TNAG-1073-FCO40-1323-Policy-of-the-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-including-1981 — Page 145

8.3

CUNY

2.

The Government will continue to provide assistance in land allocation,

accommodation, reimbursement of rates and in the fitting out costs for child

care centres run by approved non-profit-making agencies. It is also intended

to continue to reimburse rates for non-profit-making kindergartens.

8.4

Agreement was recently reached with the Housing Authority on a pilot

project, whereby some kindergarten premises in public housing estates would be

let at concessionary rents to suitable educational bodies upon the recommendation

of the Director of Education. The concessionary rent level is set at about half

of the commercial rent for such premises. If the pilot project, which has

already started, is successful, it is expected that these arrangements will become

permanent and will be extended to all kindergartens. Existing profit-making

kindergartens in public housing estates will be encouraged to become non-profit-

making, although it is acknowledged that their conversion to non-profit-making status

may take some years.

Fee Assistance

8.5

The Government has modified the Green Paper proposals in respect

of the scheme of assistance whereby children from low income families would

have a proportion of the fees for a child care centre or kindergarten place paid

by the Government. This scheme proposed that such children attending child care

cantres or kindergartens should be eligible for fee assistance provided that, in

the case of child care centres, there was a social need for full day care. Maximum

assistance designed to cover the full notional fees would be available to all

families whose total income was at the public assistance level or below. Above

this income level there would be a sliding scale by which the assistance would

be gradually reduced. It is now intended that:

(1) the eligibility for assistance should be based on

family income after the rent paid for the family home

has been deducted, subject to a maximum deduction of 30%

of total income;

TAL