It is very important for children to grow up with family companionship, but some children in society may not be so lucky and must rely on foster families to lend a helping hand.
However, the number of foster families in Hong Kong has been insufficient, making it difficult for children in need to be matched with suitable foster families.
A group survey found that in the next three years, there may be about 20 fewer foster families, but there are still more than 300 children waiting to be matched with foster families.
The group urged the Social Welfare Department to increase subsidies and provide more support to foster families.
The Christian Service held a press conference today, referring to the loss of foster families and urging government support.
(Photo by Liang Jinying)
As of the end of March this year, 314 children were waiting for foster care services
The foster care service provided by the Social Welfare Department provides home-based residential care for children in need.
Hong Kong Christian Service is one of the service providers. According to the information assigned by the SWD, they found that as of March 31, 2022, there were 124 children on the register of children who were unsuccessfully matched with foster families. A total of 314 children of 190 children who have been matched are waiting for foster families.
In 2001/22, there were only 29 ordinary foster families (excluding those who can only provide short-term care) that could be matched every month in Hong Kong, which was only one-tenth of the number of children who needed to be matched. Only one of the 10 children applying for foster care will have the opportunity to try to be paired with a foster family.
20% of the interviewed foster parents said that the reasons for leaving within three years included old age and immigration
From April to June 2022, the Christian Service will conduct a "Foster Parent's Service Experience and Opinion Survey" to interview general foster parents supervised by them.
The results were published today and found that of the 118 valid questionnaires, nearly 20% (18.5%) of foster parents said they would withdraw from the service within three years.
Mainly because the foster parents are getting older and their health is declining; planning to emigrate; feeling stressed and unrecognized.
According to its questionnaire survey, Christian Service found that more than 40% (40.7%) of foster parents are aged 60 or above, but less than 20% (18.7%) of foster parents under 50 years old, reflecting that the overall foster parents are aging .
Mrs. Wong (left) is one of the foster parents. She pointed out that taking care of foster children is tiring, but she feels that she is contributing to the society, but the government can provide more support.
(Photo by Liang Jinying)
Mrs. Wong, 61, is one of the foster parents. She has taken care of four girls over the years, two of whom are still under her care, a 14-year-old girl who has been taking care of for 11 years and a 10-year-old girl who has been taking care of her for 6 years.
She pointed out that her body began to feel powerless, and her husband and friends advised her to rest.
However, she feels that caring for foster children is very satisfying and meaningful, and the bonds that she has built are very deep.
"The two girls will take care of me and turn around. I'll take care of me when I'm not feeling well, and help me to buy food and do housework." So she hopes to persevere. She wants to give the best care to the foster children who have gone through hardships and treat them as her own. out.
According to the Service Office, foster parents receive monthly foster care allowances from the SWD, including "Foster Child Living Expenses Allowance" and "Foster Parent Incentive Payment". Child Living Allowance" 6530 yuan and "incentive money" 4898 yuan.
The survey results showed that 25.0% of foster parents indicated that the allowance was insufficient.
Among the foster children in charge of the department, 40% have special learning needs (SEN), but among the foster children with SEN, there are more than 20 kinds of diseases, but the SWD only pays 1,650 yuan to four of them. assistance.
Ip Yee-fun (right) pointed out that the SWD should formulate better subsidy criteria and increase support.
(Photo by Liang Jinying)
The social worker of the foster care service, Ye Qifen, pointed out that taking care of the children was already very tiring, and the government support was insufficient: "The responsibility is heavy, the pressure is high, and the government support is not perfect. Will someone else do it?" She pointed out that after sorting out the questionnaire results, the service office proposed Recommendations, including:
- SWD provides clear and appropriate subsidy guidelines. For example, foster children aged 0-18 should be entitled to different levels of subsidy
-Established a foster family support center in the same district
- Establishment of support services for fake families
Jiang Jiahui pointed out that the foster care service can give foster children a family-like care, and called on young families to become foster families.
(Photo by Liang Jinying)
Ye Qifen said that she often heard that some foster families felt that they were "suffering", and some foster parents even paid their own money to allow foster children to go to private hospitals for eczema treatment, all just to hope that the foster children would not feel inferior due to eczema.
Foster families all hope to contribute, and as long as the government provides better support, more foster children will benefit.
Calling on young families to be "fake families": family is very important for children's growth
Jiang Jiahui, director of the service department, said that in fact, family is very important to the growth of every child.
Foster care can give foster children a family-like care, which is better than sending them to institutions such as children's homes: "They will know that it's the Mid-Autumn Festival, they should celebrate, and they should reconcile. It will last a lifetime." She appealed to some young families or couples to actually become a fake family, and only temporarily take care of foster children when some regular foster families need leave.
Ye Qifen pointed out that she hopes that the society will have more understanding of foster care services. Foster care is actually different from "adoption". Foster children are only temporary. Of course, they all take a period of time and must be taken care of.
She appealed to different families to lend a hand and become foster families.
A strong woman gave up her career and became a mother of 4 sons. She has never complained as a foster mother: the more you get together, the stronger the foster family has for 22 years. She has taken care of more than 40 children. She has been with a girl with a hare-lip for 5 years. Too little amount, "discounted money" to be a volunteer Luo Zhiguang: can be checked in time