Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1961-1962 — Page 15

day care facilities. The new nurseries are operated by the Maryknoll Fathers at Kwun Tong and Tung Tau Resettlement Estates, the Y.W.C.A. at the Princess Alexandra Community Centre, Tsuen Wan, the Save the Children Fund at Chai Wan Resettlement Estate and the Church of Christ in China at Chuk Yuen Resettlement Area. There were 17 non-profit making day nurseries, 3 crêches, and 5 play-centres run by voluntary agencies at the end of the year with a total capacity of under 3,900. This figure represents an increase of 1,400 places over last year's figure, but places in nurseries still fall far below what is required for adequate day care of the young children of working mothers.

28. For the Child Welfare Section, good liaison with voluntary agencies, especially those running Children's Homes, is most important as these provide accommodation for many of the children in the care of the Department. More than 580 of the children in care were admitted during the year into voluntary Babies' and Children's Homes (see Appendix 6 for further details). The majority of these entered the Po Leung Kuk, an old-established Hong Kong institution, the Superin- tendent of which continued to be a seconded member of the depart- mental staff. At the end of March 1962, the total number of babies and children in residential homes was 2,674. A list of the institutions and organizations providing day and residential care for children is given at Appendix 7.

29. The generosity of the American Government in providing a donation of over $750,000 made possible the planning during the year of a Children's Reception Centre in Kowloon. This Centre, which will have accommodation for 100 children of either sex up to 8 years of age, will act as a clearing-house to which children can be referred for investigation and observation during short term care, so that a well- considered plan may be made for the future of each child. It will be run by the Child Welfare Section and will meet a long-standing need.

30. Since 1959, Foster Parents Plan, an American organization, has been concentrating on supporting poor children in their own homes by providing them with money, clothes, school materials, etc. and by the end of March 1962 about 3,000 children were so supported. Lutheran World Service and the Church of Christ in China continued to offer similar help to needy children and during the year assisted about 3,800 boys and girls. The Unitarian Service Committee of Canada continued to sponsor 100 children at the Po Leung Kuk and 150 through the Family Welfare Society.

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