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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1985
A FEE ASSISTANCE SCHEME ENSURED THAT NO FAMILY IN NEED OF DAY-CARE SERVICE FOR THEIR CHILDREN WOULD BE DEPRIVED OF A PLACE BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.
+EXPENDITURE IN THE PAST THREE YEARS HAS BEEN ABOUT $35.5 MILLION PER ANNUM. AS OF MARCH 1985, 42 PER CENT OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN CHILD CARE CENTRES ARE RECEIVING FEE ASSISTANCE,+ SHE SAID.
TURNING TO THE TRAINING OF CHILD CARE WORKERS, SHE SAID THAT OVER 90 PER CENT OF THE EXISTING 2 414 CHILD CARE WORKERS HAD RECEIVED THE NECESSARY BASIC TRAINING.
EXISTING TRAINING FACILITIES WERE ADEQUATE TO COPE WITH THE DEMAND. THE DEPARTMENT WAS THEREFORE EXAMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF STRENGTHENING THE PRESENT IN-SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAMMES TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN RECEIVED THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE.
SINCE 1983 'THE BASIC TRAINING COURSES HAD BEEN CONTRACTED OUT TO THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC, AND THE INSTITUTE ALSO PROVIDED SIX OTHER COURSES IN SPECIAL AREAS SUCH AS RESIDENTIAL CARE AND THE CARE OF DISABLED CHILDREN.
A SUM OF ABOUT $833 000 IS BEING SPENT THIS YEAR ON THESE CONTRACTED COURSES.
IN ADDITION, THE DEPARTMENT'S TRAINING SECTION PROVIDED STAFF DEVELOPMENT TRAINING IN THE FORM OF SHORT COURSES, SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS.
IN RECENT YEARS THERE HAD BEEN LITTLE EXPANSION IN THE WAY OF DAY CRECHE PLACES FOR CHILDREN BELOW TWO YEARS OF AGE, SHE SAID.
THIS WAS BECAUSE IT WAS WIDELY ACCEPTED THAT VERY YOUNG CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF TWO DEVELOPED BEST WITHIN THE HOME ENVIRONMENT AND SHOULD NOT BE SEPARATED FROM THEIR PARENTS UNLESS THERE WERE COMPELLING REASONS FOR DOING SO.
+WE DO NOT INTEND TO ENCOURAGE THE PLACEMENT OF INFANTS IN DAY CARE, BUT WHERE THERE IS A GENUINE NEED WE HOPE THAT RESOURCES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO MEET THIS NEED THROUGH A WELL PLANNED BUT CONTROLLED EXPANSION OF THE SERVICE, PARTICULARLY IN NEW TOWNS WHERE THERE ARE AT PRESENT NO DAY CRECHES, SHE SAID.
RESOURCES IN RECENT YEARS HAD INSTEAD BEEN CONCENTRATED ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF NON-INSTITUTIONAL FORMS OF CARE, NAMELY SMALL GROUP HOMES AND FOSTER CARE.
A SMALL GROUP HOME IS LOCATED IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES AND CATERED FOR GROUPS OF EIGHT CHILDREN OF BOTH SEXES BETWEEN THE AGES OF FOUR AND 18.