XN000022-1981-10-29 — Page 3

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1981

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MORE PUBLICITY ABOUT FOSTER HOMES SUGGESTED

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DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI CALLED FOR MORE PUBLICITY ON THE MERITS OF FOSTER HOMES AND SMALL GROUP HOMES.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE MODERN CONCEPT OF CHILD CARE IS SHIFTING ITS EMPHASIS TOWARDS NON-INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES TAKING THE FORM OF FOSTER HOMES AND SMALL GROUP HOMES.

CHILD WELFARE WORKERS, HE SAID, EXPOUNDED THAT CHILDREN IN NEED OF A SUBSTITUTE HOME SHOULD BE BEST REARED IN AN ENVIRONMENT AS HOME-LIKE AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THEIR EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS CONTINUE TO BE MET WITH MINIMUM DISRUPTION+.

EXPLAINING THE FEATURE OF SUCH HOMES, DR HO SAID THEY ARE LOCATED UNOBTRUSIVELY IN PRIVATE OR PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS AND ARE NON-DISTINGUISHABLE FROM OTHER ORDINARY HOMES.

THIS PERMITS CLOSE IDENTIFICATION WITH COMMUNITY LIVING AND THEREFORE FACILITATES THE CHILDREN'S RE-INTEGRATION INTO THE COMMUNITY.

+UNDER THE GUIDANCE AND CARE OF A MARRIED COUPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY SELECTED FOR THE JOB, THE FOSTER HOME OR THE SMALL GROUP HOME ENGENDERS THE KIND OF FAMILY LIFE, PARENTAL AFFECTION, PEER GROUP RELATIONSHIP, DISCIPLINE AND SECURITY WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR THE CHILDREN TO GROW INTO HEALTHY AND RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUALS.

+THESE ADVANTAGES ARE NORMALLY NOT AVAILABLE FROM LARGE, DEPERSONAL IZED CHILDREN'S INSTITUTIONS AND ORPHANAGES.+

HOWEVER, DR HO POINTED OUT, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS ALTERNATIVE TYPE OF CHILD CARE SERVICES HAS BEEN VERY SLOW IN HONG KONG.

QUOTING STATISTICS, HE SAID THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN REVIEW 1981 INDICATED THAT THERE IS A REQUIREMENT OF SOME 300 NON-INSTITUTIONAL PLACES IN 1981/82 AGAINST A CURRENT PROVISION OF 94.

AND THE PROPORTION OF PLACES IN NON-INSTITUTIONAL SETTINGS TO THE TOTAL RESIDENTIAL CHILD CARE PLACES IN HONG KONG IS ABOUT 5 PER CENT, COMPARED WITH 56 PER CENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM IN 1976.

+THE MAJOR OBSTACLES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS TYPE OF CHILD CARE ARE DIFFICULTIES RELATED TO THE SECURITY OF SUITABLE ACCOMMODATION AND TO THE RECRUITMENT OF PERSONNEL, HE SAID.

*THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PERHAPS ORGANISE A CAMPAIGN TO PUBLICISE THE MERITS OF FOSTER HOMES AND SMALL GROUP HOMES, TO AROUSE THE INTEREST OF THOSE PARENTS WHO HAVE REARED THEIR OWN CHILDREN.

/+THE GOVERN. FT