XN000022-1982-02-20 — Page 3

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1982

MORE FAMILIES WILL BENEFIT FROM FEE AID SCHEME

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THE NEW FEE ASSISTANCE SCHEME WHICH THE GOVERNMENT IS INTRODUCING IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR FOR PRE-PRIMARY SERVICES IS DESIGNED TO ENABLE MORE FAMILIES TO BENEFIT FROM LOW-COST DAY NURSERY SERVICES AND, IF NECESSARY, TO RECEIVE GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO PAY THE FEES CHARGED BY NURSERIES.

THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR SELWYN ALLEYNE, SAID THIS TODAY (SATURDAY) WHEN HE OFFICIATED AT THE OPENING OF THE ON NING DAY NURSERY OF THE TSUNG TS IN MISSION AT SHUN LEE ESTATE.

+THE ASSISTANCE,+ HE SAID, +WILL BE PAID ON A SLIDING SCALE, THE EFFECT OF WHICH WILL BE THAT PARENTS WHO ARE PRESENTLY ELIGIBLE TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO SUBVENTED DAY NURSERIES WILL NOT, UNDER THE NEW SYSTEM, HAVE TO PAY MORE THAN THEY WOULD UNDER THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS.+

THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SLIDING SCALE WILL ENABLE BETTER OFF FAMILIES TO ALSO RECEIVE SOME ASSISTANCE WITH DAY NURSERY FEES.

MR ALLEYNE SAID FEE ASSISTANCE WOULD ALSO BE AVAILABLE TO LOW-INCOME FAMILIES WHO WISHED TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO KINDERGARTENS.

THUS, THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS REFLECTED +A MUCH MORE CONSISTENT APPROACH, ON THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT, TO ENCOURAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF GOOD QUALITY PRE-PRIMARY CARE AND EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN.+

IN DUE COURSE, THE DIRECTOR SAID, IT WAS INTENDED THAT DAY NURSERIES WOULD PROVIDE SERVICES TO TWO AND THREE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN ONLY, WHILE FOUR AND FIVE-YEAR-OLDS WOULD ATTEND KINDERGARTENS, SOME OF WHICH WOULD PROVIDE FULL DAY CARE FOR THOSE WHO NEEDED IT.

HE STRESSED, HOWEVER, THAT THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO BAR THE ADMISSION OF FOUR AND FIVE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN TO DAY NURSERIES UNTIL IT IS SATISFIED THAT SUFFICIENT PLACES EXIST IN FULL DAY KINDERGARTENS TO MEET THE NEED FOR FULL DAY CARE FOR THIS AGE GROUP.+

MR ALLEYNE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS COMMITTED TO PROMOTING THE EXPANSION OF DAY NURSERY SERVICES TO MEET THE FULL DEMAND FROM PARENTS WHO HAD A NEED TO PLACE THEIR CHILDREN IN FULL DAY CARE.

AT PRESENT, ENTRY TO SUBVENTED DAY NURSERIES IS LIMITED TO THE CHILDREN OF FAMILIES WHOSE INCOME IS NO MORE THAN 30 PER CENT IN EXCESS OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE LEVEL (ROUGHLY $1 800 A MONTH FOR A FOUR-MEMBER FAMILY).

+THIS STRICT