Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1948-1954 — Page 14

18. In April, 1948 the Hong Kong orphanages had not yet completely recovered from the effects of the Japanese occupa- tion, and only in 1949 could the Social Welfare Office substitute cash grants for cumbersome and expensive issues of rations in kind. By the end of the period under review there were large orphanages receiving official financial or other aid, whilst the Salvation Army managed the King's Park Orphanage of 300 children on behalf of the Social Welfare Office. Most of the expenses for King's Park Orphanage were met by an annual government subvention, whilst

whilst the Salvation Army had authority to fill 50 of the vacancies with its own nominees. Admittance to orphanages was of necessity being restricted more and more to destitute full orphans, owing to pressure on the space available, for relaxation of this policy inevitably meant impossible overcrowding, besides encouraging poor parents and guardians to exploit the orphanages as free schools-thus not only avoiding their own responsibilities, but filling up places which ought to be kept open for children in much greater need.

19. No attempt was made to impose on any orphanage any form of official registration or inspection. Control was limited to the possibility of curtailing subventions or other forms of assistance, and to powers which in practice were not easily exercisable under health legislation, or legislation for the care and protection of juveniles; in any case, the Social Welfare Office did not at first have enough knowledge of work in children's institutions to be in a position to help or guide the orphanages. Three steps were taken in this connexion. In January, 1951 Legislative Council passed a new Protection of Women and Juveniles Ordinance, which brought the legislation for the care and protection of children and young persons up-to-date. The next step was the setting-up of a trained, sympathetic, and efficient Children's Section in the depart- ment a section whose officers would be accepted by all volun- tary organizations and private citizens as friends, rather than as official inspectors to be suspected and feared. The third step was to re-organize the official Social Welfare Advisory Committee, in part so that it could include within its framework an experienced sub-committee on Child Welfare.

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