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Pre-school services for handicapped children
The objective of pre-school services for handicapped children is to facilitate their physical, mental and social development to the fullest extent their abilities permit.
This was stated by the Director of Social Welfare, Mr Ian Strachan, when he officiated at the opening ceremony of the Heep Hong Society Jockey Club Early Education and Training Centre in North District today (Saturday).
"The ultimate aim is to enable them to receive education in ordinary schools as far as possible and as early as possible.
"Early education and training centres (EETC) are designed particularly for children aged below two for this purpose," Mr Strachan said.
He said the government funded 17 EETCs with a total of 1,265 places operated by non-governmental organisations as at the end of May.
"We target at providing another 465 places by 1998-99," he said.
In addition to the various training programmes offered by a team of professional staff including social worker, physiotherapist and occupational therapist to the handicapped children, Mr Strachan said support programmes were also made available for parents at present.
"There are six parents resources centres and 19 centres providing occasional child care services to disabled children," he said, adding that these provisions were essential to parents with disabled children.
The new EETC opened today is the eighth of its kind operated by Heep Hong Society.
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