ENG-1955 — Page 169

SOCIAL WELFARE

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having the care of 2,250 children who are either abandoned, orphaned or destitute. (Juvenile delinquents, girls in moral danger, and physically-handicapped children are catered for in special institutions). Voluntary organizations also operate three day-nurseries, one of which functions in a Resettlement Area, for children whose mothers are at work, mostly as hawkers and factory or home-industry workers. A crêche for restoring to health under-nourished babies is run by the Society for the Protection of Children, which in addition carries on, at five centres, its work of educating mothers of poor families in infant hygiene and feeding, and of giving out milk and other nutritious food to supplement the diet of infants.

Statutory functions for the protection of children and juveniles are exercised by the Social Welfare Office, under the Protection of Children and Juveniles Ordinance, the aim of which is to safeguard the interests of girls under 21 living away from their parents and in need of care and protection, and of those who have been adopted. Registration for adopted daughters is compulsory, and for adopted boys voluntary. Cases of suspected trafficking in, or ill-treatment of, children are investigated and action taken for the welfare of the children. There are now 5,175 children whose welfare is supervised by Children's Officers, and of these 2,110 are children in need of care and protection, 1,772 are adopted daughters, and 1,293 adopted boys. Close liaison is maintain- ed with the Po Leung Kuk, a place of safety for purposes of much of the work under the Ordinance, and with other voluntary organizations, many of which likewise receive a Government subvention.

The largest group of children is looked after by the Christian Children's Fund Inc., which, in addition to a child welfare centre, operates six children's homes and subsidizes three others. This organization has been allocated a site at Wu Kwai Sha, in the New Territories, for a Children's Garden, consisting of a group of homes to be run on the cottage system, where it will be possible to take in more orphaned or destitute children and also, it is hoped, provide technical training.

Women's and Girls' Welfare

A Section of the Social Welfare Office, formerly known as the Moral Welfare Section, but now increased in scope,