Report Back Seminar “ Children & Youth Services ” and “ Early Intervention ”

Report Back Seminar“Children & Youth Services” and “Early Intervention” AU Kit-ying Hong Kong Christian Service

Main Features – A revisit • Reach out rather than waiting for service demand or referral, i.e., Home visiting program in Family First • Offering on-site training or counseling

Facilitate capacity building among clients themselves, i.e., “Budget Cookbook” & “ Your Guide for Life as Parent” by YWCA Sidney; NSW Commission for Children and Young People. • Strengthen the knowledge and the know-how of parents as well as other helping professionals

References for Hong Kong’s Practice • If work, do more • If not, stop or do less

Reaching out to younger target • Reaching out service to younger age children. Officially, service target of outreaching social work is aged between 6-24. • Currently, majority of service target are aged between 14-18. • Issue of “no such clients” or “no such mindset”

School as community • Reduce the impact of disadvantaged children entering school by providing integrated services for families in severely disadvantaged communities. • The focus of the program is support rather than intervention, prevention rather than remediation. • E.g., early learning and literacy group for children; mutual support group, father group will be run in the school.

“school as community centre” in Mainland China • The principle is: being an open, user friendly, and welcoming place for residents • 「以極低的花銷為本地鄉民們辦起幾所小學，並以平易近人的態度使鄉民們接受這些學校。」 • 「使學校成為一個開放的場所，接納所有的社區成員，並成為社區的活動中心。」「校舍是公開的，給全村民公用，信用合作社、農業產品展覽會、村民武術會、村民結婚禮堂和賽會的會場（如賽牛）都可借用學校的校舍場地。到夜裏還開辦村民夜校，夜校也是由教師來主持的。」「農民任何時候都可以進學校小坐，喝水，或找人聊天」

“school as community centre” in Tin Shui Wai • According to a questioning at LegCo raised by a legco council in 2001, around 150 primary and secondary schools have opened the school facilities to community. • In 2005, a secondary school in Tin Shui Wai actively promoted the concept of “school as community centres”

順德聯誼會翁祐中學校長蔡澤群稱，天水圍的貧窮問題難以解決，「我們可以做到的就是使區內居民心靈上自覺不貧窮，希望透過窮人幫窮人，為他們建立自信、知道自己並非弱勢社群，對將來繼續存有希望」。故此，學校遂於去年成立扶貧委員會，建議推出一系列扶貧措施，盡量運用學校資源，如開放校舍，讓居民可使用學校的球場打球、在圖書館閱讀等，學校又計劃開辦不同的興趣班讓居民參與，如手工藝、烹飪等，使他們得到精神寄託，積極面對人生。

Boost up resilience among younger age children • Raising AQ; expanding explosure, offering cash allowance for joining community acitivities. • E.g., UAP (成長的天空); P.A.T.H. (共創成長路 –賽馬會青少年培育計劃); 加德士機會工程」加德士社區支援夥伴計劃

Advocacy for children and young people • Child centered practice involves: • Listening to and respecting what children have to say • Seeing the world from their perspective • Focusing on their needs from NSW Commission for children & youth

Children’s Council in HK • Started in late 2002 • Formed by children who are working closely with three non-governmental organizations, Against Child Abuse, Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF, and Hong Kong Committee on Children’s Rights. • consists of about 80 committed youngsters, most of whom are children (people under 18). • serves as a platform for children to exercise their right to participation and express their opinions on social matters, especially those affecting them

Other ideas on early intervention • Introducing after school care service to junior secondary form children • Promote individualized personal counseling work to younger age children, e.g., formulate Personal Development Plan for each ICYS members

The feasibility & applicability issues • Universal VS Selectivity • Problem-oriented VS Developmental-oriented

Thank you!

Report Back Seminar “ Children & Youth Services ” and “ Early Intervention ”