XN000022-1973-06-27 — Page 6

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Wednesday, June 27, 1973

SURVEY OF PROFTT-MAKING CHILD CARE CENTRES

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A survey is to be conducted over the next two months to find out

the number of profit-making child care centres for children under the age

of six including nurseries, play centres, and creches in Hong Kong.

The survey, to be carried out by the Social Welfare Department, will

also look into the existing standards of services provided.

Misa Chan Joy-yin, Principal Social Welfare Officer (Research and

Statistics), said the aim is to get first hand information on the situation

in these child care centres to which social welfare legislation will probably

be applied.

Initially three university students have been recruited to carry out

the survey during their summer vacation. Those centres which are knownI

to the department have already been sent letters informing them of the survey.

"Centres which have not received letters are invited to contact the

Research and Evaluation Unit of the Social Welfare Department in Lee Gardens,"

Miss Chan said.

The information obtained in the survey will be used to assess the

present situation in these centres and the number of staff required for the

implementation of the proposed legislation for the control of such child care

centres.

The legislation will cover profit-making and non-profit-making centres

and will require them, by a given time, to maintain prescribed standards of

accommodation and health, safety measures and staff qualifications.

The introduction of this legislation is one area of development in the

field of Family Welfare Services in the Five Year Plan.

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