XN000022-1989-04-03 — Page 6

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MONDAY, APRIL 3, 1989

DUE TO CHANGING PATTERNS IN SOCIETY, MR CHUI SAID, THERE IS A STRONG DEMAND FOR CHILD CARE SERVICES.

HE SAID: "THE GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED ABOUT INCIDENTS INVOLVING WORKING PARENTS LEAVING THEIR CHILDREN UNATTENDED AT HOME WHICH HAVE RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS OR DEATH IN RECENT YEARS.

"CHILD CARE CENTRES, COMPRISING NURSERIES AND CRECHES, ARE PROVIDING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO PARENTAL CARE."

THE EXISTING PROVISION STANDARD IS ΤΟ PROVIDE 100 SUBVENTED DAY CARE NURSERY PLACEMENTS FOR CHILDREN, AGED BETWEEN TWO AND SIX, IN EVERY 20,000 POPULATION.

HE SAID: "THE PROVISION STANDARD IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH A DISTRICT'S ACTUAL DEMAND. UNDER THE EXISTING PLAN, THERE WILL BE 16 NURSERIES WITH 1,600 PLACEMENTS EVERY YEAR.

AS AT THE END OF MARCH THIS YEAR, THERE WERE 163 GOVERNMENT SUBVENTED NURSERIES WITH 17,756 PLACEMENTS FROM VOLUNTARY WELFARE AGENCIES, FIVE SELF-SUFFICIENT NON-PROFIT NURSERIES WITH 686 PLACEMENTS AND 78 PRIVATE NURSERIES WITH 10,016 PLACEMENTS.

MR CHUI SAID THESE CENTRES ARE GOVERNED BY THE CHILD CARE CENTRES RULES AND REGULATIONS IN RELATION ΤΟ INFRA-STRUCTURE, STAFFING, PROGRAMMES, HYGIENE AND DIETING, TO ENSURE THE STANDARD ог SERVICES.

ON FINANCING AND IMPROVING CHILD CARE SERVICES, HE POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO ASSIST BOTH NON-PROFIT AND AIDED CENTRES AND SUBSIDISE LOW INCOME FAMILIES.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT $54 MILLION WOULD BE ALLOCATED IN 1989/90 FINANCIAL YEAR COMPARED WITH $45 MILLION THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

AT PRESENT THERE ARE 18 FULLY-SUBVENTED CRECHES WITH 917 PLACEMENTS, ONE NON-PROFIT CRECHES WITH 64 PLACES, AND SEVEN PRIVATE CRECHES WITH 170 PLACEMENTS.

1989-90 HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY PRE-TEST

A HOUSEHOLD

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT WILL CONDUCT EXPENDITURE SURVEY FROM OCTOBER THIS YEAR TO SEPTEMBER 1990.

BE CONDUCTED FROM A SMALL-SCALE PRE-TEST FOR THE SURVEY WILL MID-APRIL TO THE END OF MAY, AND THE RESULTS WILL BE USED TO FINALISE THE PLAN AND PROCEDURES OF THE SURVEY.

THE PRE-TEST .............