Policy Address

Protect Children

124. The LegCo is scrutinising the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Bill. We look forward to the early passage of the bill and the implementation of the mandatory reporting regime for early identification and intervention into child abuse cases. The Government will provide training for mandated reporters and draw up guidelines. We will also increase the number of emergency places for residential child care service.

125. The Committee on Review of Residential Child Care and Related Services, formed last year, has completed its review. The Government will follow up on and progressively implement the relevant recommendations, including stepping up inspections and unannounced visits, increasing the number of residential child care service places, strengthening the support and training for foster families, etc.

126. To encourage more willing individuals to become foster families, the Government will substantially increase the incentive payment for foster families starting from next April. For foster care service, the payment will be more than doubled from around $5,000 to about $11,000 per month. For emergency foster care service, it will be doubled from around $6,600 to about $13,000 per month. Additional support will be provided to foster families taking care of children with special learning or care needs, including arranging early assessment and appropriate professional rehabilitation therapy and training.

Support the Development of Welfare Services Organisations

127. The Government will set up a dedicated fund of $500 million to help NGOs operating subvented welfare services meet their development needs for staff training and system enhancement, particularly in enhancing professional knowledge of their staff and strengthening awareness of inter-disciplinary collaboration, as well as encouraging and promoting the application of information technology, etc.