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This year marks 10-year-old Ah Yee's first Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration with her foster mother and father. Thanks to her foster family, Ah Yee feels loved and cared for.
Mrs Au and her husband have a happy family with two grown up sons. They have also been involved in the provision of emergency foster care service on a voluntary basis for 13 years. Ah Yee is their 120th foster child.
Ah Yee's case social worker arranged for her to join the foster family three months ago when neither her mother, who needed to receive long-term treatment, nor other relatives could take care of her.
"Ah Yee is a well-behaved kid. Although she was a bit shy upon her arrival, she quickly adapted to the new family life after we kept on communicating, playing and enjoying meals with her," Mrs Au said.
"The upcoming CNY celebration is the first of its kind for us and Ah Yee. We will make some special preparations for her, including festive home decorations and traditional food. As a new member of our family, she will also join us when we pay courtesy calls to relatives and friends."
Ah Yee said she was very excited to have a chance to celebrate the upcoming CNY with foster parents after the lonely one last year. She looked forward to joining the courtesy calls to get to know and play with new friends.
As a foster parent, Mrs Au's new year wish may be different from ours. "Since foster care is just a transitional arrangement, I hope that the children can eventually return home and reunite with their family members," she said.
In taking care of foster children over the years, Mrs Au has been deeply impressed by the intimate relationship built up between her family and the foster kids. Citing an example, Mrs Au said that one of the children, now about 20 years old, still kept in regular contact with her and came to visit the family on festival days.
Established in 1982, the Central Foster Care Unit of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) oversees and co-ordinates the provision of foster care services provided by 11 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), namely the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society, Hong Kong Christian Service, International Social Service Hong Kong Branch, Mother's Choice Limited, Sheng Kung Hui St Christopher's Home, Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service, Po Leung Kuk, Hong Kong Children and Youth Services, Hong Kong Student Aid Society, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, and Yan Chai Hospital Social Service Department.
Foster care provides residential family care for children whose parents cannot adequately take care of them for various reasons, such as ill health, mental/ physical disabilities, divorce, imprisonment, drug rehabilitation or child abuse, so that they can continue to enjoy family life until they can reunite with their families or find other long-term social welfare arrangements.
Foster parents can receive from the SWD a one-off setting-up grant for new placement, a monthly maintenance grant for foster children as well as an incentive payment for foster families. The respective NGOs and case social workers will continuously follow up on their condition and give them advice, training and support. In addition, the SWD will also present service awards to outstanding foster families in recognition of their contribution.
To strengthen support for families and children in need, the SWD will increase in phases the number of residential care places for children, including foster care, and will raise within this year the foster care allowance, including the incentive payment for foster families and the monthly maintenance grant for foster children.
Foster parents are volunteers who are willing to mobilise the whole family to offer love and care to foster children. Ideal foster parents should preferably have:
* happy family life and stable living;
* good health and stable emotions;
* reached the age of 25 or above;
* one of the applicants would be a full-time carer at home;
* primary education standard or above;
* tidy, clean and safe living conditions with adequate living space;
* fondness for children as well as experience and ability in child care; and
* readiness to accept a social worker's investigation and guidance.
If you are interested in serving as a foster parent and meet all or most of the above requirements, please call the Central Foster Care Unit at 2573 2282.
As at December 31, 2011, there were 930 foster families and 904 children receiving the foster care service.
Ends/Saturday, January 21, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:03
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