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Helping Children at Risk – the Hong Kong Experience

This paper discusses the policy directions, new service initiatives, and legislative amendments implemented in Hong Kong to help children at risk. It highlights the importance of child-centred, family-focused, and community-based approaches in delivering family and child welfare services. Several new service initiatives, including the Comprehensive Child Development Service and Neighbourhood Support Child Care Project, are introduced. The paper also discusses specific and integrated programs for children with disabilities or special needs.

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Helping Children at Risk – the Hong Kong Experience

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  1. Helping Children at Risk –the Hong Kong Experience Anna Mak Deputy Director (Services) Social Welfare Department Hong Kong SAR Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  2. Paper and powerpoint available at • www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubpress/page_swdspeeches Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  3. Outline • Policy Direction and Guiding Principles • New Service Initiatives • Legislative Amendments • Conclusion Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  4. Policy Direction and Guiding Principles In line with the spirit of • The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child • The Hague Child Abduction Convention Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  5. Policy Direction and Guiding Principles Policy objectives • to preserve and strengthen the family as a unit; • to develop caring interpersonal relationships; • to enable individuals and family members to prevent occurrence of personal and family problems; and • to provide suitable services to meet needs that cannot be adequately met from within the family. Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  6. Policy Direction and Guiding Principles In planning and delivery of family and child welfare services • Child-centred, family-focused and community based approach • early identification and early intervention • service accessibility • service integration • strength-based • community involvement Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  7. New Service Initiatives Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  8. Comprehensive Child Development Service • Aim • early identification and management of • at-risk pregnant women • mothers with postnatal depression • children and families with psychosocial needs, and • pre-primary children with physical, developmental and behavioural problems. • Mechanism • Cross-sectoral collaboration among health, education and social welfare services with maternal child health centres as a platform • mutual and timely referrals for appropriate services • Implementation • launched in 2005 by phases • to be expanded to all districts in HK in 2012-13 Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  9. Neighbourhood Support Child Care Project • Aim • to provide parents with more flexiblechild care services • to supplement regular child care services • to promote community participation and mutual assistance in the neighbourhood • Service components • home-based child care service for children aged under six • Child carer as volunteers • centre-based care groups for children aged three to under six • Implementation • pilot run in 2008-09 • regularized in 2011-12 Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  10. Child Development Fund • Aim • to provide the participating children with more personal development opportunities • to encourage children to develop an asset-building habit and to accumulate financial and non-financial assets • Target participants • children aged 10 to 16 in financially deprived families • Major components • Personal development plan • Mentorship programme • Targeted savings • Implementation • launched in 2008 • projects run by NGOs with financial matching contribution from business sector and volunteers as mentors • Evaluation of first batch of pioneer projects Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  11. Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes (P.A.T.H.S.) to Adulthood • Aim • to promote the holistic development of junior secondary students in Hong Kong • Target participants • Form 1, 2 and 3 students (equivalent to Years 7 to 9). • Two-tier approach Tier 1: a universal positive youth development programme conducted by teachers or social workers in class or after school hours Tier 2: follow-up programme for students identified with greater psychosocial needs • Implementation • since 2005, a research team, comprising renowned academics in the education and welfare fields from five universities • to develop the programme, • to provide training for social workers and teachers, and • to evaluate the project. Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  12. Specific and Integrated Programmes for Children with Disabilities or Special Needs • Aim • to provide children with disabilities or special needs as well as their families with prompt and necessary assistance to prevent the children from being harmed and to promote their well-being • Service provision • Early Education and Training Centre • Special Child Care Centre • Occasional Child Care Service for Disabled Children • Integrated Programme in Kindergarten-cum-Child Care Centre • Small Group Home for Mildly Mentally Handicapped Children / Integrated Small Group Home • Residential Respite Service Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  13. Legislative Amendments Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  14. Adoption Ordinance • Amendments implemented in 2006 • To give effort to the implementation of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption • an accreditation system for other bodies/NGOs • outlawing private arrangements for adoptions between unrelated persons • regularizing the procedures on removing infants out of Hong Kong for the purpose of adoptions • tightening up procedures on making advertisement relating to adoption related matters Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  15. Domestic and Cohabitation Relationships Violence Ordinance (DCRVO) • Amendments enacted on 1 August 2008 and the ordinance renamed as DCRVO on 1 January 2010 • extend the coverage to include persons formerly in spousal/cohabitation relationships and their children, other familial relationships and same-sex cohabitants • a “next friend” of a minor under the age of 18 may apply for an injunction order on behalf of the minor • the court, in granting a non-molestation order, may order the abuser to attend a programme to change his/her attitude and behaviour • the court may vary or suspend an existing custody or access order • the court may attach an authorization of arrest if it reasonably believes that the respondent will likely cause actual bodily harm to the applicant or the child concerned • extend the maximum duration of the injunction order and the related authorization of arrest from a maximum of six months to two years Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  16. Guardianship of Minors Ordinance • Amendments implemented on 13 April 2012 • allows parents to appoint guardians by a document in writing with their signatures attested by two witnesses (a standard appointment form is designed) • the right of the surviving parent to veto the taking office of a guardian appointed by the deceased parent removed • the views of the child on the appointment of the guardian may, as far as practicable, be taken into account • the appointing parent shall seek the consent of the appointed guardian before the appointment Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  17. Child Fatality Review Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  18. Objectives • To facilitate the enhancement of social service systems pertaining to child welfare with focus on inter-sectoral collaboration and multi-disciplinary cooperation for prevention of occurrence of avoidable child death cases. • Not intend to identify death causes or attribute responsibility to any party • To identify good practice, gaps and deficiencies in related service systems Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  19. Scope of Review Child Death Cases • Aged below 18 • Died of natural and non-natural causes • After all criminal or legal procedures have been completed Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  20. Implementation • Pilot project conducted from 2008 to 2011 • Non-statutory Review Panel with members appointed by the Director of Social Welfare with a variety of backgrounds including medical, social welfare, psychological, legal, education, academia, business and parent representatives • A standing Child Fatality Review Mechanism set up on 1 June 2011 Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

  21. Conclusion • Key to effectiveness in helping children at risk • determination to put children’s best interest paramount • a comprehensive range of services adopting a multi-entry approach • full participation of all concerned stakeholders • The Hong Kong Government is committed to continue developing strategies and measures to help children at risk as well as their families. Social Work Social Development 8 - 12 July 2012, Stockholm

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