WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1986
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MRS CHAN SAID THERE HAD BEEN PUBLIC CALLS FOR CHILD CARE CENTRES AND KINDERGARTENS TO BE ADMINISTERED BY ONE AUTHORITY AND THE GOVERNMENT WAS PRESENTLY CONSIDERING THIS POSSIBILITY.
AT PRESENT THERE WERE 205 CHILD CARE CENTRES IN HONG KONG PROVIDING ABOUT 24 000 PLACES. THIS COMPRISED 134 SUBVENTED CENTRES, FOUR NON-PROFIT-MAKING CENTRES AND 67 PRIVATE CENTRES.
OVER 80 PER CENT OF PRIVATE CENTRES WERE LOCATED ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND WEST KOWLOON AND PROVIDED PARENTS WITH MORE CHOICES WHEN SELECTING CHILD CARE CENTRES.
+THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO PROVIDE ONE CHILD CARE CENTRE WITH 100 PLACES FOR EVERY 20 000 POPULATION. PRESENT STATISTICS INDICATE THAT 15 NEW CHILD CARE CENTRES WILL BE OPENED EVERY YEAR, PROVIDING 1 500 PLACES, SHE SAID.
ON THE FEE ASSISTANCE SCHEME FOR CHILD CARE CENTRES, MRS CHAN NOTED THAT LAST YEAR TOTAL EXPENDITURE AMOUNTED TO ABOUT $35 MILLION, AND ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE FOR THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR WAS $37 MILLION.
AS OF FEBRUARY 1986, PARENTS OF 62 PER CENT OF THE CHILDREN IN CHILD CARE CENTRES WERE RECEIVING FEE ASSISTANCE.
SOME MILDLY PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN WERE AT PRESENT ATTENDING ORDINARY CHILD CARE CENTRES UNDER AN INTEGRATED PROGRAMME PROVIDED IN 85 CENTRES.
+IN THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR, IT IS PLANNED TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 30 INTEGRATED PLACES, SHE SAID.
SPEAKING ON DAY CRECHE SERVICE, MRS CHAN SAID THAT ALTHOUGH HER DEPARTMENT WAS PROVIDING A LIMITED SERVICE, SHE FELT CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF TWO SHOULD BEST BE CARED FOR BY THEIR FAMILIES.
+WE DO NOT ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE IR VERY YOUNG CHILDREN EXCEPT IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, SHE ADDED.
THAT WAS WHY THERE HAD BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT IN DAY CRECHE SERVICE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND AT PRESENT THERE WERE 18 SUBVENTED DAY CRECHES PROVIDING PLACES, AND A NON-PROFIT- MAKING CRECHE LOOKING AFTER 64 BABIES.
+WE ARE GATHERING STATISTICS TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE FAMILY BACKGROUND OF BABIES UNDER CARE IN ORDER TO ESTIMATE THE DEMAND FOR CRECHE SERVICE.
+THE INFORMATION WILL ALSO HELP IN THE FORMULATION OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PLANS IN THIS AREA,+ SHE SAID.
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