Babies Section

Foreword

Babies Section was registered in 1978 in accordance with Child Care Services Ordinance.

Objectives

• To provide out-of-home care for children aged 0 to 3 who are not adequately cared for by their families due primarily to various family problems or crises.
• To provide a stable, safe and nurturing living environment to enhance children’s growth and development, and designed balanced programme to foster the physical, intellectual, language, social and emotional development of the children.
• To provide social work services to meet individual needs and prepare children for home restoration or alternative placement.

Capacity

55

Target Group

• Age limit: 0 to 3
• Children without severe emotional disturbance, severe behavioural problem, very complicated health condition, physical or mental handicap.

Service Content

• Children to be arranged to settle in 3 wards for different age groups.
• 24-hour comprehensive care with arrangement for personal care routine and living schedule appropriate to the age and needs of the children.
• A variety of programmes on care-giving, play, exploratory and learning activities to be designed meet the various developmental needs of children while seasonal celebrating programmes to be implemented.
• Sufficient and nutritious food including milk products, meal and refreshments appropriate to the age and needs of the children.
• Casework to be provided by registered social workers to keep regular review of individual child’s development progress and prepare children for home restoration/alternative placement.
• On-site medical consultation to be provided by doctors regularly.  Otherwise, medical consultations with nearby government clinics, private practitioners or A & E units of government hospitals to be arranged.

Charges

• Free meals and lodging.
• Parents/guardians to be responsible for their children's clothings, school fees and/or schooling expenses according to actual expenditure.
• For ward cases of the Director of Social Welfare, the Social Welfare Department (SWD to be responsible for the wards’ clothings, school fees and/or schooling expenses according to actual expenses.

Short-term Care Service

• Placement for less than 3 months
• Free of charge
• Simplified admission procedures
• Criteria and other details of service are same as long-term placement

Application of Service

Applications are referred by the SWD or social service units of non-governmental organisations through SWD Central Referral System for Residential Child Care Service (CRSRC).

Termination of Service

• Can be initiated by Babies Section or service users.
• There should be prior discussions between both parties and together with referring worker on welfare plan.  All parties are required to complete necessary formalities for formal discharge.