XN000022-1989-01-25 — Page 10

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1989

9

MORE PUBLICITY ON HOME SAFETY, CHILD CARE

EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE, BOTH AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL AND TERRITORY-WIDE THROUGH TELEVISION AND POSTERS, TO STEP UP EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES AND CAMPAIGNS ON HOME SAFETY AND CHILD CARE, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON T.H. CHAU, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE

COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON MIRIAM LAU, MR CHAU SAID AS FAR AS FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION PROGRAMMES WERE CONCERNED, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES PROVIDED A WIDE VARIETY OF PROGRAMMES CONNECTED WITH CHILD CARE.

THESE PROGRAMMES, WITH EMPHASIS ON THE DANGER OF LEAVING YOUNG CHILDREN UNATTENDED AT HOME, WERE TARGETTED PARTICULARLY AT PARENTS AND HOUSEWIVES.

"THESE CONCERTED EFFORTS HAVE, I BELIEVE, HELPED ΤΟ ENHANCE PUBLIC AWARENESS IN THIS REGARD,' HE SAID.

77

TO SUPPLEMENT THESE PROGRAMMES, A MAJOR CAMPAIGN FOCUSSING IN PART ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WELL-BEING OF THE CHILD IN THE FAMILY AND ON WHAT RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD MEANT, WOULD BE LAUNCHED IN 1989-90, HE ADDED.

"ONE OF THE MESSAGES WE WISH TO PUT ACROSS IS TO REMIND THE PUBLIC OF THE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF CHILD NEGLECT," HE STRESSED.

ON THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS IN WHICH YOUNG CHILDREN, LEFT ALONE AT HOME, WERE KILLED AS A RESULT OF FALLING FROM THE BUILDING, MR CHAU SAID THE POLICE WERE NOW GATHERING THE REQUIRED INFORMATION FROM RECORDS KEPT BY INDIVIDUAL POLICE DIVISIONS.

STATISTICS WOULD BE PROVIDED IN WRITING ONCE THIS EXERCISE HAD BEEN COMPLETED, HE SAID.

"THE RESULTS SO FAR SHOW THAT, OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, THERE WERE 10 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 10 WHO DIED AS A RESULT OF FALLING OUT OF WINDOWS.

"BUT IT HAS NOT SO FAR BEEN ESTABLISHED HOW MANY OF THESE CHILDREN WERE LEFT UNATTENDED AT THE TIME, HE SAID,

[O

MR CHAU SAID THERE WERE A VARIETY OF SERVICES FOR FAMILIES WHICH EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTIES IN TAKING CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN.

·

"FAMILIES CAN MAKE USE OF CHILD CARE CENTRES IN THE FORM OF NURSERIES AND CRECHES, HE SAID, ADDING THAT THERE WAS A FEE ASSISTANCE SCHEME WHICH PROVIDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO NEEDY FAMILIES TOWARDS PAYMENT OF NURSERY FEES.

/AT PRESENT,

Page 10Page 11