ENG-1994 — Page 238

SOCIAL WELFARE

The home help service, subvented by the government and operated by non-governmental organisations, provides meals, personal care and household work services to those in need. At the end of the year, there were 89 home help teams.

Wai On Home for Women and Harmony House are run by the Social Welfare Depart- ment and a non-governmental organisation, respectively. They provide a total of 80 short- term residential places for women and children who may be victims of domestic violence, and for young girls at risk. A third refuge, with accommodation for 40 women, is under planning.

The department continues to tackle the problem of street-sleeping. A total of three outreaching teams dedicated to helping street-sleepers are at work. The department also assists non-governmental welfare organisations to run temporary shelters, urban hostels and a day relief centre for street-sleepers.

A wide range of child welfare services is provided. The department's adoption units are responsible for arranging local and overseas adoption of orphans, abandoned babies and children available for adoption. The Central Foster Care Unit promotes foster care services in the territory. The Child Custody Services Unit carries out statutory duties in respect of the supervision or care of children arising from custody and guardianship matters handled in the Family Courts or the High Court. The Child Protective Services Unit investigates and supervises child abuse cases, for the protection of children at risk. A fully-computerised Child Protection Registry was put in place in July 1994 to give quick access to information on child abuse cases. The registry will also facilitate the better planning of services for the protection of children at risk.

The Social Welfare Department operates two children's homes Chuk Yuen Children's Reception Centre and Sha Kok Children's Home, which provide temporary out-of-home care to children whose families are in crisis. It also operates a girls' home Wai Yee Hostel, which provides residential care and schooling for teenage girls in need of care and protection.

A number of subvented welfare organisations also provide residential child care services through children's homes, homes and hostels for boys and girls, foster care and small group homes. The 1991 social welfare White Paper stated that residential services are to be developed on the principle that a family setting is the best environment for the healthy development of a child and should be the preferred choice over an institutional setting, particularly for young children. Accordingly, in 1994, foster care places were increased from 480 to 560, and small group homes from 32 to 46. It was also stated that when large children's homes are being reprovisioned, the opportunity should be taken to convert them into small group homes. Accordingly, two large children's homes run by non-governmental organisations were converted into 30 small group homes during the year.

Child care centres provide day care facilities for children under the age of six. These centres must comply with the standards laid down in the Child Care Centres Ordinance and the Child Care Centres Regulations. They are required to be registered and are subject to inspection by the department's Child Care Centres Advisory Inspectorate. At the end of the year, there were 1 023 places in special child care centres, 37 073 places in day child care centres and 585 places in residential child care centres. New modes of child care services were being provided to meet the changing needs of families. A total of 135 occasional child care units, each with three places, were provided to take care of children for brief periods

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