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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
None of these nurseries and play centres is managed by the Social Welfare Department; but that Department has given every encouragement to voluntary agencies in providing day care for young children whose families cannot look after them themselves; this includes advice at the planning stage; sponsorship of applications for accommodation in resettlement estates; assistance in obtaining nursery equipment donated by the United Nations Children's Fund, from which 54 day care centres in all have benefited; and training for nursery staff. Over 200 trainees in all have already taken courses provided by the Social Welfare Department's Training Unit and the Department hopes to train some 80 workers this year. No general survey of the need for more nurseries in Resettlement Estates has been requested or made. But I understand from my friend the Director of Social Welfare that a study was recently made in the Tai Hang Tung area, as part of the planning of the Community Centre to be opened there shortly; the Hong Kong Council of Social Service will soon be making a survey in Chai Wan in a similar connexion. These surveys, and the general survey of urban family life in Hong Kong, for which a Director is shortly to be selected, should throw light on the extent of the need for day care. It seems clear in any event that there is a continuing need in resettlement estates; I hope and believe that the large groups of voluntary agencies already providing day care in the estates will continue to expand their services to meet this need, with the support of the Social Welfare Department. I might add that the number of day care centres in the estates has steadily increased from three in 1960 to 32 at present and three more will open in the next two months.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, with your permission, may I ask the Commissioner for Resettlement what is the explanation for this apparent discrepancy. His reply says that there are 90 nurseries in Resettlement Estates, but in the December Situation Report, the total is only 14.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- The discrepancy I think arises from the fact that the figures I have given today would include nurseries in the community centres run by the Social Welfare Department. The figures in my monthly Situation Report would not include these.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- I am quite satisfied, Mr. Chairman, with what the Commissioner for Resettlement has said about the Tai Hang Tung area.
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627
Since a survey has recently been made, I presume certain recommendations will be put forward. Looking at the Situation Report, I notice the Tai Hang Tung Estate does not have a single nursery, even though it has a population of over 40,000. But I would like to make a specific request, Mr. Chairman, in regard to Shek Kip Mei, which has a population of over 70,000; Tung Tau which has a population of over 57,000 and Kwun Tong, over 60,000. None of these estates have nurseries as yet according to the Situation Report, and I would be grateful if the Commissioner could take this up with the Director of Social Welfare who is sitting right across the table.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- I would certainly be very glad to do so, but some of the estates which you mentioned as not having these facilities may possibly have day nurseries.
MR. HU:- I would ask as a matter of interest, Mr. Chairman, as the people living in the Resettlement Estates are Chinese, do they really need nurseries? Chinese people usually look after themselves, they never send their babies to nurseries, and these people, can they afford to pay the nursery?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- I think the need arises in families where both parents are working, and there are no grandparents or other adult relatives living within the home. It is necessary to have somewhere to leave the younger children so that the older children can go to school.
MR. HU:- These nurseries are free-is that correct?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- Perhaps I could ask the Director of Social Welfare to answer that question.
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:- Mr. Chairman, no, that is not correct. The average charge is about $15 a month in day nurseries, but all the agencies have arrangements to make remission of fees to parents who cannot afford the fees, and several of them have case-workers who visit families. Others arrange for the Superintendent of the nursery to visit the families, and if they cannot afford the fee, the fee is reduced. In many cases it is free, but there is, generally speaking, a fee of an average of about $15 a month.
(9) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:-
(a) What is the Council's policy on the control of hawkers in the estates of the Hong Kong Housing Authority?
(b) Why has the Council not been able to take effective action to clear the Choi Hung Estate of hawkers?
Page 324 of 382
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382
Page 324 of 382
626
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
None of these nurseries and play centres is managed by the Social Welfare Department; but that Department has given every encouragement to voluntary agencies in providing day care for young children whose families cannot look after them themselves; this includes advice at the planning stage; sponsorship of applications for accommodation in resettlement estates; assistance in obtaining nursery equipment donated by the United Nations Children's Fund, from which 54 day care centres in all have benefited; and training for nursery staff. Over 200 trainees in all have already taken courses provided by the Social Welfare Department's Training Unit and the Department hopes to train some 80 workers this year. No general survey of the need for more nurseries in Resettle- ment Estates has been requested or made. But I under- stand from my friend the Director of Social Welfare that a study was recently made in the Tai Hang Tung area, as part of the planning of the Community Centre to be opened there shortly; the Hong Kong Council of Social Service will soon be making a survey in Chai Wan in a similar connexion. These surveys, and the general survey of urban family life in Hong Kong, for which a Director is shortly to be selected, should throw light on the extent of the need for day care. It seems clear in any event that there is a continuing need in resettlement estates; I hope and believe that the large groups of voluntary agencies already providing day care in the estates will continue to expand their services to meet this need, with the support of the Social Welfare Department. I might add that the number of day care centres in the estates has steadily increased from three in 1960 to 32 at present and three more will open in the next two months.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, with your permission, may I ask the Commissioner for Resettlement what is the explanation for this apparent discrepancy. His reply says that there are 90 nurseries in Resettlement Estates, but in the December Situation Report, the total is only 14.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-The discrepancy I think arises from the fact that the figures I have given today would include nurseries in the community centres run by the Social Welfare Depart- ment. The figures in my monthly Situation Report would not include these.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-I am quite satisfied, Mr. Chairman, with what the Commissioner for Resettlement has said about the Tai Hang Tung
area.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
627
Since a survey has recently been made, I presume certain recommendations will be put forward. Looking at the Situation Report, I notice the Tai Hang Tung Estate does not have a single nursery, even though it has a population of over 40,000. But I would like to make a specific request, Mr. Chairman, in regard to Shek Kip Mei, which has a population of over 70,000; Tung Tau which has a population of over 57,000 and Kwun Tong, over 60,000. None of these estates have nurseries as yet according to the Situation Report, and I would be grateful if the Commissioner could take this up with the Director of Social Welfare who is sitting right across the table.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:--I would certainly be very glad to do so, but some of the estates which you mentioned as not having these facilities may possibly have day nurseries.
MR. HU:-I would ask as a matter of interest, Mr. Chairman, as the people living in the Resettlement Estates are Chinese, do they really need nurseries? Chinese people usually look after themselves, they never send their babies to nurseries, and these people, can they afford to pay the nursery?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:--I think the need arises in families where both parents are working, and there are no grandparents or other adult relatives living within the home. It is necessary to have somewhere to leave the younger children so that the older children can go to school.
MR. HU:-These nurseries are free-is that correct?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Perhaps I could ask the Director of Social Welfare to answer that question.
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:-Mr. Chairman, no, that is not correct. The average charge is about $15 a month in day nurseries, but all the agencies have arrangements to make remission of fees to parents who cannot afford the fees, and several of them have case- workers who visit families. Others arrange for the Superintendent of the nursery to visit the families, and if they cannot afford the fee, the fee is reduced. In many cases it is free, but there is, generally speak- ing, a fee of an average of about $15 a month.
(9) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:-
(a) What is the Council's policy on the control of hawkers in the estates of the Hong Kong Housing Authority? (b) Why has the Council not been able to take effective action
to clear the Choi Hung Estate of hawkers?
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.