XN000022-1991-07-17 — Page 9

7

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1991

R

IT

BY

POLYTECHNIC.

AS

IS A STATUTORY TRAINING TO ENSURE QUALITY, RDS

RECEIVED SPECIAL REQUIREMENT THAT ALL CHILD CARE WORKERS MUST HAVE

OF SERVICE. CHILD CARE TRAINING BEFORE THE END OF THEIR FIRST YEAR

TRAINING, ALL EXCEPT THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED PRE-SERVICE CHILD CARE CHILD CARE WORKERS ARE PROVIDED WITH AN 8-WEEK IN-SERVICE TRAINING THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG EIGHT SUCH COURSES ARE PROVIDED THIS YEAR. AT PRESENT, ABOUT 80% OF IT IS ESTIMATED THAT BY THE ALL OUR CHILD CARE WORKERS ARE TRAINED.

HAVE HAD END OF NEXT YEAR, IN 1992/93, ALL CHILD CARE WORKERS WILL SPECIAL TRAINING BEFORE THE END OF THEIR FIRST YEAR OF SERVICE THEREBY MOREOVER, THE GUARANTEEING A STANDARD "OF SERVICE LAID DOWN BY LAW. CHILD CARE CENTRE ADVISORY INSPECTORATE OF SOCIAL WELFARE PROVIDES ADVICE AND GUIDANCE TO THESE 'CENTRES THROUGH REGULAR AND CONSULTATIONS.

DEPARTMENT

VISITS

THE CHILD CARE IN ORDER TO ATTRACT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE INTO FIELD, THEIR SALARY STRUCTURE HAS RECENTLY BEEN REVIEWED. I AM SORRY TO SAY MY HONOURABLE FRIEND MR PETER WONG'S FIGURE WAS SLIGHTLY OUT OF DATE. BOTH THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE AND SWAC HAVE BEEN OTHER GRADES WITH CONSULTED AND AN IMPROVED SCALE, COMPARABLE TO

HAS WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE,

BEEN ADOPTED. SIMILAR QUALIFICATIONS FUNDS ARE ALREADY MADE AVAILABLE TO IMPLEMENT THEM FROM OCTOBER 1 THIS AS YEAR. THIS, I HOPE, WILL HELP TO RETAIN EXPERIENCED STAFF AS WELL IMPROVE RECRUITMENT.

APPROPRIATE

HERE,

EXPRESS

ΤΟ SIR, I THINK IT IS ALSO

Ι RECOGNITION OF THE CONTRIBUTION MADE BY ALL WORKERS, MOSTLY WOMEN,

LOOKING AFTER MIGHT ADD, WHO HAVE WORKED SILENTLY BEHIND THE SCENE CHILDREN IN THE CHILD CARE CENTRES DEVOTING THEIR LIVES AND THEIR TIME IT IS OUR AND EXPERTISE TO BRING UP CHILDREN IN A GOOD ENVIRONMENT,

I THINK IT IS HONG KONG CHILDREN, OUR REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FUTURE. IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE CHILDREN WILL REAP THE BENEFIT OF THE CARE WE GIVE AND GIVEN BY THE WORKERS. THEREFORE 1 THINK WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT CHILDREN ARE BROUGHT UP IN SAFE, HEALTHY AND CARING CONDITIONS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE FAMILY SURROUNDINGS BY THEIR PARENTS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

TO

MORE PROVIDE

ΤΟ

MAKE USE OF CHILD CARE

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO

CENTRE

AS

LOW ENABLE

INCOME THE FEE FACILITIES,

ONLY NINE MONTHS A FAMILY OF FOUR FULL FEE HALF

FAMILIES ASSISTANCE SCHEME WAS IMPROVED IN LAST SEPTEMBER, AGO,

BY RELAXING THE INCOME CRITERIA BY ABOUT 33%. WITH INCOME NET OF RENT BELOW $3,000 WILL BE ASSISTED WITH ASSISTANCE. THOSE WITH NET INCOME AT ABOUT $6,100 WILL RECEIVE FEE ASSISTANCE. THIS ENSURES THAT NO FAMILY WITH SOCIAL NEEDS WILL BE OF PREVENTED FROM MAKING USE OF CHILD CARE CENTRE FACILITIES BECAUSE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.

PUBLIC EDUCATION IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CHILD CARE POLICY. FAMILY LIFE "RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD" HAS BEEN THE MAIN THEME OF OUR

A WIDE RANGE OF EDUCATIONAL EDUCATION PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN SINCE 1989. PROGRAMMES ON PARENTING ARE ALSO CONDUCTED REGULARLY AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL. I MUST CONFESS THAT I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE MANY INNOVATIVE IDEAS GIVEN BY MEMBERS IN THIS DEBATE WHICH MY COLLEAGUES AND I WILL TAKE REFERENCE FROM.

/DURING THIS