ENG-2003 — Page 242

SOCIAL WELFARE

194

behavioural or emotional problems. At year-end, there were 745 places in foster care service, 952 places in small group homes and 1 331 places in children's homes, boys' and girls' homes and hostels.

Child care centres provide day care services for children under the age of six years. At year-end, there were 28 978 aided day nursery places, 960 aided day creche places, 717 occasional child care places and 1 672 extended hour places provided in 272 centres. All child care centres have to register under the Child Care Services Ordinance and Regulations. A fee assistance scheme helps low-income families with social needs to pay fees for child care centres.

An inter-bureau/departmental working group has been working on the details for implementing the harmonisation of pre-primary services currently provided by child care centres and kindergartens.

The Administration introduced the Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2003 into the Legislative Council in June to further improve the local adoption arrangements and give effect in Hong Kong to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption. The council was expected to form a Bills Committee in January 2004 to study the bill, and to complete the legislative proceedings during its 2003-04 session.

The Administration commissioned the Duty Lawyer Service to run the Legal Representation Scheme with effect from October 1, 2003 for children and juveniles involved in care or protection proceedings who are deprived of liberty and detained in a gazetted place of refuge under the Protection of Children and Juveniles Ordinance.

Social Security

The Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme and the Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme form the mainstay of Hong Kong's social security system. They are supplemented by three accident compensation schemes: the Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Scheme, the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme, and Emergency Relief.

The CSSA Scheme

The CSSA Scheme is non-contributory but means-tested. The scheme provides cash assistance to people suffering from financial hardship, enabling them to meet basic needs. Applicants should satisfy the stipulated residence requirement. To help able- bodied unemployed CSSA recipients and other socially disadvantaged groups overcome barriers to work and become self-reliant, the department continued to implement the comprehensive package of employment-related services and introduced measures to intensify the Support for Self-reliance Scheme (see Major Achievements above). At year-end, there were 290 206 CSSA cases, compared with 266 571 in 2002. Total expenditure on the CSSA during the year amounted to $17.33 billion, representing an increase of 9.9 per cent over the previous year.

The SSA Scheme

The non-contributory SSA Scheme provides allowances to meet the special needs of the severely disabled and elderly persons. The scheme covers Normal Disability Allowance, Higher Disability Allowance, Normal Old Age Allowance and Higher Old Age Allowance. At year-end, 563 880 people were receiving social security allowances,