAY NURSERY AT OF MAN ESTATE.
HE SAID CHILD CARE CENTRES WERE IMPORTANT NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY PROVIDED A PLACE TO LOOK AFTER CHILDREN WHILE THEIR PARENTS WERE AT WORK, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THEY CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS THE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF VERY YOUNG CHILDREN.
TO ENSURE THAT ALL THESE CENTRES FULFIL THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS AND PROVIDE A SATISFACTORY SERVICE, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT MAINTAINS AN INSPECTORATE TO ADVISE OPERATORS OF THE CENTRES.
THERE ARE NOW 222 REGISTERED CHILD CARE CENTRES, PROVIDING ABOUT 20 000 PLACES.
MR CHAMBERS SAID THE FEE ASSISTANCE SCHEME, INTRODUCED LAST SEPTEMBER, HAD ENABLED MORE NEEDY FAMILIES TO MAKE USE OF THE CHILD CARE SERVICE AND SO FAR OVER 10 000 FAMILIES HAD BENEFITED.
THE FORMER OI MAN DAY NURSERY, CATERING FOR 140 CHILDREN, HAS BEEN RE-NAMED FOLLOWING A GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION BY MR LO KAM-WING TO HONOUR HIS LATE GRANDMOTHER.
ONE SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE NURSERY, MR CHAMBERS SAID, WAS THAT IT INTEGRATED A SMALL NUMBER OF MILDLY DISABLED CHILDREN WITH THE NORMAL ONES.
+THIS HELPS TO STIMULATE THE DISABLED CHILDREN BY THEIR CONTACT WITH THEIR NORMAL COUNTERPARTS, WHICH ACCELERATES THE FORMER'S GROWTH AND ADJUSTMENT, HE ADDED.
THE TUNG WAH GROUP HAS RECENTLY DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF PLACES FOR DISABLED CHILDREN FROM SIX TO 12.
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