XN000022-1979-06-17 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 1979

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SWD TO EXPAND SCHEME FOR DISABLED CHILDREN

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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT IS TO EXPAND THE SCHEME WHICH ENABLES DISABLED CHILDREN TO MIX WITH NORMAL CHILDREN IN DAY NURSERIES AS PART OF THEIR SOCIAL REHABILITATION PROCESS,

FOLLOWING AN INITIAL SUCCESS OF THE SCHEME, THE DEPARTMENT 13 INVITING MORE GOVERNMENT-SUBVENTED NURSERIES RUN BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TO JOIN THE SCHEME, UNDER WHICH SPECIAL UNITS ARE PROVIDED FOR CHILDREN WITH MINOR DISABLITIES.

AN EXTRA 60 PLACES FOR DISABLED CHILDREN IN 10 NURSERIES WILL BE PROVIDED THIS YEAR, BRINGING TO 120 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PLACES IN 20 NURSERIES.

THE SCHEME WAS INTRODUCED LAST YEAR ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR MILD-GRADE DISABLED CHILDREN AGED TWO TO SIX YEARS TO INTEGRATE WITH NORMAL CHILDREN OF THEIR AGE IN A HOMELY SETTING.

MR. LAU KAI-CHUEN, HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT'S CHILD CARE CENTRES ADVISORY INSPECTORATE, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY) PARENTS WITH NORMAL CHILDREN IN THE PARTICIPATING NURSERIES HAD GENERALLY ACCEPTED THE IDEA OF THE SCHEME.

HE SAID THE 60 DISABLED CHILDREN PLACED IN THE NURSERIES LAST YEAR HAD BEEN WELL ACCEPTED BY THEIR NORMAL COUNTERPARTS.

+THIS IS MOST ENCOURAGING AND HAS GREATLY FACILITATED THE INTEGRATION AND SOCIAL REHABILITATION OF THE DISABLED CHILDREN,+ HE SAID.

EACH PARTICIPATING NURSERY, HE SAID, ADMITS SIX DISABLED CHILDREN WHO ARE EITHER MILD-GRÅDE MENTALLY RETARDED, SLIGHTLY PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED, OR SLIGHTLY IMPAIRED IN SPEECH, HEARING OR SIGHT.

ADMISSIONS ARE BY WAY OF REFERRALS MADE BY WELFARE AGENCIES OR RELEVANT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS, HE ADDED.

MR. LAU SAID NURSERIES JOINING THE SCHEME WERE ALLOCATED EXTRA SUBVENTION TO MEET ADDITIONAL STAFF COST.

IN ADDITION, HE SAID, GRANTS FROM THE LOTTERIES FUND ARE AVAILABLE FOR NECESSARY STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS AS WELL AS FOR THE PROVISION OF SPECIAL FACILITIES AND STAFF TRAINING.

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