ENG-2009 — Page 261

Social Welfare | 201

Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Services

The SWD adopts different approaches to provide drug treatment and rehabilitation services for drug abusers. At year-end, the department was subventing 14 voluntary Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Centres and Halfway Houses, seven Counselling Centres for Psychotropic Substance Abusers and two Social Clubs for Ex-drug Abusers. Under the Drug Dependent Persons Treatment and Rehabilitation Centres (Licensing) Ordinance, 23 certificates of exemption and 17 licences for Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Centres were issued or renewed in 2009.

School Social Work Service

At year-end, 484 secondary schools were each provided with a school social worker to help students with academic, social and emotional problems and to maximise their educational opportunities.

P.A.T.H.S. to Adulthood: A Jockey Club Youth Enhancement Scheme

In the 2009-10 school year, a total of 231 secondary schools joined the Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes (PATHS) to Adulthood project. This time-defined project funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities. Trust was launched in the 2005-06 school year. It aims to promote the holistic development of junior secondary students into responsible young adults.

District Support Scheme for Children and Youth Development

Since the 2005-06 financial year, the SWD has received a recurrent annual provision of $15 million to provide direct cash assistance and implement projects under the District Support Scheme for Children and Youth Development. The Scheme was launched to address the developmental needs of disadvantaged children. and young people, which cannot be met by their families or the mainstream education systems.

Support Service to Youth Employment

In 2009, subvented welfare NGOs continued to make use of the 3 000 time- limited programme worker posts allocated to them to employ needy young people to assist social workers in delivering service-related programmes in order to gain working experience.

Child Development Fund

The Government set up the $300 million Child Development Fund (CDF) to provide children from a disadvantaged background with more personal development opportunities, so to reduce inter-generational poverty. CDF projects help participants draw up and implement their own development plans as well as develop an asset-building habit, thus preparing them for long-term development.

The first batch of 3-year CDF pioneer projects was rolled out by NGOs in December 2008 in seven regions or districts, benefiting a total of 750 children. The second batch of projects will be rolled out in early 2010. The Government has commissioned a consultant to evaluate the

evaluate the pioneer projects and make