XN000022-1993-05-21 — Page 17

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FRIDAY, MAY 21, 1993

ON FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION, MR STRACHAN SAID THROUGH COMMUNITY AND GROUP EDUCATION PROGRAMMES, SOCIAL WORKERS PROMOTE THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY LIFE AND IMPART PARENTING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS WHICH HELP FAMILY MEMBERS TO GROW INTO CONTRIBUTING AND RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.

"FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION IS A PREVENTIVE PROGRAMME WHICH AIMS ΤΟ OBVIATE FAMILY BREAKDOWN.“

HE POINTED OUT THAT IN A SURVEY CONDUCTED IN 1990, 68 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION WERE AWARE OF THE PROGRAMME BUT ONLY FIVE PER CENT OF THE WHOLE POPULATION HAD PARTICIPATED IN ITS ACTIVITIES.

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'WE NEED TO EXAMINE HOW ΤΟ INTERFACE FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION WITH FAMILY ACTIVITY AND RESOURCE CENTRES AND WITH THOSE WHO REQUIRE IN-DEPTH FAMILY CASE COUNSELLING, HE ADDED.

TT

TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY, MR STRACHAN PLEDGED THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS WHO NEEDED SPECIFIC HELP BOTH AT HOME AND WITH CHILDREN CARE.

CITING SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, HE SAID THERE WAS A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME TO EXPAND GOVERNMENT-AIDED PLACES IN CHILD CARE CENTRES FROM 21,190 AT PRESENT TO ALMOST 27,000 IN 1997.

THIS NEW. PLACE

THERE IS ALSO A SEPARATE PROGRAMME TO PROVIDE THREE ADDITIONAL PLACES IN EACH AIDED CHILD CARE CENTRE.

OCCASIONAL CARE PROGRAMME WILL HELP PARENTS WHO NEED TO

THEIR CHILDREN UNDER PROPER SUPERVISION FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

"CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE LEFT AT HOME ALONE,' HE SAID.

THE DEPARTMENT WILL START TO SUBVENT THE PROGRAMME THIS YEAR WITH 75 CENTRES PROVIDING 225 PLACES. BY 1997 ALL 235 CHILD CARE CENTRES WILL PROVIDE OCCASIONAL CHILD CARE.

"WE ARE ALSO DISCUSSING WITH SOME NGO'S THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AFTER-SCHOOL CARE IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH CENTRES.

"THIS WILL BE PROVIDED FOR A SMALL.

FEE, AT NO COST ΤΟ THE TAXPAYER, AND ENSURE THAT CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE TO RETURN HOME ALONE UNTIL THEIR PARENTS HAVE FINISHED THEIR WORK, HR ADDED.

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SIXTEEN MORE FAMILY AIDE WORKERS WILL BE PROVIDED THIS YEAR AND A FURTHER 22 OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, COMPARED WITH ONLY FOUR SUCH WORKERS LAST YEAR.

THE DEPARTMENT SUBVENTED A TOTAL OF 72 HOME HELP TEAMS. THIS NUMBER WILL BE INCREASED BY 44 TEAMS OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

TO HELP FAMILIES IN TROUBLE, MR STRACHAN HIGHLIGHTED CONCRETE WAYS TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM.

FOUR

1997. THE SOCIAL WELFARE CASE WORKERS IN

ADDITIONAL

FIRST, OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS TO DEPARTMENT WILL BE PROVIDED WITH AN FAMILY SERVICE CENTRES.

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/AT PRESENT