XN000022-1987-11-30 — Page 3

1

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1987

FLEXIBLE APPROACH IN PLANNING CHILDREN'S AND YOUTH CENTRES

#

A MORE FLEXIBLE APPROACH SHOULD BE ADOPTED IN ASSESSING THE

OF LEVEL OF PROVISION

CHILDREN'S AND YOUTH CENTRES, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT SUCH FACTORS AS POPULATION CONCENTRATION, DEMOGRAPHIC MAKE-UP AND GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD OF THE AREA.

THIS APPROACH WAS ENDORSED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SWAC) AT ITS MEETING TODAY (MONDAY),

THE EXISTING PLANNING RATIO OF ONE CHILDREN'S AND YOUTH CENTRE TO EVERY 20,000 GENERAL POPULATION WAS DETERMINED IN 1973.

IN THE LIGHT OF CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES, THE COMMITTEE AGREED

CHILDREN'S THAT THIS RATIO BE REVISED TO ONE

AND YOUTH CENTRE FOR EVERY 20,000 TO 30,000 GENERAL POPULATION.

PROJECTED

DECREASE IN RECREATIONAL THE PRIVATE

THE CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES INCLUDE THE

IN OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH POPULATION; THE INCREASE SERVICES PROVIDED BY OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND SECTOR AND NEW PATTERN IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF POPULATION CONCENTRATION.

A

IT WAS ALSO AGREED THAT CONSIDERATION BE GIVEN TO SETTING UP CHILDREN'S AND YOUTH CENTRE FOR A NEIGHBOURHOOD OF 15,000 IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THE POCKET OF POPULATION IS GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED AND THAT MINI-CENTRES BE SET UP IN THE REMOTE RURAL AREAS.

WHILE ACCEPTING THE MORE FLEXIBLE APPROACH TO PLANNING, THE COMMITTEE ALSO SAW THE NEED FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF CENTRES AND THAT THERE WAS A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIS SERVICE AND FAMILY SERVICE.

IT ALSO BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR BETTER CO-ORDINATION WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND ORGANISATIONS IN THE PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR YOUTH AND, IN THIS RESPECT, THE COMMITTEE EXPRESSED THE WISH TO BE KEPT POSTED ON THE DELIBERATIONS OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE ON YOUTH.

THE COMMITTEE FURTHER SUGGESTED THAT CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING CHILDREN'S AND YOUTH CENTRES AVAILABLE FOR USE IN THE MORNING BY YOUNG HOUSEWIVES AND THEIR CHILDREN.

ALSO DISCUSSED AT TODAY'S MEETING WAS THE OUTCOME OF THE CONSULTATION BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT WITH THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES ON THE PROPOSED FORMULA FOR DETERMINING THE LEVEL OF SUBVENTION FOR CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION AND THE PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS TO THE ORIGINAL FORMULA ARISING THERE FROM.

/IT WAS