LAURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 983
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HE SAID THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S CENTRAL FOSTER CARE UNIT IS NOW WELL ESTABLISHED AND OPEN TO ENQUIRIES FROM PROSPECTIVE FOSTER PARENTS.
WITH THE HELP OF SEVERAL VOLUNTARY SOCIAL WELFARE AGENCIES, THE NUMBER OF FOSTER CARE PLACES IS TO BE EXPANDED FROM THE PRESENT 40 TO 120 DURING THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
+ I AM CONFIDENT, MR CHAMBERS SAID, THAT WE SHALL BE ABLE TO EXPAND THIS TYPE OF CARE STILL FURTHER AS THE CONCEPT OF FOSTER CARE BECOMES MORE WIDELY ACCEPTED IN THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.+
THE DIRECTOR SAID THAT WHERE A CHILD WAS OLDER AND THEREFORE LESS LIKELY TO BE ASSIMILATED WITHIN A NEW FAMILY, OR WHERE HE HAD ALREADY BEEN IN INSTITUTIONAL CARE FOR A LONG PERIOD, THE CHANCES OF A SUCCESSFUL FOSTER PLACEMENT WERE REDUCED.
+THIS IS WHY THE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO EXPANDING SMALL GROUP HOMES, HE SAID.
THESE PROVIDE FOR SMALL GROUPS OF CHILDREN TO BE CARED FOR BY HOUSE-PARENTS IN ORDINARY PUBLIC HOUSING OR RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION WITH SUPERVISION AND CASEWORK SUPPORT PROVIDED BY TRAINED SOCIAL WORKERS.
+THIS FORM OF CARE MINIMISES THE UNDESIRABLE EFFECTS OF LARGE CHILDREN'S HOMES WHILST NOT EXPOSING THE CHILD TO THE SAME PRESSURES TO ADAPT AND FIT IN AS HE WOULD FACE IF PLACED IN A FOSTER HOME, HE SAID.
+WE ARE PLANNING TO SET UP A NUMBER OF THESE HOMES IN THE NEAR FUTURE, HE SAID.
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES FOR NEW TOWNS UNDER REVIEW ****
THE PACE OF NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG IS UNPARALLELLED IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD, WITH THE RESULT THAT PLANNERS HAVE NOT HAD MUCH OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE, THE SENIOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT), MR Y.T. LI, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE SPEECH DAY OF WONG SHIU CHI MIDDLE SCHOOL IN TAI PO, MR LI CITED THE PROVISION OF SCHOOL PLACES AS AN EXAMPLE AND SAID IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO FORESEE THE PATTERN OF POPULATION MOVEMENT TO THE NEW TOWNS.
+THE BUILDING OF A PRIMARY SCHOOL NORMALLY TOOK AS LONG AS FOUR YEARS FROM THE TIME OF PLANNING.
+IF THE
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