Social Welfare 1 211
and means-test criteria will receive financial assistance 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 which serve children of a similar age. To re-define the service scope and to align the existing different requirements between the two services, a Child Care Services (Amendment) Bill 2005 will be introduced into the Legislative Council in April 2005.
A legislative amendment to the Adoption Ordinance has been introduced to improve 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 Adoption (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Legislative Council on July 9, 2004 and the Adoption (Amendment) Ordinance was gazetted on July 23, 2004. Further legislative amendments to the subsidiary legislation are being worked
out.
The Administration commissioned the Duty Lawyer Service to run the Legal Representation Scheme since 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. The Administration plans to enhance the scheme by extending its scope of service to children and juveniles deprived of liberty and detained in places other than a gazetted place of refuge.
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. There are 37 Social Security Field Units administering these schemes across Hong Kong.
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 requirements. At year- end, there were 295 694 CSSA cases benefiting 542 017 persons, compared with 290 206 cases and 522 456 persons in 2003. Total expenditure on CSSA during the year amounted to $17.67 billion, an increase of 2 per cent over the previous year.
Elderly CSSA recipients who have received CSSA for not less than three years are allowed under the Portable CSSA Scheme to continue to receive assistance if they choose to retire to Guangdong Province.
The SSA Scheme
The non-contributory SSA Scheme provides allowances to meet the special needs. of the severely disabled and elderly persons. The scheme comprises Normal Disability
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