The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, accompanied by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, visited a Short-term Food Assistance Service centre in Kwun Tong District and a kindergarten in Wong Tai Sin District today (October 25) to learn about the services provided and listen to the views of users and operators.
 
     Mrs Lam and Dr Law first visited the Daily Meal Network of the Kwun Tong Methodist Social Service in the afternoon to learn about the current operation of the Short-term Food Assistance Service. Since its introduction in 2009, the Short-term Food Assistance Service has provided basic food supply for low-income earners who have difficulties in coping with their food expenditure temporarily for a period of up to eight weeks. The centre provides food assistance to the needy in Kwun Tong, Wong Tai Sin and Sai Kung through more than 100 consortium units and delivery points in the districts.
 
     Mrs Lam said, "Since its introduction eight years ago, the Short-term Food Assistance Service has recorded over 250 000 visits. As stated in my Policy Address, the Government will allocate an additional $447 million for extending the service for three years to 2021 to help people in need to meet urgent needs. The Social Welfare Department will also conduct a comprehensive review of the initiative in parallel, including the positioning of the services and the way forward."
 
     They then visited Ho Lap Kindergarten (Sponsored by Sik Sik Yuen) in Tsz Wan Shan to look at the current rehabilitation services provided to children in pre-primary education who have special needs. Through the Pilot Scheme on On-site Pre-school Rehabilitation Services (OPRS) of the Social Welfare Department, this kindergarten receives on-site cross-disciplinary services provided by occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, psychologists, social workers and special child care workers from SAHK. At present, there are 11 children receiving services at this kindergarten.
 
     "Since its launch in 2015, the Pilot Scheme on OPRS has been commended by users, parents and kindergartens. There are now 480 kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-child care centres, close to half of the total number in Hong Kong, taking part in the Pilot Scheme. I pledged in the Policy Address that the Government would regularise the pilot scheme, upon its completion, from the 2018/19 school year. The Government will earmark $460 million a year in recurrent expenditure for the programme and double the service places from about 3 000 to 7 000 in two years, with a view to achieving the policy objective of 'zero waiting time' for pre-school rehabilitation services," Mrs Lam said.
 
     Concluding today's visits, Mrs Lam said, "As I said in the Policy Address, the Government is determined, bold in innovation and conscientious in its efforts to address the needs of Hong Kong people. There are more than 200 specific measures to promote Hong Kong's economic development and improve people's livelihood in the Policy Address and the Policy Agenda. I will continue to get in touch with different sectors of the community and listen to their views in the future, as well as personally supervise the implementation of these measures."

Ends/Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Issued at HKT 18:42

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