SUNDAY, JULY 22, 1984
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EXPATRIATES ARE ALSO WELCOME TO BECOME FOSTER PARENTS. HOWEVER, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE USE OF EXPATRIATE HOMES FOR FOSTERING WOULD LIKELY BE RESTRICTED TO CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, SUCH AS THOSE AWAITING ADOPTION OVERSEAS.
SINCE LAST OCTOBER WHEN A MAJOR EXERCISE TO RECRUIT FOSTER PARENTS WAS LAUNCHED, THE CENTRAL FOSTER CARE UNIT HAS RECEIVED ABOUT 600 ENQUIRIES AND ABOUT 300 APPLICATIONS.
*FOSTERING IS PARTICULARLY DESIRABLE FOR BABIES AND VERY YOUNG CHILDREN. FOR THEM, INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION AND CARE IS CRUCIAL, HE SAID.
FOR ITS PART, THE GOVERNMENT HAS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF SUBVENTED FOSTER PLACES FROM 40 TO 120 IN THE CURRENT YEAR.
+WE ARE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS IN PROMOTING THIS FORM OF NON-INSTITUTIONAL CARE, AND WE HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO FILL ALL 120 FOSTER PLACES BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
BY THE END OF JUNE, 57 CHILDREN HAD FOUND 43 FOSTER HOMES. ANOTHER 31 HOMES WERE AVAILABLE FOR SUITABLE CHILDREN, WHILE 25 CHILDREN WERE WAITING TO BE MATCHED, HE SAID.
THERE ARE NOW THREE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES PROVIDING FOSTER CARE SERVICES. THE HONG KONG CHRISTIAN SERVICE HANDLES 60 FOSTER PLACES, THE FAMILY WELFARE SOCIETY, 20 PLACES, AND THE SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND, 40 PLACES.
THE CENTRAL FOSTER CARE UNIT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RECRUITING AND REGISTERING POTENTIAL FOSTER PARENTS AND ASSESSING THEIR SUITABILITY BY CONDUCTING HOME STUDIES, WHILE THE AGENCIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MATCHING A CHILD WITH A FOSTER HOME AND THE SUPERVISION OF PLACEMENTS.
+AT PRESENT, THE AGENCIES ARE ALSO ASSISTING US IN CARRYING OUT HOME STUDIES OF PROSPECTIVE FOSTER FAMILIES AND THIS HELPS TO SPEED UP THINGS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
+HITHERTO, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, +FOSTER CARE HAS NOT BEEN A COMMON PRACTICE IN HONG KONG, BUT THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT THE SITUATION IS CHANGING. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO DEVELOP THIS TYPE OF CARE FURTHER AS THE CONCEPT GAINS WIDER ACCEPTANCE IN THE COMMUNITY. +