XN000022-1987-01-10 — Page 5

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1987

MORE PRE-SCHOOL SERVICES PROVIDED FOR DISABLED CHILDREN

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PRE-SCHOOL SERVICES FOR DISABLED CHILDREN WILL BE IMPROVED WITH THE PROVISION OF MORE PLACES AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A WORKING GROUP'S RECOMMENDATIONS ON RAISING STAFFING RATIOS AND SALARY LEVELS, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MRS ANSON CHAN, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

OPENING THE HEEP HONG SOCIETY FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN PAK TIN EARLY EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTRE, MRS CHAN SAID A FURTHER FOUR SUCH CENTRES WITH 255 PLACES WOULD BE PROVIDED THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR.

ANOTHER EIGHT NEW CENTRES WITH 480 PLACES HAD BEEN PLANNED FOR 1989 TO 1991, SHE ADDED.

THE EARLY EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTRES ARE INTENDED TO HELP DISABLED CHILDREN TO DEVELOP SELF-CARE, COGNITIVE, MOTOR AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS AS WELL AS TO PROVIDE PARENTS WITH SUPPORT ADVICE AND TRAINING SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THEIR CHILD'S NEEDS.

AT PRESENT, 380 PLACES IN THESE CENTRES ARE SUBVENTED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

IN ADDITION, MRS CHAN SAID THE DEPARTMENT ALSO SUBVENTED 528 INTEGRATED CHILD CARE PLACES AND 480 SPECIAL CHILD CARE PLACES,

+ I AM PLEASED TO SAY THAT IN 1987 AND 1988 SIX NEW SPECIAL CHILD CARE CENTRES WILL BE PROVIDED WITH 420 PLACES.

+FROM 1989 TO 1991 A FURTHER 11 CENTRES WILL BE PLANNED TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL TOTAL OF 612 PLACES, SHE SAID.

THE PLACES IN SPECIAL CHILD CARE CENTRES ARE MAINLY FOR MODERATELY AND SEVERELY DISABLED CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF TWO AND FOUR OR TWO AND SIX, DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF THEIR DISABILITY WHILE THE INTEGRATED CHILD CARE CENTRE PLACES ARE FOR MILDLY DISABLED CHILDREN BETWEEN TWO AND SIX.

APART FROM INCREASING PLACES, MRS CHAN SAID, FUNDS WERE NOW AVAILABLE FOR IMPLEMENTING A WORKING PARTY'S RECOMMENDATIONS ON IMPROVING STAFFING STANDARDS AND SALARY LEVELS AT THESE THREE KINDS OF CENTRES.

IT WOULD NOW BE POSSIBLE TO ADD A SOCIAL WORKER POST AND AN OUTREACH WORKER POST TO ALL EARLY EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTRES AND TO ADD ONE SENIOR CHILD CARE WORKER TO ALL SPECIAL CHILD CARE CENTRES AND EARLY EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTRES, SHE SAID.

OTHER DIMPROVEMENTS